Hotel Amour Nice

"Why book? Hotel Amour Nice is a boutique hotel that feels like an intimate French Riviera villa. The interiors are infused with a cheeky, bohemian spirit in a Côte d'Azur color palate—sherbert pink, lemon yellow, and azure blue. Rooms are splashed in sunlight and outfitted with sleek, mid-century furniture. The lobby bar-restaurant buzzes throughout the year, offering guests a taste of the cool, Niçoise scene, just downstairs. Set the scene The hotel is located just a few minutes from the Plage Neptune and the Promenade des Anglais, where rollerskaters swish, joggers sweat, and itinerant musicians croon for smiling passersby. The area is more residential, less touristed than Old Nice, but still has great restaurants within easy walking distance (and the owners provide guests with a welcome booklet highlighting their personal favorite local eats). The backstory The French Riviera sister to the Hotel Amour Paris, the owners have managed to create the same vibe with their Nice outpost—cool, vintage-y rooms and a buzzy bar-restaurant scene. The Hotel Amour signature is omnipresent, from the glassware and dishes with hand-painted powder pink accent lines, to the NSFW carpets in the elevator. As a British colleague warned ahead of my stay, “Willies everywhere!” The rooms Imagine the bedroom of your intellectual artist friend in Pigalle—that’s the vibe of the Hotel Amour. Each of the 38 rooms has unique midcentury decor items—collected over the years at antique dealers, auction houses, and Riviera flea markets—vintage magazines, provocative B&W portraits (like a pantyhosed woman splayed on a bed, her face just outside the frame) and select paperbacks (like Jean-Paul Sartre’s ‘La Mort dans L’Ame’). Walls are painted in pastel tones like dusty rose and beds are minimalist (no headboards) but very comfortable. Pink marble bathrooms are stocked with products from Soeder, a Swiss brand that uses 100% natural ingredients. They have rainfall showers and strategically placed mirrors and lighting that casts the body in sensual shadows. Just remember to close the curtains—or don’t. Food and drink With soaring ceilings, walls of monsteras, and shabby chic furniture, the hotel restaurant is a beautiful setting for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. During the day, sunshine pours through the solarium ceiling. In the evening, subtle lighting sets a fun, flirty vibe. The menu features updated takes on Greek tavern classics, like fried Nikos Memmos feta with honey and sesame, and beef kafta with tirokafteri (a spicy feta spread) and warm pita. The owners source all products from Greece and produce from local Riviera farms. Wines are either biodynamic or natural, and lean toward Greece, France, and Italy. The drink menu includes classic cocktails revisited, like a Greek Negroni with Votanikon gin, Otto’s Athens Vermouth and Campari. The neighborhood/areaThe neighborhood is no frills and fairly residential, with grocery shops and kebab spots and a couple of bakeries. It’s a quick stroll to the Promenade des Angalis and Hotel Amour’s private beach. Other nearby attractions include the Villa Massena museum, showcasing local history through art and artifacts, and the immaculate Padel and clay courts of the Nice Lawn Tennis Club (about 15 minutes by foot). The service Service is casual and warm. In the restaurant, servers are happy to accommodate special requests. Guests can also order room service throughout the day, with a succinct breakfast menu (recommended: the goat’s milk yogurt with house-made granola and a flat white with Lomi espresso), and the complete restaurant menu. Dry cleaning is also available on weekdays. For families There are many reasons why families will appreciate a stay at Hotel Amour—the proximity to the private beach, the rooftop pool, the excellent onsite restaurant. That said, when it comes to the more provocateur art and decor, parents may need to embrace a libertine spirit. Eco effort As part of their eco effort, the hotel changes bed sheets every three days and does not wash towels daily, unless requested. Anything left to mention? Hotel Amour’s private beach is a definite selling point. Guests can relax under striped parasols and work on their bronzage on one of the comfy blue sun beds. There, the restaurant serves local staples, like Niçoise salad, and a thoughtful selection of organic wines and artisanal beers." - Caitlin Gunther