Best Beachfront Hotels in Nice

The Art Deco masterpiece Hotel Negresco is essentially a beachfront property, as the private Neptune Beach is right across the Promenade des Anglais that winds along the spectacular Mediterranean coastline in the French Riviera. The landmark 1913 hotel -- with its salmon-colored turret -- is adjacent to the Massena Palace Museum of Art and History and about a five-minute walk to Nice’s Old Town, the center of nightlife and shopping. The 177 rooms are spacious and individually decorated to give each a distinct personality. But some rooms (especially their bathrooms) are dated, and the 1913 hotel can show its age at times as some guests complain of broken showers and spotty air-conditioning.

This 187-room modern luxury hotel's location can't be beat. Right on the palm-tree fringed Promenade des Anglais -- with its strolling families, bicyclists, skateboarders, and blue beach chairs and cabanas -- the hotel overlooks the beach and the Bay of Angels, making it a convenient and central home base for exploring the center of Nice, as well as the web of narrow streets of the old town. The rooms are spacious and modern, with most overlooking the glittering waters of the Mediterranean directly, or past the outdoor pool area with the sea beyond. There is also a large indoor/outdoor pool area, fitness center, sauna and Turkish bath, upscale bar and restaurant, and the iconic Niçoise casino.

The five-floor, 99-room Westminster Hotel & Spa -- a restored Belle Epoque-era gem -- offers one of Nice's choicest hotel locations, on the Promenade des Anglais overlooking the Mediterranean. A 15-minute stroll east brings guests to the beguiling streets of Old Town Nice, featuring restaurants, shops, ice cream stands, bars, clubs, public squares, the Cours Saleya flower market, and Baroque churches like the Chapelle de la Misericorde. In contrast to the property’s sumptuous and ornate public spaces, guest rooms are largely simple and contemporary in their look, with muted beige, blue, and white palettes. Le Spa 27, the hotel's full-service spa, opened in early 2016, includes a swimming pool, sauna, steam room, and fitness room. The hotel does provide a private beach area for sunning and swimming, and the on-site restaurant serves local specialties with a sea-view terrace. Alfresco dining is available for breakfast and dinner.

Set into a limestone cliff on Castle Hill, this small, six-floor hotel is on the eastern end of the Promenade des Anglais, overlooking the beach. At this end of the promenade, it's a little quieter and more secluded than the west. The hotel is a minute's walk south of the Castle Hill Elevator, which can take guests up to Le Chateau and its splendid views of the bay and town. Unlike the neighboring Hotel Suisse, La Perouse features many property amenities, including a hot tub and seasonal swimming pool along with panoramic views of the Bay of Angels. Many of the 60 rooms boast stellar views of the Bay of Angels, with one suite even offering a view right from its bathtub.