The best beach hotels in Nice
An insider's guide to the best beach hotels in Nice, including the best places to stay for sea-view bedrooms, private stretches of beach, shoreline bars and restaurants, balconies, terraces and open-air pools.
The location of this five-star palais could scarcely be better, bang on the sea-front, but a hop from almost everything you might want to see in Nice centre – the old town, shopping, bars, restaurants, the lot. It is the preserve of the Côte-d’Azur elite, who flock to its big, contemporary rooms, sharp service and glamorous Art Deco interiors. A murky past only adds to the hotel's allure. The real knock-out punch comes on the third-floor, where the public areas assemble. Here is a huge terrace-cum-courtyard where you while away sun-lounger hours.
Michelin-starred dining, sea views and a wealth of antique furniture make this a popular choice among European royalty and holidaying celebrities, bang on the Med in Nice, close to Place Masséna. No other luxury hotel in France delivers a similar cultural charge. The wealth of authentic antique furniture, of art and artefacts, and the eclectic taste with which they are disposed, lends the place an air of grace and sophistication. Le Relais bar is London-club-meets-Spanish-galleon: bags of walnut panelling, bright colours and a fine way with cocktails. Everyone, from Khrushchev to Richard Burton, has drunk slightly too much here.
The seafront Hotel La Perouse has startlingly pleasant views, top-class beds and a good restaurant, where guests eat Mediterranean fare beneath the shade of lemon trees. Though minutes from the centre, the hotel seems slightly withdrawn, in a private stretch of Provence where comfort, politeness and flowers hold sway. The sea views are startlingly good. The hotel possesses the loveliest hotel terrace in Nice where pool, bar and restaurant are found in a setting not unlike a Provençal village square.
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Built in 1860, the Beau Rivage has long been a cornerstone of beachfront class. The décor is more contemporary than when Henri Matisse bedded down here. It's location is unbeatable: from the sliding glass doors of reception you could be sunbathing on the beach, shopping the cours Saleya market or sauntering into Nice’s opera house in two minutes flat. The big pull is the Beau Rivage Plage beach club. Although under separate management, it’s a near unique hotel offering along Nice’s three-mile (5km) pebbly shore. Sun loungers cost a discounted €20 (£18) for hotel guests.
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On a rocky promontory looking down upon the curving Baie des Anges, Hôtel Suisse commands the best sea views in Nice. This chocolate-box-pretty luxury hotel is popular with couples and single travellers who want to explore the Old Town and port on its doorstep. It's located across the road from pebble beaches and palm trees on the busy Promenade des Anglais, and around the corner from the old port. Ground-floor public areas have pale wooden floors and Louis XVI-style chairs in mauve and rose. It’s almost too spotless; you’d worry about spoiling the fabrics if you were to bring a rowdy group of friends here.
