Want to vacation among Hollywood’s most glamorous? Just head to the Hôtel du Cap.
With the 2018 Cannes Film Festival getting under way, stars are gathering at what is often dubbed the most exclusive hotel on the French Riviera — its full name is the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc — to mingle and party throughout the nearly two-week long fest. And PEOPLE Deputy Editor J.D. Heyman is giving you an inside look.
“This has been a Hollywood hotel since the beginning of the 20th century,” explains Heyman.
The hotel is a hot spot during Cannes. Last year, everyone from Uma Thurman and Will Smith to Jessica Chastain and Tobey Maguire stepped out at the amfAR Gala, held at the hotel every year. And models including Emily Ratajkowski and Coco Rocha shared glam photos of themselves enjoying the iconic property on social media.
The previous year, on-again couple Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry all but confirmed their relationship with a cheeky Instagram post snapped on the hotel’s famous steps.
The property has also been a fixture in literature and a getaway spot for some of America’s most iconic luminaries.
“[F. Scott] Fitzgerald based the hotel in Tender is the Night [on Eden Roc]” says Heyman, adding that the Kennedy’s often chose the oceanfront hotel as a vacation destination. ” John F. Kennedy was here when he was 21 years old.” (The hotel is located just off the Boulevard John F. Kennedy.)
During the festival, the hotel serves as the site of numerous parties, including the amfAR benefit and the De Grisogono jewelry party.
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And with Hollywood guests as hotel regulars, it’s no wonder rooms can cost at least $2,000 a night. In fact, up until 2006, Hôtel du Cap was a cash-only hotel, meaning guests had to either bring wads of bills in their suitcases or wire money to pay for their stay.
But the price is well worth the extravagant amenities and breathtaking views.
“It stretches over 20 acres here of pines and tropical gardens,” says Heyman. “The Hôtel du Cap is the jewel of the French Riviera.”
