Promenade des Anglais

Le Negresco

★★★★★

There is no more recognisable hotel on the Riviera than the Negresco. Its white Belle Époque façade and pink-and-green dome have presided over the Promenade des Anglais since 1913, when the Romanian-born hotelier Henri Negresco opened it as a palace for the European aristocracy, and its doormen in their plumed hats and blue livery are as much a part of the seafront as the blue chairs. For decades it was run by Jeanne Augier, who filled it with an extraordinary collection of art and furniture — French portraits, tapestries, sculpture, contemporary pieces, a monumental Baccarat chandelier in the domed Salon Royal — so that staying here feels like sleeping inside an eccentric private museum. The hotel has been carefully renovated in phases since 2020, under the supervision of the national heritage architects, including the façade and a spectacular new rooftop suite in Madame Augier's former private apartments. It has around 128 rooms and suites, each individually decorated by period — Louis XIII to Napoleon III to Belle Époque — with the sea-view rooms on the Promenade the ones to book. Dining is a highlight: Le Chantecler holds a Michelin star and is one of the city's grand tables, and a second, more relaxed restaurant serves all day; the historic bar, wood-panelled and intimate, is a classic Nice rendezvous for an evening drink, with a piano bar atmosphere. There is a spa, room service, a private beach across the Promenade in season, and concierge help with everything from Monaco day trips to Carnival seats. The hotel is a five-star member of The Leading Hotels of the World, is open every day of the year, and is wheelchair accessible. Parking is not on site, though public car parks are nearby.

Why stay: the location is unbeatable for a first visit. The Negresco stands in the middle of the Promenade, a twenty-five-minute seafront walk from the old town and the Cours Saleya, ten minutes from Place Masséna and the shopping streets, and directly on the tram line to the airport. You walk out of the door onto the most famous seafront in France, and the private beach is just across the road in summer. The art collection gives it a character no modern luxury hotel can match: corridors, salons and stairways are lined with paintings and objects, and even guests who do not care for antiques usually leave charmed.

Living in it: rooms are traditional, richly decorated and sometimes eccentric, with fabrics, gilt and period furniture; recent renovations have refreshed bathrooms and comforts but kept the style. Sea-view rooms are worth the premium for a special trip; rooms at the back are quieter and cheaper. The Chantecler is a gastronomic experience in its own right — book ahead even as a guest — while the bar is the best place in the hotel to soak up its atmosphere. Service is old-school and personal. Rates are among the highest in Nice and peak in summer and during major events such as Carnival and the Monaco Grand Prix; winter brings the best value and the clearest views across the bay.

Base math: from the Negresco, Nice-Ville station is a fifteen-minute walk or a short taxi ride for trains to Monaco, Menton, Antibes and Cannes; the airport is about fifteen minutes by tram or taxi; the Matisse and Chagall museums are a bus ride up to Cimiez. Book it for honeymoons, anniversaries and anyone who wants their Riviera to feel like the Riviera of legend.