Happily the Hotel Corniche is still in the hands of the friendly, laid-back Anzianis. Now owned by the fourth generation of the family, this Logis de France has been brought up to date but without any OTT frills that could have made the prices as stellar as the location.
Inevitably, with such a breathtaking setting, there is a tortuous drive up from the Bastia - Cap Corse road and a steepish climb from the car park to reception. But when you awake next morning and throw open the shutters, your sea views are spectacular; as the sun rises, its reflection is cut by the wake of the Nice ferry as it sails behind the hamlet’s imposing church.
It is the same serene outlook from the plane tree-shaded terrace where you dine in fine weather. The restaurant is renowned for its outstandingly good value menus. The cellar, too, deserves special mention for its impressive selection of local and mainland vintages.
Accommodations are modest but relatively spacious, and nicely decked out in Provencal colours. Superior rooms are perfectly acceptable but the top (‘confort’) category is preferred since these are the most recently renovated. A swimming pool has been squeezed in to the terrace to one side, affording limited space for a few deck chairs. In short, the Corniche is a romantic, family-run hotel which enjoys memorable location.