196: Hotel Carlton Intercontinental, Cannes, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France

The so called doyenne of film festival famous Cannes, the Hotel Carlton has held its place with the Riviera set for a long time- how long I dont know as neither the lobby nor the website gave any details as to when this blancmange building was built....but i guess early 1900's.

Interestingly, the website proudly displays that pets are allowed- a necessity i guess given the number of handbag sized pooches I saw all over the streets or nestling in the gucci logod bags of the size 0 women meandering down Boulevard de la Croisette- a veritable Rodeo Drive of the Riviera.

As you can see, a size zero I am not......and this is the type of Riviera men who frequent this place ("walkers" I think they are called). Anyhow, this very young gentleman, resplite in Gucci belt, loafers and hat, jumped into his convertible blue Bentley while the staff loaded up a number of Louis Vuitton cases into the boot.....

On to the bar I think- of course it is called "Bar des Celebrities" and quite nice it was as well, surrounded as it was by luxury jewellery stores and a view over the Riviera. A warning for the complimentary nuts- they are not all shelled...but are all rolled in paprika making it rather easy to crack a tooth on a shell without realising it!

A riviera style beach (read spit of sand with loungers on it) is available for hotel guests from April to October

No preview of a hotel in Cannes would be allowed unless it had two compulsory photos I think...firstly the red carpet for the Cannes Film Festival and secondly the bay

Now for the review- should it be in the 1000 places to see before you die book. Well.....Im going the way of Copacabana Hotel on this one and saying that you can live...and die...without seeing this hotel and wont lose much rest! Its nice.....but you wont have any regrets if you never see it