Hotel Le Canberra

Rooms

There are 35 rooms and suites scattered over 4 floors. They’re split into categories according to view (street or pool) and size, but all are minimalist and chic, with 1950s-style statement furniture including curved chairs from renowned French designer Pierre Paulin. You’ll also find chrome anglepoise lamps, voile curtains, quilted leather stools and at least one black and white photo depicting Cannes’ starry heritage. Bathrooms are sleek and, apart from a spotlight casting a pink glow over the shower or tub, entirely monochrome.

The smallest Tradition Rooms overlook the street, while larger Privilege Rooms (2 with a private terrace, thus a bit more expensive) sit above the pool at the rear of the hotel. There are also several Junior Suites - some poolside, some streetside - with sitting areas and sofabeds that are ideal for children; one also has a terrace. The Suites aren’t particularly big, but they come with separate sitting rooms, again with sofabeds. The largest Prestige Suite has a private patio and a bedroom with round windows resembling a ship’s portholes.

We much preferred the rooms overlooking the pool as you can open the doors to let in fresh air (streetside rooms have windows only and can feel stuffy) - it’s worth paying extra for one of these, with a terrace if you can get it.

Features include:

• Air conditioning
• Coffee / tea making
• Cots available
• Minibar
• Radio
• Safe box
• Toiletries
• TV
• WiFi

Eating

Breakfast is served in a glass-walled room at the rear of the hotel, or on the terrace overlooking the pool. It’s a buffet-style affair, so you help yourself to everything, even tea and coffee. We found ourselves going back more than once for the delicious apple Danishes and tempting bite-size pastries; there's also a selection of cheeses and cold cuts, plus fruit and glass dispensers filled with cereal.

For an afternoon pick-me-up or an evening apéritif, the hotel’s Lounge Bar is the place to be, serving a selection of snacks, cocktails, and coffees in a chic and relaxed atmosphere. The Aperol-Spritz shades of the comfy loungers are enough to tempt us over at cocktail hour.

There are no evening meals on offer at the hotel, but it doesn’t matter because there are so many great restaurants right on the doorstep. A few streets away are two excellent French restaurants, La Cave and L’Affable. Astoux et Brun is a famous fish restaurant that has people queuing out of the door every night, and you’ll be spoilt for choice in the Old Town, where there’s a multitude of pizzerias and informal family-run bistros. There’s no need to book; just stroll past, look at the menu and see what takes your fancy. For lunch, try one of the restaurants attached to the private beaches - they’re pricey, but sitting back and watching people pose on the sand is a real Cannes experience.

Features include:

• Bar
• Beach club
• Breakfast
• Light meals
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service

Activities

• Step out of the front door and you’re right on rue d’Antibes, Cannes’ main shopping street, so grab your credit card and enjoy some retail therapy. The other shopping hub is La Croisette, where you’ll find all the high-end designer boutiques
  
• Stroll the length of La Croisette, stopping off for a bite to eat at one of the seafront restaurants, then head to the beach - Cannes has 2km of sand curving round the bay. Most is set aside for private beach clubs, so expect to pay for a lounger and parasol; the central areas are the most expensive
  
• Head to Le Suquet, the old part of town, where narrow cobbled streets lead up to the castle museum. From there, you’ll have panoramic views over the harbour and beyond
  
• Browse the markets: Forville, on the far side of the old port and open every day (except Mondays in winter), and Gambetta, which is closer and sells great food, clothes, jewellery and shoes
  
• Take a 15-minute boat ride to the Lérins Islands. The 2 main islands are Sainte Marguerite and Saint Honorat. Sainte Marguerite is the larger, nearer island, with a small village, several restaurants and good places to swim; Saint Honorat is more peaceful and has a working monastery
  
• If you fancy going further afield, visit the village of Grasse, which is renowned for its perfumes. A guided tour of the Fragonard perfume factory is a highlight
  
• You can also take day trips to Monaco and Nice (there are regular trains), or hop on the ferry to St Tropez
  
• Sweat it out at the onsite gym and sauna, or cool your sun-soaked skin in the outdoor pool

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Boat trips
• Gym
• Historical sites
• Museums / galleries
• Nightlife
• Sauna
• Shopping / markets
• Swimming

Kids

Children of all ages are welcome, and families will appreciate the hotel’s proximity to the beach. Children under 12 sharing their parents' room stay for free.

Best for:

Babies (0-1 years), Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)

Family friendly accommodation:

The Junior Suites and Suites have sofabeds for older children. Some rooms interconnect. One baby cot is available on request; no extra beds are available.

Cots Available

Distances:

• Airport: 50 minutes (by bus); 30 minutes by taxi
• Shops: 1 minute

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Hotel Le Canberra is on rue d’Antibes, a couple of blocks up from La Croisette and the seafront, in Cannes in the south of France.

By Air:
Fly to Nice Côte d’Azur Airport (25km away). It’s served by regular links from the UK and elsewhere in Europe, as well as some services from further afield - click on the links below for a list of airlines.

From the Airport
You won’t need a car here: an express bus service leaves from outside the arrivals hall and will get you to the centre of Cannes in 50 minutes. It stops on La Croisette, a few minutes’ walk from the hotel.

By Car:
If you do want to hire a car to explore the wider area, please see our car rental recommendations. The hotel has 3 parking spaces (charged for), but you can’t reserve them in advance.

By Train:
Cannes has direct services from Nice and Monaco, as well as links from Paris (via Marseille), London (via Lille and Marseille), and Milan (via Monaco and Nice). The hotel is a 10-minute walk or a short taxi ride from the station.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

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