3.14 Hôtel

Cannes

For a long time, Cannes, in the heart of a bay protected by hills and the Esterel massif, was a modest village dependant upon the Abbeys of the Lerins Islands just off the coast. It wasn’t until the 19^th century that Cannes developed, under the auspices of Henry Brougham and Vaux, an English lord who was very influential with the British crown, and who settled here only to be followed by a host of English and European aristocrats who had magnificent secondary residences built for themselves. The Cannes film Festival, created just before World War Two, increased the city’s international reputation, making it the world capital of cinema and attracting movie stars from all over the world. Palace hotels and luxury boutiques began to appear on the Croisette Boulevard, not far from famous Festival Palace. The city’s neighborhoods like the Croisette, California, Palm Beach and Super Cannes have become synonymous with luxury and prestige. In spite of all its glitz and glamour, the old city has retained its old world charm, especially the Suquet quarter with its labyrinth of picturesque narrow, winding streets, staircases and old houses.

Five continents in one palace

Just a few hundred meters from the Festival Palace, not far from the Croisette, the 3.14 Hotel offers guests a trip around the world. On each floor, Karine Ellena-Partouche and her sister have created a universe representing one of the five continents. The two sisters wanted to make the hotel a unique place where all cultures and all ethnic groups would come together, a hotel that was different from all the other neighboring palaces with more classic decors. The tone is set as soon as one walks through the door.: a Murano glass garden elf overlooks a 1950s fountain imported from Venice. On the first floor, 1960s America is featured, with pop art and kitch blended together with Latin culture. Vividly colored curtains, Pacific colored walls and wrought iron objects create a veritable melting pot of styles typical of the eclecticism of the New World. The second floor takes guests to Africa and the gateway to the desert. Curtains decorated with pearls, ornamental cushions, Moorish windows and finely carved lamps give each room an atmosphere worthy of “A Thousand and One Nights. Oceania and its remote islands sum up the theme of the rooms on the third floor where harmonious furniture and symbolic decorative motifs prevail. The fourth floor is a successful re-creation of Paris during the Belle Epoque where wall hangings and pink bed heads blend in with the crimson colored curtains. Finally, we come to the fifth floor dedicated to Asia, its zenlike and omnipresent ambience. Dark wood and geometric shaped furniture contrast with light colored natural fabrics, and the glitter of red silk, all of which combine to create an invitation to bodily and spiritual peace. Perfumed touches throughout complete this carefully designed décor. And the crowning touch is a rooftop terrace with a swimming pool, Jacuzzi, hammam, massage cabin and bar. And back to the ground floor, the Mahatma and its restaurant offer a basically Mediterranean cuisine enhanced by a number of savory, exotic and varied international touches.

The Hotel 3.13 is truly in harmony with its time and its theme since all the furnishings and the interior décor respect the rules of balance between the five elements of Tao: earth, metal, water, wood and fire as well as a harmony based on the principles of feng shui.