Outside of the Old Town, Nice is not lacking for eccentric hotels…
Le Negresco Its elegant pink dome is the most emblematic symbol of Nice, but inside, past the top-hat-and-tights-wearing doormen, the Negresco is an amusing mix of elegance and quirky kitsch, all lovingly chosen by its eccentric owner.
It’s a 5-star hotel of contradictions: Priceless antiques are side-by-side with atrocious examples of modern art. The best restaurant in town (the Chantecler, 2 Michelin stars) is next to a pink carousel-themed cafe, with painted horses that periodically bob up and down while you eat. Just off the lobby, the 
magnificent open round ballroom, with the glass ceiling designed by Gustave Eiffel and an enormous Baccarat chandelier made for a Russian Tsar, is complemented by a giant pop-art sculpture of a large woman with a tiny head, spinning on a pedestal. …Not to mention the ’50′s style glitter sinks and toilets. Le Negresco is over-the-top, fun, and never boring, and has an excellent (if expensive) bar. More info and best rates on Le Negresco.
The Palais de la Mediterranee has the most elegant and stunning pool terrace on the Riviera, set back just enough to make the cars on the Prom disappear, leaving only the blue sea framed with giant marble columns. The rooms are great, but unfortunately have no such sense-of-place: they could be in a ‘W’ Hotel anywhere in the world. The 5-star hotel may be new (2003) but the facade is the 1929 original, and comes with an unsolved murder mystery attached: the young hotel heiress Agnès Le Roux disappeared 30 years ago under very murky circumstances, and the police still dig up gardens in Nice from time to time, whenever they get a new tip. More info and best rates on The Palais de la Mediterranee.
Hi Hotel Don’t be fooled by the discrete 1930′s white facade, step inside to a world of futuristic colorful craziness! The Hi is high-tech and high-concept like no other; it’s quirky and fun… but you have to be game to have your expectations rattled. The 9 audacious room designs have no bathroom doors, for instance, the bed could be on a table, on the floor or in a pod, and ‘room service’ consists of a chic communal space where you get your champagne from trippy vending machines with your room key. The have a super rooftop pool terrace and nabbed a 4 star rating right out of the gate. If you’re tired of boring hotels, this is for you! More info on the Hi Hotel with best room rates.
The Hotel Westminster, Nice’s other pink seaside hotel, is the oldest hotel on the Promenade; it opened in 1880 and still owned by the great grandchildren of the original proprietor. It took its name with permission from the British Royal Family, who wintered on the Cote d’Azur at the epoch. This 4-star hotel is notable for its stunning view but also for its magnificent Hall of Florentine Fresques, painted in 1904 and just recently restored. For those whom the Negresco is just a liiittle too quirky, the neighboring Westminster is a good alternative, and less expensive to boot. More info and best rates on the Hotel Westminster.
The Windsor Art Hotel The choice of lobby art is the first clue that this 3-star establishment is not like the others, but check-in to one of their Artist Rooms and you will have no doubt.
The famous Ben room, #65
Since 1989 the owners have given chosen artists carte blanche to transform one room a year into an ouvre d’art. Of their 57 rooms, half are extravagant fresques and half are unique artistic expressions, as are the halls, stairs and even elevators. Choose to sleep in a golden cube, in a cartoon adventure, in a travel sketch book, or a fantasy garden. The most popular room? Ben’s #65, with every surface covered with his pithy scrawls, most starting with “I dreamed that…”
Click here for more info and best room rates on the Windsor Art Hotel
Booking a Hotel in Nice: Best of Nice prefers Booking.com, and here’s why:
- Easiest to use with the most intuitive design, gives the info in an easy-to-read format.
- Best-price guarantee: you won’t do better even going direct to the hotels themselves.
- You pay when you get there, not when you book.
- Reviews are from guests that have actually stayed there, unlike some other travel review sites where the source of the ‘reviews’ can be rather questionable.
Photo Credits: Negresco by TPS58, Negresco Ballroom by Georges Jansoon, Hi Hotel by Eugenia Benelli, licensed under Creative Commons.
Related Pages: Hotels In and Around Old Nice
- Back up to Main Hotel/SLEEP Page
