Seaside hotels and beach stays in Cannes

Résidence Veles Plage occupies a 19th-century villa just 50 metres from Plage du Midi in Cannes, so the beach is practically at the door for children. The heated pool in the exotic garden is a good alternative when the sea is rough or cold. Apartments are soundproofed and air-conditioned, with free WiFi, which helps everyone rest in summer. Guests rate it 9.3 out of 10 across 199 reviews, an excellent score.

Hôtel Martinez sits directly on La Croisette, so a family day can start at the hotel's private beach and end with a walk along the seafront promenade. I would book a room with a private terrace facing the Mediterranean, since that outdoor space is welcome when children go to bed early. Several on-site restaurants and the Le Sud lobby bar, with its terrace shaded by palm and cypress trees, save hunting for dinner. Pets are also welcome.

Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic stands on the Boulevard de la Croisette, facing the Mediterranean, with its own private beach across the road. Families can swim in the heated outdoor pool or on the beach, and access to the wellness area is included, as is a gym open around the clock. Rooms and suites are air-conditioned and soundproofed, which matters on the Croisette, and several restaurants are on site. Guests give this five-star hotel a score of 9.1.

Hôtel & Spa Belle Plage is a five-star by the sea in Cannes, and its separate residence is the reason families should look at it: the apartments give space that a hotel room cannot. Many of the 50 rooms and suites have sea views. The rooftop cocktail bar and restaurant look over the Bay of Cannes, and the wellness centre is in a 19th-century villa. Pets are accepted. I recommend the residence apartments to families and the sea-view rooms to couples.

Mondrian Cannes suits families who want the beach on their doorstep: Hyde Beach, the hotel's private beach, sits across the Croisette, so a morning on the sand needs no car and no public-beach scramble for space. Rooms are air-conditioned, which matters in a Cannes July. The tone of the place is adult, though: the beach club serves Italian classics and cocktails and becomes livelier after dark, the restaurant leans towards an evening crowd, and there is no spa or children's club. Pets are welcome. For a family that wants a pool and organised activities, a resort-style hotel further from the Croisette fits better.

Hôtel Barrière Le Gray d'Albion sits between the seafront and the main shopping streets of Cannes, so families can walk to the Croisette and the Palais des Festivals in a few minutes. The draw for children is the hotel's private beach, which keeps a beach day simple. Rooms are air-conditioned with satellite TV and a minibar, practical in the summer heat. I would pick it for a first family visit to Cannes, with everything on foot. Pets are welcome too.