Hotel Villa Les Cygnes

Set in a 19th-century villa, the Hotel Villa Les Cygnes blends modern and historic in its simple, homey style, including tiled floors and antique wooden bureaus in the lobby area. The hotel's hallways and lobby -- lined with bookcases and art -- feel as if you are in someone's home; the hotel used to be a private villa. The breakfast area is bright and modern, with small white bistro tables looking into the kitchen, and marble countertops. The best sitting area is the garden courtyard -- a serene oasis surrounded by palm trees, flowers, and even an orange tree -- with a handful of green metal tables and chairs, where guests can rest and soak up the sun, or enjoy breakfast on a nice day. The hotel is not for those longing for a scene -- unless the scene is sitting in a quiet, tranquil oasis (the courtyard or your private terrace or sunroom) away from the noisy streets and nightlife of downtown Nice.

The hotel is located up a quiet, residential street on a small hill just up from the Promenade des Anglais, and about a five-minute walk from the beach. You can also walk to a bus stop that takes passengers to various attractions in Nice. It's about a 30-minute walk to Vieux Nice (the old town), with its winding maze of narrow lanes dotted with local galleries, patisseries, shops, and restaurants, as well as the Cours Saleya, the old town market, with its flower, food, and fish carts. Sample some of the 94 flavors of ice cream and sorbet at Fenocchio's or visit Palais Lascaris, a fascinating museum filled with antiquities. It's also a short walk from the hotel to the Musée des Beaux-Arts. There isn't much going on after dark in the neighborhood. 

The six rooms at the Hotel Villa Les Cygnes are bright and airy, with large windows, hardwood floors, homey pastel color schemes, and thick drapes to keep out the bright morning sun. Some rooms feel more modern in style, while others look less recently updated. Higher-floor rooms have private balconies. All rooms include a flat-screen TV, wardrobe, and small desk, and all bathrooms are modern and clean, if a bit dated in style, with good light, plenty of sink space, and drawers for toiletries. The smallest rooms are the Double Rooms, with a double bed, and a walk-in shower, but no tub, in the bathroom. The Double Room Terrace rooms aren't any larger, but have a small fireplace, and double doors leading to a foliage-fringed private terrace with a small table and two chairs. The largest room is the Double Room Verrière, with a queen-size bed covered with a flowered bedspread, small table with two powder-blue chairs, and fireplace; best of all, there's a large private, furnished verrière, or sunroom, overlooking a leafy courtyard. The verrière is furnished with a table, chairs, and a daybed, and sprinkled with art and flowers. Most rooms have mini-fridges and all rooms have free Wi-Fi. Lower-floor rooms could get some noise from the kitchen, so those who need quiet should ask for the top floor.

The hotel has a bright, homey breakfast room that feels like you're in a friend's kitchen, not a hotel's. Breakfast (not included in the rates) is also served in the pebbled courtyard. There's free on-site parking -- a rarity in Nice -- and the hotel has personalized service from the manager. There's free Wi-Fi throughout, but not much else in the way of features at this small boutique hotel.