Nice Garden Hotel

Surrounding a lush garden on the ground floor of a 19th-century building, the Nice Garden Hotel attracts couples and independent travelers who prefer the personalized ambiance of old-world France to the modern hotel scene. Located in a traditional Niçoise townhouse, the hotel feels more like someone's home, with just nine rooms and a homey dining room with only two tables. The highlight is the sprawling garden area, which is set with wooden tables and chairs -- surrounded by lush foliage -- where breakfast, coffee, or a glass of wine can be enjoyed.

Smack in the heart of Nice, the cozy nine-room Nice Garden Hotel is centrally located steps from the Promenade des Anglais and the Baie des Anges beach, four miles from the Nice Côte d'Azur airport, a five-minute drive from the Nice train station, and a short walk from the historic Vieux Nice quarter, the Cours Saleya market, Lido Beach, and the Chagall and Matisse Museums. Parking isn't available at the hotel, but there is a paid parking lot down the street. 

The nine rooms at the Nice Garden Hotel range from rather small to quite large and have the look of small, old-fashioned pied-à-terres. Most are decorated in shades of white and beige, and some have small touches like roses twisted into a sheer white bed canopy, while others feel a bit worn and dated in style. But none has a closet -- rather, there's a standing metal rack for your clothes -- and all have just one floor-to-ceiling window or door to the garden. Those who prefer larger rooms should book a Superior or a Triple, both of which have a king bed as well as an extra bed in the corner, making them perfect for families. (Note that only children ages six and up are welcome.) All rooms overlook the garden, while the higher-tier rooms have higher ceilings and more elegant flourishes like chandeliers. All bathrooms are small, the shower stalls especially so.All rooms have a flat-screen TV, safe, and bathroom toiletries. Some rooms contain two beds pushed together, as is common in Europe. If you don't want this, be sure to specify when you book. Rooms near the lobby may get some general noise and there are reports of noise (and occasionally, ants) from morning breakfasters in the garden.

There aren't any jazzy features at the guesthouse-style Nice Garden Hotel, just clean and quiet rooms overlooking the garden. The "dining area" is a small room with two tables and flowered table cloths; breakfast is served buffet style, but is not included in rates. There's no bar or restaurant. The real treat here is the lush private garden, containing local flora and even an orange tree, which all rooms overlook and the ground floor room open onto, and where breakfast can be enjoyed. Free Wi-Fi is also available, although it can be spotty, and there's a small library of guidebooks to borrow from.