Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic is a luxury property with the magical ability to transform a simple holiday for kids into a lifelong memory. It does this via a unique kids’ club, a special bed for children’s cuddly toys, a relaxing massage, mocktails and delicious cookies, Lulu, the cat, who is there to encourage kids to read and make them laugh, and by ensuring that every child is made to feel extra-special.
It’s often said that in palace hotels, more than elsewhere, the customer is king. The Hôtel Le Majestic has taken this approach to its heart by treating its guests’ children as if they were royalty! With careful training for staff, specific children’s rates, special touches and unique experiences, everything is in place to ensure that younger guests enjoy their vacation as much as their parents do.
The vision is shared by all the staff, particularly the palace hotel’s concierges, who go above and beyond when it comes to organising a family outing to the Lérins islands to explore its underwater sculptures or to the alleyways of Le Suquet and the Musée de la Castre. The hotel even has waiters who will perform improvised magic tricks at tables in Le Fouquet’s Cannes restaurant, making coins disappear into thin air, much to the delight of their young guests.
Behind all this magic are the staff and talent of the hotel’s partner, Petit VIP, who brings a skilful mix of expertise, interpersonal skills and an innate ability to interact with children.
A specialist in hosting families in luxury hotels, the Petit VIP company was inspired by an observation made by its founder, Ladislas Boehm, who said, “The most important thing for families is not the chef’s reputation, the latest spa trend or even the hotel decor, however beautiful it is. What parents want most of all is a safe and happy environment for their children. Tourism professionals often offer fantastic experiences for adults but improvise when it comes to their kids.”
In this regard, Le Majestic made the right call ten years ago when it decided to work with the Petit VIP team. Since then, the latter has passed on invaluable advice to the hotel’s staff to help them win over younger visitors.
“Petit VIP’s services make perfect sense and are a ‘must-have’ quality label as part of a strategy with the following winning formula: 1 Petit VIP = 2 Happy Parents = Loyal Customers.”
Art from an Early Age
While many of the hotel’s competitors are happy with a simple kids’ club, the palace-hotel at 10, La Croisette, goes one step further by offering its young guests the very best amenities.
Studio by Petit VIP boasts an original, colourful decor inspired by the world of theatre, with its “paint-pot” seats, projector-style lamps, mini-stage and a large wooden sign that announces “ça tourne” (“Cameras rolling!”). This bohemian atmosphere is completely in harmony with the innovative concept being developed here.
The aim is not simply to look after children. Petit VIP’s Ambassadors’ goal is to help children learn and grow by encouraging their creativity through different artistic disciplines such as photography, cinema, art, music and sculpture.
Fun for All Ages
Parents get to enjoy the beach, the swimming pool or the spa at Le Majestic, while their offspring, supervised by the Petit VIP Ambassadors, can take to the red carpet on the famous steps of the Palais des Festivals, head off on a trip to Sainte-Marguerite island for an Iron Mask-themed treasure hunt, or bake their own cakes.
“We often host Petit VIP guests for a pastry workshop,” says Nicolas Maugard, the pastry chef at Le Majestic. “Wearing a chef’s hat and with an apron tied around their waist, they roll up their sleeves and really get into making their cakes and pastries. You should see them waiting impatiently for their goodies to come out of the oven!
“However, strangely enough, not even the most sweet-toothed youngsters want to eat their cakes straight away – what they all (or nearly all) ask for is a box so that they can take the cakes away “so that Mum can taste them.”
Shared Pleasures
For children, sharing experiences with their parents is essential. Le Studio by Petit VIP promotes this by bringing parents and children together for fashion parades or theatre. A good example of this is the Cinémathèque Diane, the hotel’s own elegantly designed, private cinema, which can be booked for private family screenings of blockbuster movies or favourite cartoons, offering the perfect combination of a big-screen experience and the comfort of your own lounge!
The hotel spa provides a more tranquil but equally enjoyable experience. “Children can enjoy a spa experience from the age of four or five up to adolescence,” explains Cécilia Dupuis, spa manager at the Diane Barrière Spa.
“We offer a joint 30-minute experience for a child and one of his or her parents, either a massage or a facial, in our duo treatment room. We offer bespoke treatments perfectly suited to children, with a completely different approach to adults.
“We have to respect their privacy and either avoid certain more sensitive parts of the body or at least treat them very carefully. We also use specific, very natural products for children. But the result is the same – our young guests appreciate this moment of well-being just as much as their parents do. Maybe even more!
“I remember a young guest who had just had his first massage. He enjoyed it so much that as soon as he had left the treatment room, he persuaded his father to book another one!”
A Close Relationship
There is a time for everything – a time for enjoyment and a time for rest. Even when resting in the privacy of their own room, young guests can still experience the special Majestic touch thanks to the hotel’s chambermaids and housekeepers who make it a point of honour to spoil, entertain and even sometimes surprise them.
“We have our own little tricks for creating a special bond with our youngest guests,” admits Sophie Bouche, Director of Housekeeping. “To start with, we always leave a few small welcome gifts for them on arrival – a few sweet treats, a dressing gown embroidered with their name, a baseball cap or perhaps some beach toys in summer. For a few years now, we have “tucked up” their teddy bear in the evening so that when they come back to their room, they find themselves comfortably settled on the bed.
We also like to plan celebrations, especially for birthdays, by contacting the kitchen and asking them to make a special cake which could be decorated with a favourite superhero or activity, such as Spiderman, the Little Mermaid, Snow White, football or dance. And we’re always keen to improvise with a surprise or two on that special day, so while children are having supper at Le Fouquet’s Cannes, we might transform their bathtub into a tropical aquarium by decorating it with rock crabs that they have brought back from the beach.”
Have you Read Lulu?
Currently, the most popular gift offered to the hotel’s younger guests goes by the name of Lulu. Lulu is a cat and the main character in a children’s book (Have you seen Lulu?), where all the action takes place within Le Majestic.
“This is the first book written especially for children who visit the hotel. Published in early November, the book is aimed at 7–9-year-olds. However, parents often ask us for a second copy so that they can read it to their younger children.”
For this reason, the hotel has decided to produce an audio version of the story and to enhance its growing collection with a new book (Le Masque de Fer or The Iron Mask), this time written for 9-11-year-olds. Meanwhile, the story of Lulu continues, with a sequel underway, which takes our favourite pussycat and his fans to the Hôtel Barrière Le Carl Gustaf on the island of St Barths. The book has also seen its first spin-off products, namely a cuddly toy and a jigsaw puzzle, with others planned for the future.
Finally, some of the hotel’s managers have made the character their own. Emanuele Balestra, the Bar Manager, has created the Cat Mocktail, which is Lulu’s favourite drink in the book, while Nicolas Maugard decorates his macaroons with images of the character.
And if you are wondering where the name Lulu came from, it was young Max, Lulu’s friend, who chose the name as a tribute to Lucien Barrière, the great man behind the hotel’s name.
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