No Sign of Austerity for Cannes 2012

Cannes hasn't had a shortage of luxury hotel addresses in more than a century, but for those looking for something a notch short of five stars the options were grim. This year, however, comes three properties geared toward midrange travelers, those who don't need 24-hour room service or a private beach club. Hotel Montaigne & Spa is the best option, but remains an admirable escape with cool Art Deco design, Turkish baths and a well-equipped gym with indoor pool opening in June. A longer walk from the Palais des Festival and you find La Villa, a 30-room boutique hotel that gets its inspiration from late-1940s Hollywood, with a lounge bar featuring Champagne from the owner's own vineyard.

And then there's the remodeled Hotel Colette, a well-curated boutique property that debuted last year in a city often cited for its lack of character hotels. Named after the famous writer and eldest daughter of the owner, the 45-room Colette mixes compact twin-bedded standard rooms or more spacious junior suites, all with handpicked artwork and bathrooms trimmed in L'Occitane toiletries. Its communal breakfast room with pitched farmhouse ceiling is one of the prettiest and most charming in town, perfect for a rising starlet unafraid of direct sunlight.

Festival dining gets a few new headliners too. Those in the mood for a bit of La Dolce Vita can tuck into Casa Mia, just off the Croisette. Its staircase arrival brings visitors to a cozy maisonette concealing a truly glamorous two-level eatery from the same designers as Paris' L'Arc and London's Maddox Club. A grand dining room is lined in blush striped walls and holds a central staircase leading to an upstairs lounge with onyx bar and leather club chairs oozing an Italian Deco vibe. In the kitchen you'll find alum from Harry's Bar in Venice cooking up calamari sauteed with tomatoes and olives, Casa Mia tagliolini with Alba truffles and grilled langoustines.