Hotel Negresco, Nice

...day actually stay in a Hotel in Nice, France. It's not that I do not go regularly to France, quite on contrary, I just never saw anything special about this city. For me, Nice was just the airport or gateway to the world of Cannes, Antibes, Cap Ferrat, and off course, the stunning Monte Carlo. I found it much more interesting to re-discover the sandy shores of Cannes or the minimalist chic style of St Tropez, or the extravagant Moneguesque nightlife. ...
.../> I first discovered the Hotel Negresco in an interview by a Hollywood star (I believe it was Uma Thurman) to a fashion magazine where she declared that this Hotel was a luxurious private estate which proved itself the perfect relaxation spot post- Cannes Film Festival after parties. As soon as I remembered this interview, I searched the hotel on the internet. It seemed indeed very unique so I decided to give it a chance to impress.

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I never thought I would one day actually stay in a Hotel in Nice, France. It's not that I do not go regularly to France, quite on contrary, I just never saw anything special about this city. For me, Nice was just the airport or gateway to the world of Cannes, Antibes, Cap Ferrat, and off course, the stunning Monte Carlo. I found it much more interesting to re-discover the sandy shores of Cannes or the minimalist chic style of St Tropez, or the extravagant Moneguesque nightlife. The idea of this chilled out beach was not very appealing when compared to its neighbouring tourist hotspots.

Being the self-titled "holiday booking disaster" that I am, I offcourse leave everything to the week previous to my departure and, therefore, must content myself with whatever is available. This vicious cicle seems to happen year-after-year of Cote D'Azur holidays although I always include better planning in my new year resolutions list. Last July, I urgently needed a break from my "London in the summer stress syndrome" and ended up realizing too late that everything famous was booked... a year in advance.

I first discovered the Hotel Negresco in an interview by a Hollywood star (I believe it was Uma Thurman) to a fashion magazine where she declared that this Hotel was a luxurious private estate which proved itself the perfect relaxation spot post- Cannes Film Festival after parties. As soon as I remembered this interview, I searched the hotel on the internet. It seemed indeed very unique so I decided to give it a chance to impress.

Located only 2.5 miles away from the Nice international Airport, the Hotel is extremely convenient for those who had post-jet lag traffic. It was amazing to arrive in the hotel so quickly and the taxi ride was virtiually non-existent (about 2-5 euros) ! The beautiful Promenade des Anglais, where the Negresco is located, is the closest address one could have to the sea, excluding the yatchs offcourse.

My first observation of Nice was its similarity to the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. The oppulent Hotel Negresco is comparably only to Rio's own Copacabana Palace. The off-white colour of the hotel contrasts in the most startling manor with the pink dome of the building. Later I was read in a plaque within the Hotel that dome was designed by architect Gustave Eiffel, the designer behind the illustrous Eiffel Tower.

Every guest seems in shock after they enter through the doors of The Negresco. The beach and laid back environment of Nice seems to be locked away, behind the heavy reception doors. There seems to be Gold details everywhere and extended original Persian fine rugs adorn the floors. Silk furniture is seen at every corner and through the immense doors one can see the Salon Louis XIV as well as the beautiful Dome. My eyes scanned every corner of the reception trying to remember every detail, but it was far too much luxury for me to concentrate in a single thing.

Naturally, the staff was impeccable. The suits and uniforms seemed unflawed. The manners of the staff were memorable, especially their fluency in every possible language. My parents, who drove over from Cannes to meet me for the weekend, had their car valet parked upon entrance and were given reassurance that a 24 hours service would be available if they were to need the car at any given time. We were actually given an upgrade to a luxurious suite in order for all the family to stay together (another extremely thoughtful attitude).

The suite was incredible. I had previously been to other luxury hotels, but nothing quite so extravagant. Each floor of the Hotel is decorated with a theme relating to the grandeur of France starting from the Renaissance. One of the floors, for example, was decorated in accordance with the Napoleonic Era and every piece of furniture adorning the hallway was authentic and reflected what a hotel of that time would have perhaps looked like. The fine works on the walls are also originals and include pieces from distinguished artists such as Salvador Dali. The wallpaper is made entirely from pure silk and once again reflects the ostentation of glamour that most modern hotels lack.

Each room is unique and personally decorated by the owner of the hotel. My suite had the most beautiful shade of metallic blue silk on the walls which decorated the sumptous princess bed in the middle. The bed was made of antique wood and from it, one could notice that the silk had a yellow colour in the side which formed a beautiful silk canopy. The bed and canopy seemed comparable only to the ones seen in the Palace of Versailles as left by Queen Marie Antoinette. The furniture was made of thick and dark wood, beautifully sculpted sometime in the Belle Epoque. There was also a portrait from the early 19th century adorning the wall with its single elegance appearing from the blue silk. Modern appliances,such as a large LCD screen television with a large variety of satelite channels and high speed internet serivce, are available in rooms.

A beautiful satin curtain separated the spacious room into two, the elegant sofa was made into a double bed. A wood walk-in closet (twice the size of the average home one !) was hidden behind a chic full length mirror. The bathroom had both an ancient Victorian bath tub and a modern separate shower. This toilet facility was adorable with alternating colours in the stone of light pink and pale green. The innocent palet was dramatically different from the opulent from, but it seemed to harmonically complement the beauty of the environment. The large balcony had an astonishing view of the sea across the street from the Hotel and also had a magical view of the neighbouring Castle.

Later during my visit, I decided to explore the history of this majestic building and discovered that it is in fact protected by the French government as a National Historic Building. The original hotel was built in 1912 by the well-known Romanian millionaire Henri Negresco. The original intention was to create a luxury hotel which would attract visitors to the Municipal Casino of Nice where Negresco was in fact director. Amongst the original pieces added by Negresco to the Hotel is the Bacarat chandelier in the lobby which contains more than 16,300 crystals and was originally ordered by Czar Nicholas II of Russia. Also, in the Louis XIV Salon there is an original painting of the King of which there two copies made by the artist Hyacinthe Rigaud: the other one is currently in the Palace of Versailles. The fireplace in this salon is also an original piece, dated back from the 14th century and discolated from the Château de Hautefort in the Dordogne.

This marvelous hotel has been privately owned by Madame Jeanne Augier for the over 50 years. The owner of the hotel has a rather refined taste for fine arts which she shares with all visitors by exposing her private collections of Dali's and Picasso's in the halls of the Negresco.

The restaurants in the hotel are rather famous. The main and very formal restaurant of the Hotel called Le Chantecler has been awarded two Michelin stars and may well be one of the best of the entire Cote D'Azur (comparable to notorious Alain Ducasse, Louis XV restaurant in the Hotel de Paris-Monte Carlo). Chef Alan Llorca has carefully prepared an eleven course meal for the gastronomy connoisseurs. Expect the most fabulous French cuisine from the world class Chef.The other, less formal restaurant is La Rotonde with a Merry-go-Round theme, yes horses included. The extravagantly pink environment is not only adorable, but has delicious light lunches and dinners which have a more commercial version of French food including variations of Foie Gras and Bouef Tartare. Both wine and champagne lists are exceptional with the most amazing selections of vintage bottles!

Due to its promiximity to the city centre, the Negresco is an amazing selection for someone who wants to discover Nice. I was quite suprised to the see several unique and tasteful shops as well as delicious local restaurants.

I would strongly recommend this hotel to anyone as it is really a unique opportunity to experience both French history, art, and utter luxury. The prices are rather generous if every advantage is taken into consideration. Expect endless rows of crystal chandeliers and red carpets which will surely make anyone feel like royalty. I have actually seen very few others to compare to this hotel and gladly rate it as a 5 star experience in every aspect ! 

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