French Riviera - Help!!
 

I'm seriously losing my mind trying to decide on a hotel in Nice, France! Everytime I decide on a place I read a bad review or posting on it and doubt myself again!! We will be spending 6 nights in the French Riviera - and were thinking of staying in Nice the whole time in one hotel - just for comfort and ease reasons and then doing day trips to all of the surrounding cities - by public transportation because we hadn't planned to rent a car. I have never been to Nice before so I don't even know if this is a good plan! Anyway, I had been waffling between 2 hotels - the cheaper Hotel Suisse or the Le Perouse. I had decided to spend more and stay at Le Perouse (at 310 Euros a night for a Sea View room with balcony) - mainly because of the lenghth of our stay and it looked pretty. Then I read a posting from this summer saying the furnishings looked like they hadn't been updated in 15 years and everything looked worn and dated...and I hate that! I just need to find a nice, comfortable hotel...one with clean, updated, at least semi-luxurious furnishings that I will be happy with. I don't know anyone who has been to the area before so I have no one to ask. Does anyone have some suggestions!! I am willing to stay somewhere outside of Nice - as long as it's still easy to travel to the other cities without a car. Thank you so much for any help! Oh, and I am going June 2 - June 8 of 2007.

SeaUrchin just posted some pictures of her stay at the Grimaldi in Nice. They are beautiful, and she and others highly recommend it. It is on my list for...someday!

any city along the Riviera has excellent rail service on the coastal rail line...Antibes, Villefrance are two smaller really neat towns a few minutes from Nice by train - buses fan out from the coast to all the famous hill towns like St Paul-Vence, Vence, - Grasse and its perfume factories can be reached by a newly reopened rail service.

I just posted my review of the La Pérouse (Underhill's Trip Report); our stay there was disappointing. The hotel has become quite expensive, and unless you want to pay around 350 Euros for a deluxe room with sea view it's just not worth it, and perhaps not even then. The La Pérouse is a 4*, but we thought it no better than the 3* Mercure Promenade des Anglais--and our room at the latter was larger. That hotel's rooms were all renovated 2 years ago, the location is good, and while the hotel isn't luxurious (which I don't think the LP is) it's perfectly comfortable.

If you want luxury, consider the Palais de la Méditéranée. The location isn't as good, but the hotel is new and has all you could want for the price.

cimbrone, thanks!

Yes I was just there and I really recommend Le Grimaldi, the side facing rue Maccarini especially. There are two parts to the hotel.

I dont think you can go wrong here. I will post about Nice probably this afternoon. You can click on my name, if you want my restaurant tips, etc.

I just came back from 3 day weekend and stayed at super cheap hotel, €57 double but with a nice view over Parc Jean Medecin. Since your budget is way over what I paid I will not tell about my hotel. However, if you will be depending on public transportation, Nice is the best I think since it is a big (4th biggest in France I think) hub city. Consider if possible, stay near Gare Routiere (Bus Terminal) from where you can take direct bus to Eze-Village, La Turbie, Villefranche, Menton, San-Paul-Vence, etc. My hotel was 2 minutes walk to G.R. for was so convenient for my day trips out of Venice. Bus ticktes are so cheap (a single ticket for €1.30 or €4.00 for a day ticket), cheaper than train, although trains are not expensive either. Some places I mentioned above can be reached both by bus and by train but I find bus gives better view (e.g.over the sea).

> My hotel was ... for my day trips out of Venice.

Sorry, that's out of NICE, of course. I am now planning a trip to Venice....

The best experience we had was La Cavendish (might be wrong spelling) in Cannes. LOVED it! Husband did too and he hates everything.

Hi

a few more to check out : http://www.the-languedoc-page.com/to...ritimes-06.htm

Bonne chance

Peter

My husband and I stayed at Le Perouse over a year ago. It was the last hotel after 8 nights of touring the south of France. It was the only disappointment of the whole trip. I would stay outside of Nice (if you have a car).

The La Pérouse appears to have lost its touch after moving up to 4*--prices now are much too high for the quality of the rooms.