Mas Candille, a historic hotel nestled in the hills above Cannes, has been awakened from its design slumber with new backing from the Clarins beauty family and a makeover from designer Hugo Toro.
“When I first visited, it was like discovering a sleeping beauty,” he said. “The building was in terrible condition, but the location had a spirit. I had a vision of the story we could tell here.”
After being acquired by investor Jean-Philippe Cartier in 2020, the hotel underwent two years of renovation. It was rechristened as the first official Clarins hotel — complete with a branded spa — through a partnership with the Courtin-Clarins family as they take the beauty brand into hospitality.
The French Mexican Toro brought together Provençal heritage and California cool. In cinematic style, he created a backstory for the hotel, framing it as the home of an American who had settled in the South of France.
“L.A., for me, is really eclectic, like patchwork of references, but always with the idea of having fun,” he told WWD. “So I wanted a space where you could feel that you could have fun, and it’s something joyful where people can actually connect.
“You have the codes of California anchored into this Mediterranean style,” he added. “You feel like you are in the South of France, but with a touch of L.A. You will feel it in the interiors, but also in the landscape, which was really important to me.”
The original structure of Mas Candille.
Matthieu Salvaing / Courtesy Mas Candille
The tree-lined drive makes for a dramatic entrance to the five-star, 11-acre property.
Previously, each room at the hotel had a different, themed decor. He took it down to the bones, including the original 1870s farmhouse. Save an original fireplace that now sits in the bar, Toro reworked everything to create an eclectic yet uniform aesthetic across guest rooms. He avoided neutrals and white, instead going for warm woods, bright colors and strong patterns.
While Toro selected a few vintage pieces such as chairs and a chaise from Paris and Provençal antique markets, most of the furniture and objects are one of a kind.
Toro worked with local artisans to create a patina on wood and he sourced tiles and ceramics from the area. “We tried to do most everything that you could do locally,” he said. Pink Norwegian marble is one of the few far-flung design touches.
Lamps and furniture are also Toro’s design, including custom headboards in each room, as well as the prints and patterns throughout the hotel that he hand painted himself. The carpets were inspired by his grandparents’ country home.
Bespoke headboards in the guest rooms.
Matthieu Salvaing / Courtesy Mas Candille
“Everything is bespoke,” he said. “I wanted to create something that made sense and would build a strong identity.” Three buildings across the property now speak a unified design language.
“It was always about layers of transition, of spaces and people. I wanted a strong identity, something that would work just as beautifully in winter as in summer,” Toro said. “It’s the same principle as designing a restaurant.”
He should know — Toro is the mastermind behind Pur in Paris, the Marlow in Monaco and the Midland Grand Dining Room in London, among other culinary hot spots. Mas Candille is his first hotel project.
“If it only works at night, you’ve missed something. A hotel should feel just as good on a quiet winter day as during the high season,” he said.
This year-round sensibility is embedded in the spaces themselves. Reading nooks, a library and cozy communal rooms such as a cigar lounge offer a hint of retro refuge. Outside, guests can also play a Provençal round of pétanque.
Inside the library in Mas Candille.
Matthieu Salvaing / Courtesy Mas Candille
The Californian influence isn’t just conceptual, and can be felt in the pool, with its bean-shaped curves and bright blue straight out of a Slim Aarons photo. The layout wraps around existing trees to add an element of organic design and gives guests hidden coves and sitting spaces surrounded by lush palms.
Toro revamped the original and added a second, 80-foot-long pool with a unique indoor-outdoor hybrid design that stretches into the Clarins spa.
Backed by the Courtin-Clarins family — best known for their luxury skin care brand — through its Famille C Participations investment arm, Mas Candille is their first foray into hospitality as they seek to build a luxury hotel brand. The group has also taken a strategic stake in the Evok Collection of hotels and plans to open 15 worldwide over the next five years.
One of the pools at Mas Candille.
With the Courtin-Clarins family backing, a spa was in order. Called The Glow House by Clarins, the brand delivered a 1,500-square-foot space in two new buildings that house four treatment rooms alongside a hammam and sauna.
Rather than restrict the creative process, they gave Toro carte blanche. “It was nice because I could do whatever I wanted,” he said.
As the film festival returns to Cannes, this hillside sanctuary will offer an escape for some fashionable clientele. Festival partner Chopard, for example, will be putting up guests that come to town for its fashion show at the revamped property.
Inside the Clarins Spa at Mas Candille.
Matthieu Salvaing / Courtesy Mas Candille
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