Lights, Camera, Reality
Greetings from the glamorous Red Carpet Riviera of the Cannes International Film Festival. The atmosphere of the 62nd year of this spectacular tradition was expected to be a toned-down, a less elegant version of prior years.
Tourists and paparazzi packed the Croisette trying to catch a glimpse of Penelope, Brad and Quentin during a closely-guarded brunch on the Carlton Terrace or climbing the steps of the Palais for their back tie premieres. Meanwhile, down the street other vedettes kept busy with glamorous make up sessions at the Hotel Martinez.
However, this would be a first for several of the major seafront liners, like the re-flagged Palais Stephanie (formerly Noga Hilton), which were forced to bend their traditional 12 night minimum stay requirements and bring back room rates reminiscent of the Titanic years. Some of the guests, who in the past would not trade proximity to the Festival for a palatable rate, ventured off to discover new properties outside of Cannes, like the Four Seasons Provence at Terre Blanche, a 40 minute drive from the heart of the festivities.
At the nearby Club 55 in St. Tropez, all tables were full with globe-trotting jet-setters, but the yachts were fewer (or just smaller?) yet Cristal continued to quench the thirst of the A-listâ€Â crowd.
You could see a change in the scaled-down billboards along the Croisette, as well as the abbreviated attendance of market execs. Behind all the glitz and glamour, work gets done as studios premiere their summer blockbusters, while independent producers and sales agents endeavor to pre-sell next year’s hits. In times like these, similar to hotel developments, movie projects get put on hold or reconfigured, pending a financial recovery. Even the most veteran players are being extremely selective, looking only for films with major theatrical upsides, such as the new 3D sensation, Around the World in 50 Years, and Sacha Baron Cohen’s upcoming Bruno.
When the market is hot, the radar is high, and filmmakers and hoteliers alike confidently partake in strategies that may or may not be cost-effective. Today’s economic detox eliminates any ambition that may be more ego driven versus ROI-driven, which, in dietary terms, is a healthy exercise.
We have yet to see the outcome of these humbling times on the year-over-year hotel performance in the area, but one thing is certain. Tthe lessons of recovery for even the most iconic institutions will force us to embrace change and bring back common sense and responsibility.
By Lana Dubovik, Principal of Hospitality Atelier, a revenue-generating hotel Sales & Marketing consulting firm. www.hospitalityatelier.com
Karen
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