Perfect location, spectacular views: review Le Meridien Nice

Living 50 minutes from Nice and the French Riviera, it is normal for me and my family to decide to spend an afternoon in the area. I never consider the fact that for everyone else it is instead a classic destination For a weekend or vacation between glamour and fashion.

There are 60 km between Menton and Cannes with Monte Carlo, Antibes, Juan Les Pins and, of course, the capital of the Alpes-Maritimes province in between.

Nice is very easy to reach because of the airport, the second busiest in France, with direct flights from many Italian airports, starting with ITA Airways flying from Rome to many other airlines, especially Easyjet.

It can also be a starting point since Emirates, Turkish Airlines, Delta, La Compagnie take off from here for intercontinental routes.

Reservation

We decided to spend a night in Nice, so I took the opportunity to stay in one of the best-known establishments among those overlooking the famous Promenade des Anglais.

I booked through the app and as always chose the basic room: a room with a king bed at a cost of €188 per night. Sure, it's not cheap, but nothing in Nice is, especially if you want to sleep in the heart of the city's tourist areas.

Of course, what kept the price of the room down was the period: after the Christmas holidays and before the Carnival period, otherwise basic room prices are easily above €300 per night.

Since I still had all my 10 SNAs., that is, vouchers to get upgrades in suite obtained with my platinum and titanium status in the bonvoy program, I decided to request a ride in a suite at no cost.

I opted for the two types of suites, and the day before arrival. I have received confirmation of the upgrade to a Junior Suite panoramic with terrace: a room that booked at the same time had a cost of almost €700 per night.

Location

As mentioned, the hotel is in a location perfect for those coming to Nice for the first time, but also for those who are familiar with the area. If you arrive at the airport you can take the streetcar in front of the terminal and go all the way to the central Place Massena and from here 5 minutes walk to the hotel.

If you are driving it is just as easy to get to and thanks to the immense underground parking lot, there should be no problem parking.

The hotel is an immense palace overlooking the sea and Albert I Gardens, the famous seaside promenade is across the street.

On the ground floor there is a McDonald's and the Barrière Casino. From here you can walk around to visit all the famous places in the city, the shopping street is practically outside the hotel door, as is, of course, the beach.

Check-in and the room

On the ground floor there is only the concierge, who took charge of our luggage, from here you take the escalators and get to the second floor which houses the reception.

We arrived around 3:30 p.m. Our room was not yet ready, but we were immediately offered another suite, of the same level.

With the paperwork done, we headed to room 826, A corner junior suite with a sea view. An immense terrace all sea view and facing west, so with a beautiful view of the sunset and the most beautiful part of the Englishmen's promenade, the part towards the famous Negresco, the most famous hotel on the French Riviera (Monte Carlo excluded).

The room is large, but as Barbieri would say in an episode of 4 hotels, hotellerie rules require that the suite consist of two separate rooms. And here there aren't.

There is a king bed, a small sofa, and two huge windows overlooking the sea. The gem of the room is all in the location and the view. Of course, we are lucky and live even more by the sea than this hotel, but I understand that for everyone else this view alone is worth the price of the room.

The other highlight of the room is definitely the bathroom. It has as many windows and from the tub, or shower, it is possible to relax in a not-so-everyday setting. The toilet is in a separate room, and it is definitely the most sacrificed thing in the whole room.

From the room there is access to the terrace, which is equally large and also at an angle. One could host a group of friends there for a barbecue since it is so large.

The room is definitely not worth the €700 that is requested when booking and perhaps not even worth the use of an SNA. It is large, but there is nothing WOW about it except the location, and considering that virtually all sea view rooms have a terrace, the difference is nothing more than the floor and the size.

Rooftop

On the ninth floor of the hotel is the rooftop terrace and swimming pool (heated).

The pool is accessible daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. In winter, the bar also follows the same hours. It is not very large and is also not panoramic given that it remains offset from the edge of the building.

Enjoying the sunset while enjoying a glass of bubbly is definitely a must-do if you are a guest at this hotel.

Services

On the ninth floor is a small gym. It is not the most exciting I have ever seen and between running on the promenade or in this little room I would choose the former, even in the rain. Also on the top floor is a spa that offers a range of treatments for hotel guests.

On the second floor there is an area with computers for guests to use, and meeting rooms.

On the ground floor, there is the possibility of renting electric scooters at the low price of 30 cents per minute, or 55 euros per day.

The hotel does not have a private beach,. In France there are not many, but if you want it has an arrangement with a bathhouse across the street. In France the beaches are largely free and accessible for free.

Food & Beverage

In addition to the rooftop bar/bistro, there is a second restaurant on the second floor. This is also the restaurant where breakfast is served in the morning. Breakfast that for elite guests is free, or rather it is one of the options to choose from.

The hall is obviously a single window to the sea and the promenade. One also chooses this hotel to have breakfast, with a spectacle that one can hardly find elsewhere.

The offer is standard. In our case it was not even explained to us that there was the possibility of ordering freshly prepared dishes, and we found this out too late as we saw some beautiful omelets passing by. The buffet offers what you would find in any establishment of this level (in Europe). The bar is not in operation so if you want a cappuccino you have to use the self-service machines.

Also on the second floor is the second bar in the facility.

In conclusion

For the right price I would recommend this hotel. Sure, it is not luxurious, but it is a solid option in the sparse landscape of hotels for accumulating points and benefits in the area. In fact, almost all the other hotels are located in the airport area, which is not far away but is definitely inconvenient if you want to spend a few days relaxing in Nice.

The room was large, but not a real suite and especially not worth the 700€ cost (in low season). I dare not imagine what this room might cost in the summer or during sold out periods. Breakfast if it is free (although then you give up 1000 Bonvoy points) is fine, if you have to pay for it I would go elsewhere.

• Bonvoy