This future landmark made its appearance in the finest location in Cannes.  

In love with the Riviera, Grand Duke Michael defied convention to pursue a forbidden love affair in the hotel and financed almost all of the project commissioned by the star hotelier of the day, Henri Ruhl. The Grand Duke suggested the name "Carlton" for the hotel, meaning "place of a free man" in Scandinavia.  

The Carlton's Manager, Jean Méro, obtained the location for bathing on the Croisette and created the first private beach in Cannes: the Carlton Beach Club. The Côte d’Azur was no longer attractive in winter alone. It reinvented itself, becoming a legendary summer destination.  

Alfred Hitchcock's romantic thriller with the sublime Grace Kelly and Cary Grant staged its most memorable scenes at the Carlton and on its private beach. The one filmed in the Grand Salon, which became iconic, presents Grace Kelly at the peak of her beauty.  

Selected for its top-notch security thanks to its size, Cannes became the centre of the world for the French presidency of the 2011 Summit for Heads of State. Barack Obama stayed at the Carlton in the same suite as his American predecessor who had attended the United Nations conference of 1922! 

Since its inauguration in 1913, this legendary PALACE has never undergone such a transformation. 110 years later, “La Grande Dame” enters a new century, writing the next chapter in her history. 

The Carlton Cannes provided the stage for the first conference of the League of Nations, now the UN. British Prime Minister Lloyd George chose the setting, combining relaxation with sunshine, security and luxury. Cannes became a choice destination worldwide for leisure and holidays. 

The Carlton's tennis court played host to the final of the ladies' tournament in Cannes and was clad in clay for the first time anywhere in the world, an invention signed by the Renshaw tennis players. The famous French champion Suzanne Lenglen beat the "Divine" American player, Helen Wills. 

The Film Festival took off in 1946 when the Carlton hosted eight journalists covering the event. It became the favourite hotel of the most prominent celebrities, a dream setting for all interviews, the idyllic decor for successful films. Its facade notably inspired American photographer Slim Aarons, known for his iconic images, still fascinating today. 

This year, the Carlton Cannes was granted protection for its facades, its roofs with rotundas inspired by the Belle Époque muse "La Belle Otéro", its staircases, lobby and Grand Salon. Timeless architecture of unique stylishness.  

150 guests celebrated this historic event, with a centennial menu comprised of 12 dishes in the presence of "Lady Butter", grand-daughter of Grand Duke Michael, largely responsible for initiating construction of the legendary palace. She announced: "The Carlton is to Cannes what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris!"