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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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!

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 !