The Welcome is one of the best-known (and best loved) hotels on the Riviera. Despite regular refurbishment, it still has a few rough edges but all is forgiven because of the friendly, outstandingly helpful staff and the mesmerising location.
The hotel stands on the quayside, with bedrooms overlooking Villefranche’s little harbour (morning sun) or the pedestrianised square (evening sun). This animated, constantly changing scene makes it difficult to drag yourself away from your balcony but the bar and wine terrace are also great for people watching.
Traffic noise is not a problem because the main road runs high above the old village. Some may say that the glorious views over to Cap Ferrat are spolit by the vast cruise liners that anchor in the horse shoe bay. They are more like ‘passenger tankers’ these days and two or three moored offshore can certainly dominate the scene. And it’s true that Villefranche is geared to service their customers who arrive in droves on tenders from these floating mega-hotels.
So, if it all gets too much, you can always hire the hotel's 45ft yacht, complete with integral skipper, and disappear over the horizon. Then return at dusk to the Welcome and be thankful that the constant invasion of sea-borne tourists has spawned a wide variety of restaurants on the quayside and that the town still retains much of the enormous charm that inspired Cocteau to write Orphée in the hotel.
The popular beach and train station (for Nice and Menton) are both within five minutes’ walk. A nice, comforting hotel - not cheap but terrific if you holiday alone.