City centre, near the Promenade

Hôtel Windsor

★★★★★

The Hôtel Windsor is the kind of hotel people tell their friends about. Run by the same family for generations, it occupies a Belle Époque building on a quiet street in the heart of the city, two blocks back from the Promenade des Anglais, and over the years it has turned itself into a living gallery: each of its sixty rooms is different, decorated either with a fresco or with a complete installation by a contemporary artist, so that one room might be covered in poetry, another in a dreamlike mural, another in a minimalist light piece. The rest are classically simple with frescoes by local painters. Guests choose rooms by browsing the artists online, and repeat visitors work their way through the collection. Behind the building lies the real surprise: a tropical garden full of palms, bamboo, bougainvillea and birdsong, with a swimming pool (heated in season) and tables for breakfast and evening drinks under the trees, which feels a world away from the city traffic outside. There is a wellness area with a spa, hammam and sauna, offering treatments and massages, and a small bar. The hotel has four stars and is open every day of the year. Staff are friendly and personal, and the atmosphere is relaxed, creative and unpretentious, which makes it popular with couples, art lovers and travellers who want something more memorable than a chain hotel without paying palace prices. The location is ideal for exploring on foot: the seafront is two minutes away, the pedestrian shopping streets and Place Masséna about ten minutes, the old town fifteen to twenty minutes, and Nice-Ville station about fifteen minutes on foot.

Choosing a room: because every room is different, it pays to look at the hotel's descriptions before booking and to request a particular artist's room or at least a garden-facing one. Artist rooms vary in size and style, and some are very small; classic rooms are simpler but comfortable. Garden-facing rooms are quieter than those over the street. Some rooms are compact by modern standards, as in many central Nice hotels in historic buildings, and lifts and corridors are narrow, but everything is well kept.

Living in it: breakfast in the garden is a highlight in warm months, and the pool, though not large, is a blessing after a hot day of sightseeing. In winter, the hammam and sauna are a welcome reward after a day trip to Monaco or Cannes. The hotel does not have a full restaurant, but the neighbourhood around Rue Dalpozzo, Rue de France and the pedestrian zone is full of bistros, wine bars and bakeries, and the Cours Saleya market is a pleasant walk away. There is no on-site parking; public car parks are nearby, and the tram to the airport stops a few minutes away on the seafront axis.

Who it suits: art lovers following the Matisse and Chagall trail, couples on a budget-conscious romantic trip, solo travellers and anyone who values character and a garden over marble lobbies. Families with young children may find some rooms small; larger rooms and twins are available. Rates are mid-range for central Nice and rise in summer and during Carnival. It is one of the few hotels in the city that becomes part of the reason for the trip.