Our ideal hotel in Nice?
1: It should have sweeping views of the Baie des Anges.
2: We’d like a quiet location just a short walk from the old town and the colourful markets of the Cours Saleya; and we’d prefer to be close to the salty ambience down at the Old Port (a nautical jumble where ferries for Corsica berth alongside millionaires’ yachts and fishermens’ smacks).
3: We’d want a swimming pool, heated if possible. (The beach, although the first in France to ban tabacco, is pebbly and often crowded.)
4: Things like a quiet courtyard, a panoramic roof terrace and valet parking would be a bonus.
5: And if there’s a wide choice of nearby cafés and restaurants, it would matter little if the hotel’s breakfast is over-priced.
The Pérouse is really the only Nice hotel that claims all this - and more. It is set high above and well back from the road that links the harbour with the Promenade des Anglais. The approach to reception is via a quirky mix of corridors and lifts. Once inside, the prevailing mix of sophistication and friendliness usually compensates for the few shortcomings.
Aside from the suites, the deluxe rooms are excellent, with panoramic sea views from their terraces; superior rooms with their sea view balconies are smaller – the best being on the higher floors. That panorama and the tranquil, central location justify the high rates but the hotel's website usually has some good deals; make sure, however, that you don't book the cheapest rooms as you'll sulk if you miss out on the view.