Michel Cottray has recently joined the team at Hôtel Martinez – The Unbound Collection by Hyatt – as General Manager, returning to the French Riviera, which he knows well, having previously managed several hotels in the area.

Born and raised in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, Michel was immersed in the world of gastronomy at a very young age, occasionally helping his parents who ran a local delicatessen. Inspired by his father’s passion, he graduated from the Jean Drouant Hotel School in Paris, later gaining an MBA in Tourism Management from the University of Applied Sciences in Chur, Switzerland.

He began his career in 1983, with Starwood Hotels & Resorts as F&B Manager at the Sheraton Luxembourg Aerogolf, Luxembourg. In 1986, he joined the city of Cannes at the Sofitel Le Méditerranée, before returning to the Starwood Group two years later to work as Resident Manager and then General Manager at different brands within the group. For four years he managed the Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas in Australia, then supervised The Westin Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, The Westin Resort Nusa Dua in Bali, and The Westin Grand Hotel in Frankfurt.

In 2007, he was promoted to Regional Director for the South of France. Based at Le Méridien Beach Plaza Monte-Carlo in Monaco, he was simultaneously in charge of Le Méridien Nice, Le Méridien Juan-les-Pins, and Elysée Palace Nice until 2012. He then accepted the position of General Complex Manager for two spectacular luxury resorts in Greece, The Romanos and The Westin Resort Costa Navarino, before returning to France where he took over the management of Le Méridien Étoile in Paris from 2014 to 2016. He then left Starwood Hotels & Resorts for InterContinental Hotels Group in Hong Kong before returning to Europe in October 2017 to his latest position at the grand hotel in Europe’s capital, the Steigenberger Icon Wiltcher’s in Brussels, operated by Deutsche Hospitality.

An epicurean by nature, Michel Cottray has been an honorary member of the Conseil Magistral de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs (International Association of Gastronomy) for nearly 12 years. He is also a lover of vintage cars and enjoys pure pleasure driving his 1967 Citroën DS21.

Today, at the helm of the flagship Palace of La Croisette, Michel Cottray will be in charge of continuing the major transformation of the hotel, which recently revealed its wellness area, L’Oasis du Martinez, as well as its Penthouse Apartments, ranked among the largest suites in Europe.

He says of his new appointment: “I am very happy to be joining Cannes, a city in the midst of a major transformation, which is asserting itself as the must-see destination of the Mediterranean. Its hotels, including of course, Hôtel Martinez, are taking up the challenge and are part of a subtle renaissance that reflects the savoir-vivre of the French Riviera. It is with great enthusiasm that I am looking forward to working with the highly efficient team here at Hôtel Martinez, to write the next pages of our beautiful history.”