Birthday Celebration in Cannes, France

Cannes is a city on the Mediterranean coast in southern France, well known for its connection to film, culture and scenic landscapes. It combines historic character with modern amenities and attracts visitors for its annual film festival and coastal setting.

Located in the Alpes-Maritimes department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, Cannes sits on the French Riviera along the Golfe de la Napoule. Its old port, La Croisette promenade and beaches are popular gathering spots.

The city is accessible by air, train and road, with Nice Côte d’Azur Airport nearby. We chose to arrive directly in Cannes from Paris via the TGV high speed train which was very convenient and comfortable. Readily accessible taxis, public transportation and walkable streets make it easy to discover Cannes’ attractions.

Birthday Celebration

Cannes is not the typical place I would visit so a bit of context is in order. Rewind to my childhood years and there was my brother, the smartest and hardest working kid in elementary school. From an early age, he was determined to build a special life for himself. 

Even though we started from very humble roots, my brother had ambitions to go to Harvard. When family members or friends would make fun of him, given how inconceivable his dream was, he would not back down and would instead double down that he would make it to Harvard. 

Fast forward 30 years, my brother is not only a Harvard Business School graduate, but he has an HBS case study written about him! ZK Design was born from a deep passion for how a person’s story could be told through jewellery design. His ability to convey love through his pieces has created an incredible community around the world.

To celebrate his birthday, and more importantly, to bring all these amazing people together in one spot, he hosted his 45^th birthday in Cannes across three nights of incredibly well planned and executed events. 

When he invited me to join, I was filled with excitement, but also overwhelming anxiety. These are some of the biggest movers and shakers in their industries, and I am just a common person working in a bank. I should not have been concerned however as it turned out they were the nicest people I could have ever hoped to meet. 

In this post, I will share images taken by the professional event photographers and some of my own. I will also share the itinerary of the three nights so that you can get a feel for the magnitude of this “celebration of love.”

Day 1: Sunset Beach Party

Upon arriving in Cannes, my brother had arranged for us to stay in the incredible Hotel Martinez, with the iconic blue staircase that so many film festival winners have been photographed walking down. Our room faced the inner courtyard, but was well appointed and designed to reflect the mood and colours of Cannes.

I had expected the service would be snobbish or deferent, but I could not have been more wrong. From the front desk staff who checked us in, to the cleaners we encountered in the hallways, to the team running the restaurants, everyone provided truly exceptional service. This hotel has aced the balance between being helpful while also not coming in the way; I was very impressed. 

Prior to heading down to the sunset beach lounge, I stopped by my brother’s room. With nearly 200 of his guests staying at the hotel, I knew the hotel would have found him a rather special room and I was not disappointed!  

With some photos taken in the hotel room out of the way, we headed down to the Hotel Martinez’s sunset beach lounge. It is located across the main road and was our first event of the three days. It would give us all a chance to meet each other and set the stage for what was to come.

As can be seen in the images, the sunset that night was absolutely epic. Cannes was going through a heat wave, so things got a bit hot and sweaty, but the food, DJ and ambience were pitch perfect and gave us all a chance to settle into the Cannes groove. 

Day 2: Formal Black-Tie Dinner

For the second day and main event, there was a formal black-tie dinner and dance party hosted at a stunning castle. The story of this castle is enchanting, but I am getting ahead of myself.

Luxury Shopping Experience

Prior to the dinner, we decided to explore the shopping opportunities that Cannes provides. As you would expect of a city famous for being a host to some of the world’s wealthiest, there was every kind of luxury shopping available along La Croisette and Rue d’Antibes. 

With the extremely easy and automated tax-rebate system that France has put in place, it makes for a compelling place to shop. Prices in Euros ended up being about 20% lower than the identical item if bought in Mainland China or Hong Kong. 

We used Global Blue which allowed us to track the progress of our refunds. The key is to keep the payment method consistent so that the refund can be easily applied. I would recommend paying with one credit card and then applying the refund to that credit card. If you want to receive a cash refund, it may require waiting in a long queue at the airport.

To use Global Blue, bring your passport to the store during purchase to get an estimated VAT refund. Set up an account and download the app to track the shop’s information. Keep the provided forms safe and accessible at the airport. Before checking in luggage, visit the automated Global Blue VAT Refund Kiosks. Scan the QR codes on the forms and follow the instructions. The kiosk will likely process the refunds without a customs check. Track the refunds on the Global Blue app in a few weeks. 

Just as we had enjoyed in Paris, the shopping experience in Cannes was similar. There was no snobbishness, no rushing to get to the next client and no bad attitude. The staff at these stores were experts at what they did and knew how to make people feel comfortable. 

Château de la Napoule

As we approached the grand event, it was time to get dressed up in a Tuxedo and head over to the Château de la Napoule. The castle is an ancient medieval fortress restored by an American artist couple, Henry and Marie Clews, during the Roaring Twenties. The story we were told was that the couple spent their life restoring and updating the castle, and upon their death, donated it to be used for arts and cultural events. 

The couple’s remains were apparently kept in the castle in a special room, high above the main levels. The stairs leading to that room were destroyed, so that they would be able to oversee the castle and lay in eternal peace, without anyone able to disturb them. It was the perfect location to celebrate love, passion and friendships. 

La Vie en rose

No birthday party in Cannes would be complete without fireworks and a special performance of La Vie en rose! That had to be the most special moment of the three days. Hearing the singer’s incredible voice belting out that iconic song, climaxed by fireworks reflecting in the shimmering Bay of Cannes. It was truly magical.

Day 3: Beach Party

For the third and final day of the party, we headed over to La Petite Plage, a semi-private beach restaurant and bar that is setup during the summer and torn down during the winter to ensure minimal impact to the beach over the long run. 

Prior to heading to the beach, we decided to climb Le Suquet, the old city or historic quarter of Cannes. The hilly and winding roads were so beautiful. Walking through the streets, I could imagine what life it would have been like more than 400 years ago. At the very top, we took pictures of the iconic Cannes sign and took in the views from the church perched up high. 

For lunch, we chose the Carlton Hotel and what an exceptional experience that was. We told the staff that I was celebrating a special day, and they went above and beyond to make us feel extra special in an environment that already had the highest possible standards. The food was excellent and the environment, stunning.

For the evening, we headed over to La Petite Plage and ate and danced to the golden sunset. A very nice touch was that my brother did a toast to me for my 50^th birthday, which just so happened to be that very night. Given this was his event to honour his clients and friends, I thought that was a very heartwarming gesture. I could barely contain my emotions being surrounded by so much love and alcohol.  

Gear Used

• GFX100S II
• X100VI
• GF32-64
• All GFX and X100 images were edited using Capture One Pro

Conclusion

Cannes turned out to be totally different than I expected. The birthday celebration, scenery, the service and the incredible food, all blended together to make a once in a lifetime memory. I would like to again highlight how amazing the Hotel Martinez was. Every member of the hotel team went out of their way to make our experience memorable. 

I want to especially highlight the warm welcome that Daphne gave us in the newly renovated Martinez Bar. You know when someone has made an impact on you when tears stream down your cheeks when saying goodbye and that’s how we felt leaving the Hotel Martinez.

Now that I have experienced the French Riviera, I am determined to visit Monaco one day to see what the home of my favourite Formula 1 track has to offer!