Thursday, September 1, 2011

A Sparkling New Hotel in Cannes


There's something so inviting about staying in a fresh, brand-new hotel. So here's one to consider the next time you visit the Côte d'AzurFive Hotel & Spa, the newest luxury property in Cannes. It opened in June with 30 rooms and 15 suites, just next to the famous Croisette in the center of town. 


To run the restaurant, the hotel owners snagged superstar chefs Jacques and Laurent Pourcel, the twin brothers behind the Michelin two-star Jardins des Sens in Montpellier. Called Sea Sens, the new restaurant offers panoramic views of the Old Port and the rooftops of Le Suquet, the old quarter of Cannes. The opening menu offers hot and cold starters such as terrine of duck foie gras with ginger confit, kumquat chutney and toasted brioche or a pear and gorgonzola pizzetta with truffle honey dressing and roquette. Main courses include sea bass with grilled asparagus, whole shallots and sweet lemon vinaigrette; Thai-style steak tartare with thick-cut chips and baby herb salad; and spice-crusted rack of lamb with cauliflower purée, garlic confit, Chinese cabbage salad and a rice wine and soy dressing. Lunch averages 45€ while dinner checks come in at around 100€ per person. (In the evening, the restaurant offers menus priced between 60€ and 80€.) Sea Sens is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.midnight on weekends.

Handling day to day kitchen operations is Australian executive chef Stephane Giono, 29, who has worked for the Pourcel Group since 2009.  Pâtissier Jérôme de Oliveira, who spent five years in the pastry kitchen at the Plaza Athénée in Paris, makes the desserts for the restaurant and will also have his own tea-and-pastry boutique, Intuitions by J., opening within the hotel this fall. In 2009, at age 23, de Oliveira led the French team to win the World Pastry Cup, one of the industry's most rigorous competitions. 

The Spa Cinq Mondes, opening this fall, has a hamman, saunas,  fitness room, five treatment rooms and wide range of multi-treatment packages. It's open to non guests as well. On the roof, there's an infinity pool and bar lounge, where a special snacking menu (truffled panini, king prawns, Oriental burger, fresh fruit, chocolate mousse, etc.) is offered.

Created by Parisian architects Marc Hertrich and Nicolas Adnet, the Five Hotel & Spa has travel as its theme, realized with décor and objects from around the world. If you want to splash out on a suite, one boasts a private terrace with a Jacuzzi while another features three bedrooms and a living room. All rooms and suites have Nespresso machines, free WiFi, iPod docking stations and more. The hotel also offers yacht rentals, with an option to take a mini-cruise between Monaco and Saint-Tropez, among other itineraries.

The hotel director is Grégor Mayoussier, who came over from the Majestic Barrière in Cannes

The Five Hotel & Spa is in the midst of getting its five-star certification. Room rates begin at €295 in low season and current package offers are here.

The Five Hotel & Spa 
1, rue Notre Dame
06400 Cannes 
+33 (0)4-63-36-05-05

Photos: Pool, lobby, guestroom and two signature desserts by Jérôme de Oliveira.

2 comments:

  1. That's so funny! I just went here a couple of weeks ago with my friend. We were walking around Cannes and we wanted to get a drink - so we went up to the rooftop. The pool is teeny tiny! But the view was great. Those chairs in the lobby are something else!

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  2. As always, your blog is a treasure-trove and serious must for planning trips to Provence and the Côte!
    Bon weekend,
    Michael

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