South of France - Cannes
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When I began planning my “Euro Summer”, Cannes was a mandatory stop so I went there first. Now that I’ve been, I can honestly say that I have no desire to return.
My trip to Cannes started out normal. I had a personable, friendly driver that took me from the Nice airport to my hotel, JW Marriott Cannes. The 5-start hotel is beautiful and in a prime location, directly across the street from the beach. The staff is friendly and the food at the onsite restaurant, Scalini’s, is amazing. The rooms were also larger than typical European hotel rooms which was a huge plus.
I arrived on a Sunday afternoon and I was exhausted from the travel. All I wanted to do was eat and sleep. I ordered room service, watched a bit of TV, and tried to sleep as best as I could. My first night there I experienced a ton of noise from my neighbors as well as from the street. The electricity also went out in my room so the next morning, the front desk kindly moved me to another room. My stay was great and I would highly recommend staying there if vacationing in Cannes.
Since there isn’t really that much to do in Cannes solo, I knew that shopping and eating would be at the top of my list of things to do. This is where things started to take a turn. The first restaurant I went to was called Moka. It was recommended by one of the hotel staff so I made a reservation. I get to the restaurant and stand there waiting for the hostess to acknowledge me while she overlooks me to seat a walk-up family of 4. I interrupted her and pointed out that I had a reservation and should have been seated first since I arrived before them WITH a reservation. She then seats me but I still get my order taken and served last. Never did anyone check on me while I ate, offer to refill my drink, or ask if I needed anything. I literally had to flag someone down to pay my check. Would NOT recommend. I also had a terrible experience at the Armani Cafe. The full story will be posted on my YouTube but long story short - I was the only Black person there, they tried to force me to eat and pay for a meal that I didn’t like nor eat, and I turned up until they took it off my tab. Not my finest hour but the service was terrible toward me and I would never go back there.
On the positive side, I had the most amazing Vietnamese food at a mom and pop called Madame Hien, the fluffiest pancake in life at Bungalow, the most perfect Italian meal at Scalini. The service was great and the vibes were welcoming at all of these establishments.
My shopping experiences were similar. I first went into a Louis Vuitton store looking for a Large Ring Agenda cover and a limited edition Alma BB. I walked in the store and wasn’t greeted nor acknowledged. After standing in the middle of the store looking lost for a while, someone finally came over and said that an associate would be with me shortly. While standing there, I noticed that everyone else that walked in after me was promptly greeted and even acknowledged by other associates walking the store. I was in the store for over 10 minutes before being asked what I was looking for. By that time I was annoyed. They didn’t have the items and I left. On the opposite spectrum, I stepped into a Le Tannuer, a French leather goods retailer. I was promptly greeted, assisted, and tended to during my entire visit. I wasn’t familiar with the brand before but I ended up buying a really nice leather wallet for a fraction of what I would have spend at Louis Vuitton.
Inside Le Tannuer
The best thing I did while in Cannes was take the Petit Train de Cannes. As the name suggests, it’s a city tour taken on a small street car/train. The tour lasts an hour, ear phones are available to listen to historical facts about the areas toured, and it ends at this beautiful church where tourists are allowed to get off the train to explore. The views from the church are magnificent. Cannes is such a cute and scenic little city. It’s a shame that many of the people aren’t a reflection of that. Before going, I saw the interaction that Kelly Rowland had with the security guard at the Cannes Film Festival, I thought maybe it was an isolated incident. It wasn’t.
It’s safe to say that Cannes was my least favorite stop during my trip to the SOF. I had mixed experiences with the locals and that never happens when I travel. Some were polite, many of them were rude.
Cannes recap
Pros: It has sand beaches while other nearby cities have rock beaches. It’s very walkable and safe. The JW Marriott Cannes was amazing!
Cons: The city can be expensive, and the service is a mixed bag.
Hotel Costs: $2,303.47 for 4 days, 3 nights – King Bed, City View room