Helipads, fortresses and celebrity-filled parties: Inside Cannes' most private retreat

The National

19 hours ago

I find myself surrounded by hundreds of diners, standing on their chairs, waving around their napkins, dancing along to the DJ's hip-hop mash-up, as he shouts, 'Do we have Dubai in the house?' Our table – and many others – erupt with yells and rounds of applause. I'm not surprised, because we could quite easily be at a weekend brunch in the emirate. But we're not, we're in the French Riviera. Well, to be precise, we're on Ile-Sainte-Marguerite, an island off the coast of Cannes, at a restaurant called La Guerite, beloved by celebrities and only accessible via boat from the glitzy mainland.
I'm here with a group of media from across the Gulf visiting Le Grand Jardin, the only luxury residence on the island.
The property is a sprawling historic estate dating back to the 13th century, when it was originally a monastery. It was also once owned by Louis IVX and the Dukes of Guise, but now it's under the helm of hospitality brand Ultima Collection, which is known for its ultra-luxury private residences.
Le Grand Jardin, set in 1.4 hectares of botanical gardens, spans 14,000 square metres, with 12 bedrooms that are only available for full buyout from €175,000 ($204,000) per week. The estate – whose previous guests were a 'major tech mogul' and his family who arrived by helicopter, although no one will say names – also has an ancient fortress with a casino downstairs and a bedroom on the upper floor, as well as a pool and spa, where facial treatments are performed exclusively using Augustinus Bader products.
It's the kind of place where no request is too big or small, and I feel like one of the guests in Below Deck. The chef will cook whatever meals you like, catering to any and all dietary requirements, and you can book whatever themed parties and activities you like. We enjoy a sweet, aromatic private perfume-making workshop by Fragonard, one of the oldest perfumeries in Grasse, as well as a morning yoga session by the pool that is positively dreamy. At dawn, some of our group watch the sun rise over the bay from a nearby spot on the shore. Others take the opportunity to explore the forested island, inhaling the intermingling scents of the native flora.
I choose to sleep, since my bed in the master suite – on the first floor of the so-called Governor's House – is so unbelievably comfortable.
Visiting Ile-Sainte-Marguerite
While Le Grand Jardin is inaccessible to non-paying guests, anyone is allowed to visit the island. It's only a 10-minute speedboat ride from charming Cannes and aside from La Guerite and a second restaurant called L'Escale, each of which are open from April to October, on the island there's also the Royal Fort. This historic monument is notorious for its most famous prisoner, the Man in the Iron Mask, who, legend has it, may or may not have been Louis XIV's brother and been imprisoned in Le Grand Jardin's fortress – or so I'm told.
The fort, once a jail, is now a public museum with a warren of rooms displaying old Roman artworks and many other ancient artefacts. You'll see the remnants of an old 17th-century chapel and the cell where the man who inspired Leonardo DiCaprio 's character (in 1998's Man in the Iron Mask) once lived for more than a decade. There's also a three-star hostel on site, the only other place to stay on the island besides Le Grand Jardin.
The rest of the island is full of wild yet preserved nature, so don't forget your hiking boots. More than 150 hectares of state-owned forest are filled with looming pines and eucalyptus trees, including some that are hundreds of years old, forming a stunning, shaded, nature-filled escape, almost the antithesis of Cannes' club-lined shoreline. Discover the botanical path, the ornithological reserve and its aquariums. Take a dip in the beautiful blue-green bay, where speedboats and superyachts idle about during summer and, beneath the surface, snorkellers will find statues by British sculptor Jason deCaires Taylor in what's known as the Mediterranean's first underwater eco museum.
A trip to Cannes
A jaunt to Cannes for a shopping trip is a must. I see notable beach clubs dotted next to each other along the city's famed oceanfront promenade. I spot famous hotels, like Hotel Martinez, dubbed the Arc Deco king of the Croisette, well known for hosting some of the most glamorous red carpet premieres during the annual Cannes Film Festival. World-renowned brands have gorgeous boutiques paving the narrow, cobblestoned streets, including one of the most striking Dior storefronts I've seen.
The scenery might be different, but once again, as the wealthy and well-dressed make their way down either side of the Croisette, where supercars also sidle along, I'm reminded of Dubai – and that feeling is compounded when I walk into a tiny street-side deli full of gourmet French delicacies and, on the counter, spot not one but two varieties of ' Dubai chocolate '. Cannes might have the cinematic prestige, storied architecture and centuries-old fortresses, but the modern energy – that familiar blend of extravagance, ambition and multicultural buzz – feels unmistakable.
What sets Ile Sainte-Marguerite apart is its contrast. At Le Grand Jardin, we're close enough to the heart of Cannes to feel its pulse yet secluded enough to hear only the breeze making its way through the forest canopy, the birds flying overhead – and the odd thumping techno tune from a nearby yacht. It's a rare kind of luxury, not only defined by price tags and private chefs, but by space, silence and the ability to switch off.
As our boat pulls away from the pier on our final day, I look back at the Royal Fort, towering over the bay from its cliffside location. I think about the Man in the Iron Mask, Louis XIV, the 'tech mogul', even the napkin-swinging celebrities at La Guerite – and how, for a brief moment, I too was part of this grand garden's story.