By Aïda Zaher
They say a Russian Duke, the Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia fell in love with the granddaughter of a poet, Sophie von Merenberg back in 1891. They met in Nice and were instantly enamored by one another. Unfortunately when their romance came to light, it was deemed forbidden and the Grand Duke was banished from Russia, stripped of titles and privilege.
Soon after, he arrived in Cannes with Sophie by his side, and funded the construction of the largest estate yet overlooking the Mediterranean. With a blend of Neoclassical architecture and Belle époque decor, he named the estate “Carlton”; “free man” in Scandinavian. A place where he and Sophie can start their own fairytale. Because when the Grand Duke lost his title in Russia, he also gained his freedom as a man in love.
And with that, on January 30th, 1911, the Carlton Hotel opened its doors to the world.
With all its glamour, Carlton mainly hosted British and Russian aristocrats. As you can imagine, the halls of the hotel echoed with music and laughter from the lavish soirées every night. However, a few months later the music faded and was replaced with the whispers of nurses and the sense of urgency, as part of the hotel was turned into a field hospital during the First World War. At that time, like the rest of the world, the hotel went into a dark period. It lost a majority of its clientele and was put up for sale to avoid bankruptcy.
Thankfully, in 1922 Paul Doumer, who would later on become the President of France, suggested to host the first ever League of Nations Conference at the hotel. World leaders arrived from around the globe, peace was discussed, and the event turned out to be a major success. It resulted in the re-birth of the Carlton Hotel. By the time the first Cannes Film Festival came about in 1946, the hotel became THE Icon of the whole Côte d’Azur. With the Festival every year, came celebrities and artists from all over the
world. Hollywood A-listers and even royalties stayed and vacationed at the hotel. Did you know that during a photoshoot at Carlton, Grace Kelly met His Serene Highness Prince Rainier III of Monaco? They met in Cannes in 1955, fell in love and got married only a year after.
Even in pop culture, Carlton had its moments. A personal favorite of mine is the hotel’s cameo in the 1995 rom-com “French Kiss”. In the movie we get to peek at the interior of the hotel, which is nothing short of magnificent. We also got to see Kate brave her aviophobia, which is always a plus. But even before that movie, the hotel made an appearance in other classics like “La Bonne Année” by Claude Lelouch, and Alfred Hitchcock’s “To Catch A Thief” starring Grace Kelly and Cary Grant.
Fast forward to 2021, the Carlton closed its doors for two years to undergo what was called “La Renaissance de la Grande Dame”. A monumental renovation of the whole estate. It brought together 450 companies and 750 of the most prestigious artisans around the world. The goal was not to reshape the hotel to fit the era in which we live today, but rather to pay tribute to the history it holds.
It’s why from the outside the hotel seems unchanged, its architecture carefully preserved. We can see, however, the inscriptions “Carlton Hotel” at the heart of the façade restored to exactly how they were at the Grand Opening over a century ago. Back when an exiled Duke came to Cannes and helped build what is now known as a timeless landmark on the French Riviera.