Hôtel Martinez, in The Unbound Collection by Hyatt

We had a 5 night stay to celebrate a special occasion. We usually stay at The Carlton but had a ‘Guest of Honour’ reward available for a Hyatt stay so thought we would experience what it’s like to stay at The Martinez and be treated like one of their most loyal and valued customers… Guest of Honour redemptions can receive upgrades up to a standard suite level but even though these were available we were given a premium room with partial sea view. Check in was efficient and friendly and we were walked up to the room. We mentioned our reason for staying and the lady suggested she would arrange something special for us for the following day but nothing materialised. Probably best not to say anything if you’re not going to follow through as it just caused disappointment. There was a bottle of Taittinger was waiting in the room as welcome gift along with a note which is a nice touch. The room was good overall. The air conditioning was excellent which isn’t always the case in other hotels. The bed was very comfortable. The room was spacious and in relatively good condition with usual signs of wear. The shower was disappointing as it was just a shower head in a bath rather than a walk in rain shower. There was a bit of noise from the bars/clubs on the opposite side of the street (we were 4th floor). Turn down service was disappointment compared to other 5 star hotels we’ve stayed at. Breakfast was mostly excellent (and included as a guest of honour benefit) with a generous selection. I would have preferred for egg dishes to be made freshly rather than part of the buffet and maybe they could have been ordered but nobody ever asked if we wanted anything other than coffee. We had drinks on the outdoor terrace which is a lovely spot. When we were there service was slow but friendly and the cocktail (margarita) a bit watery. We didn’t drink there again. It can get busy at the front of the hotel as there are only really 3 parking spaces and a drop off area yet they let other cars park in the drop off area meaning arriving in a taxi can mean a wait. If you show up in your €500k super car you’re probably okay, if you arrive in a taxi you can expect to be dropped off a bit further away and struggle with your own luggage.

Nothing

I stayed at Hôtel Martinez Cannes during the Cannes Film Festival and paid approximately €1,900 for less than 10 hours, expecting the privacy, security, professionalism, and impeccable service associated with one of the most prestigious luxury hotels in the world. Instead, my stay was marked by a series of unacceptable failures. A personal item was damaged, a member of staff entered my occupied room, and basic guest requests were handled with significant delays. These incidents alone would have been disappointing, but what followed was even more concerning. Management acknowledged shortcomings and proposed loyalty points as a gesture of goodwill. The amount offered changed during discussions, and despite repeated assurances, the promised points were never credited to my account. More importantly, I was never seeking compensation—I was seeking accountability and a genuine commitment to guest care. In good faith, I gave the hotel a second opportunity to restore my confidence in its hospitality. Unfortunately, the situation deteriorated further. Rather than being treated with professionalism, empathy, and respect, I left feeling dismissed, humiliated, and profoundly disappointed. What should have been a service-recovery effort became an uncomfortable public incident during one of the busiest periods of the Cannes Film Festival, in full view of guests and visitors. The most troubling aspect of this experience was not the original mistakes. Any hotel can make mistakes. True luxury is revealed by how those mistakes are handled. In my experience, Hôtel Martinez repeatedly failed to demonstrate the discretion, accountability, respect, and guest-focused professionalism that its reputation, pricing, and brand standards promise. A luxury hotel is not defined by its room rates, location, or prestige. It is defined by how it treats its guests.

This hotel is beautiful and very welcoming. They change out the lobby fresh flowers daily and they are so pretty. Our room and view was spectacular. We were presented with a bottle of champagne and personal greeting in our room.