Nouvel hotel

Comment

OK, this hotel has some great points and some not so great points. Don't pick this hotel if you want luxury, comfort or facilities because it has none! Zero! Nada! But it does have a fantastic location, 5 minutes walk from the station and 5 minutes walk from the promenade; very friendly and helpful staff, and we got the room at a good price (£280 for 4 nights during Cannes film festival/Monaco GP is a bargain believe me!). On arrival at the tiniest reception you are ever likely to find, we were given our room key (room 402), the free wifi code (which changed each day) and told breakfast was between 730 and 10am (8 euros). There is no restaurant but there is a cafe/restaurant/bar next door (not owned by the hotel) and at least 60 more cafes, bars and restaurants within 5 minutes walk radius. There is a tiny lounge off the reception and I think I spied a coffee machine. Our room was on the 4th floor, facing a beautiful church and on a side street, so it was lovely and quiet. It had a tiny balcony, the hardest bed you will ever lie on, by hard I mean concrete, absolutely rock solid mattress (but strangely I slept really well for the first 3 nights and had no aches or pains the following morning!), a tv with French and Italian stations only, and a tiny bathroom with bath and overhead shower, perfectly functionable if a bit lacking-we got 2 tiny bottles of shower wash, one soap bar for the 4 nights we were there, and the towels were only changed once, but hey ho, saves the planet! Only 4 coat hangers so be warned! Everything was so close by, the promenade, shops, places to eat, museums etc etc. Train station 5 minutes walk then roughly 20 minutes to Cannes or Monaco either direction, about 12 euros return trip. The bus stop for the airport shuttle (4 euros each way) is on the Promenade, get on and off almost facing/at the street you will walk up to this hotel, so location is great for everything. The open top bus tour stops also on the promenande and there is a tourists office there too. A beautiful hotel from the outside, very belle Epoque stying, but all fur coat and no knickers! I did not see the other rooms but can't imagine they were any different to ours - no good for families (though there were some staying) and the room next to us was occupied on our last night's stay and their aircon kept me awake all night, it really rattled out walls, which wasn't so great. No pool (as most don't). The Holiday Inn is right facing the Nouvel, and the two hotels style wise are the opposite ends of the spectrum. I honestly can't say whether I would stay there again or not, but if push came to shove, I would prefer it over the Holiday Inn!

Top Tip

Sooo may restaurants, bars and cafes, the open top bus tour is good (20 euros) but be warned, Nice is horrifically expensive. A beer and a coke is about 11 euros. Lunch about 45 euros and dinner about 75 euros with a bottle of wine (for two people). Go to Cannes, it's cheaper! We went to the Grand Prix at Monaco so can't really say much about Monaco because it was so packed, but the marina area is ugly, full of high rise apartment blocks of the worst design.

Comment

Its an excelent location. Near restaurants, centrum and the sea.

Comment

A simple but clean annd nicely furnished hotel very central. I have stayed there twice this year and would be very happy to go again.

Comment

A simple but nicely appointed room in an above average 2 star hotel.

Comment

Thought it was very central and good value for money.Room a tad small but very clean.Staff NOT so friendly.When cleaning staff came on approx 8am could be noisy.(no lie in)Our room was opposite the service room.

Top Tip

Lots to do and nice restuarants esp. in the old town.