La Croisette is synonymous with Cannes. This glamorous boulevard stretching along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea is packed tight with sparkling boutiques, high-end restaurants and hip bars. It's the place to see and been seen in Cannes. And it's not that there's so very much wrong with that, it's just that there's also a hidden side to Cannes, a side you might so easily miss if you don't know where to look. This is the joy of living in a sunny corner of Provence, strolling round Forville market, enjoying a croissant and coffee on Suquet Hill or an aperitif in the Place de l'Etang as you watch the locals battle it out at boules. And of course, it’s staying in the kind of secret hotel that's only for those in the know: the Villa Garbo, a splendid 19th-century townhouse with a wonderfully warm welcome.
Its 1884 style still gleams with all of its original charm, wrought iron balconies and curlicue flourishes. Inside too, the arrival of modern comforts has only enhanced the yesteryear charm: a marble chimney piece, large grey sofas, wing-back chairs, candelabras... the entrance hall sets the tone that never wavers. Christine and Guy Welter, the hotel's owners, place great emphasis on personal service and thoughtful touches, and it's not just the complimentary bottle of rosé talking.
Perhaps that's why they've kept the number of apartments to an exclusive 11 in total. Each with its own signature style, they play with textures and tones with a penchant for the vintage style of 'Mise en Demeure' furnishings, chic 'Pierre Frey' fabrics and the modern high-tech indulgences of a Bose sound system. Small in number they may be, but there's nothing diminutive about the size of the apartments themselves. Ours is around 45 square metres and has a separate lounge and bedroom, a true home away from home. Fitted out with all manner of cosy touches - Sarreguemines crockery, a Nespresso coffee machine, a selection of teas from Paris's finest Mariages Frères teashop - we start to appreciate the freedom that can only come with having our own apartment. This 'best of both worlds' concept is never more delicious than at breakfast time, where an abundant homemade tray of pastries, bread, croissants and jam is served to our room for us to enjoy on our own terms.
With breakfast swiftly dispatched - very swiftly, in the case of the fresh croissants - we head out to explore Cannes on foot; we're right in the city centre after all. Out afternoon is spent sunbathing and relaxing, before taking shelter from the heat of the afternoon in the hotel's excellent spa.
Relaxation, personal service and the independence of our very own pied-a-terre, the Villa Garbo is a world away from the superficial stars you'll find on La Croisette.