At The Guild Haus, we believe some of our best design education happens outside the studio.
It happens when we travel. When we check into a hotel and notice how the lobby makes us feel. When dinner stretches into sunset. When we wander through an unfamiliar street, discover a hidden garden, or sit along the water and watch the world go by.
Travel reminds us that hospitality is about so much more than beautiful spaces. It is about how a place makes you feel—and the memories you carry home with you.
For me, few places capture that feeling quite like Cannes, France.
THE JOURNEY IS PART OF THE EXPERIENCE
One of the beauties of traveling to the French Riviera from New York is how accessible it can be. With direct flights from JFK to Nice, you can leave New York behind and arrive along the Côte d’Azur ready to experience an entirely different rhythm.
From Nice Côte d’Azur Airport, Cannes is approximately a 30–40 minute drive depending on traffic—and the journey itself begins to set the scene: Mediterranean blues, hillside landscapes, palm trees, architecture and that unmistakable light of the South of France.
And then, Cannes.
There is an energy here that manages to feel glamorous and relaxed at the same time. The sea, the yachts, the beaches, the boutiques, the hotels, the gardens, the people-watching—it all becomes part of the experience.
WHERE I STAY: CANOPY BY HILTON CANNES
A favorite home base is Canopy by Hilton Cannes, particularly because of its incredible rooftop.
This is one of those places where the setting changes throughout the day. Mornings begin over breakfast with an abundant buffet of fruits, cheeses, pastries and seemingly every coffee preparation you could imagine. But it is the view that makes you want to linger.
Look outward and you are met by the Mediterranean, sailboats and yachts, the coastline and mountains beyond.
Then evening arrives, and the same space transforms.
Sunset over Cannes is something special. Dinner and drinks on the rooftop become an experience of their own as the light changes, the city begins to glow and the water reflects the last colors of the day. Make the reservation. Stay for another drink. Watch the sun disappear.
These are the moments that remind us why hospitality design matters. The rooftop is not simply an amenity—it becomes part of the memory of the trip.
MY HAPPY PLACE: WAIKIKI BEACH
And then there is the beach.
Waikiki Beach Club in Cannes has been one of my personal places for rest and recharge for years. There is something comforting about returning to a place where the hospitality feels familiar.
A day here can be wonderfully uncomplicated: a chair by the Mediterranean, great food, rosé, an Aperol Spritz, and attentive service that understands the little details.
Sometimes luxury really is as simple as someone appearing with another bag of ice before you even realized you needed one.
That is hospitality.
It is not always about extravagance. Often, it is about anticipation, care and making someone feel completely at ease.
CANNES BEYOND THE BEACH
When you are ready to wander, Cannes offers an entirely different kind of inspiration.
Shopping ranges from international luxury houses to smaller boutiques and unexpected discoveries. Restaurants line the shoreline. Grand hotels, gardens, historic architecture and contemporary destinations coexist along the streets.
For someone in design, it is impossible not to look.
Materials. Colors. Landscaping. Storefronts. Table settings. Uniforms. Signage. Lighting. Furniture. The way a hotel transitions from the street to the lobby to the terrace.
Travel teaches you to experience design rather than simply look at it.
And that is often where the best inspiration begins.
STEP OUT A LITTLE FURTHER
One of the things I love most about Cannes is how easily it can become your starting point for exploring more of the French Riviera.
Take the train or a car toward Monaco, where the legendary Monte Carlo Casino, luxury automobiles, racing history, gardens, architecture and extraordinary people-watching create an experience that feels almost cinematic.
Then there is Èze.
Perched high above the Mediterranean, this medieval village feels like stepping into another world. Stone pathways wind upward through centuries-old walls, with boutiques, restaurants and gardens tucked into unexpected corners along the way.
Keep climbing.
The views from the top are worth every step.
There is something extraordinary about looking down over the Mediterranean from a place that has existed for centuries. It offers perspective—something travel has a wonderful way of giving us.
FIND YOUR OASIS
Cannes has become an oasis for me.
It is a place I have returned to for rest, inspiration, beautiful hospitality and the simple pleasure of experiencing somewhere I love.
I have traveled here on my own and have always felt comfortable doing so while practicing the same awareness I would in any destination. But Cannes is equally wonderful shared—with your best friends, family, colleagues or someone who appreciates a long lunch and an even longer sunset.
Because ultimately, travel is not only about where we go.
It is about what we notice along the way.
The spaces that welcome us. The meals we remember. The people who take care of us. The view we weren't expecting. The details we photograph because we know they will inspire something later.
At The Guild Haus, we spend our days thinking about spaces, hospitality, storytelling and experience. Sometimes the best way to understand those things is simply to step out of the studio and into the world.
Cannes reminds me to do exactly that.
Stay curious. Take the scenic route. Order the spritz. Watch the sunset. And always leave a little room in your suitcase—and your imagination—for something unexpected.
À bientôt, Cannes.
