The “phénoménal” city of Nice has been on my wanderlust radar since college. Unfortunately during my university days, all I could afford in France was croissaints for breakfast, a baguette for dinner and shady hostels. As a travel blogger, my travel doors have opened and I wanted to make my first summer night in the French Riviera a spectacular memory I would treasure for the rest of my life and career. There was no better hotel to make a part of my Nice experience than the five-star iconic French hotel Le Negresco — member of Leading Hotels of the World — located only a few footsteps from the glowing “azur” Mediterranean Sea. Undeniably one of the best hotels in Nice, Le Negresco is the Crème de la Crème of French hospitality.
History of Le Negresco
Situated opposite the famous Promenade des Anglais, the location of this palatial gem which opened in 1913 is one of the primest in Europe. The dazzling facade and its glorious towering pink dome was all the work of tourism genius Henri Negresco, a Romanian immigrant who ventured to Paris and later to the French Riveria where he found wealth in building luxury hotels for the Europe’s wealthiest residents. The design magic comes from famed Dutch-French architect Édouard-Jean Niermans — aka the architectural prince of the Belle Époque.
More than a century old, Le Negresco saw more than hotel guests alone. The hotel was converted into a 100-bed hospital during World War I and felt the pangs of economic downturn during the first half century. Still, it survived and still reigns as one of France’s most celebrated hotels and a wondrous and historically romantic dream-experience for wanderlusters.
Famous Guests
If you think Vegas has its secrets, Le Negresco may hold more. The endless guestbook of prominent names includes: Picasso, Lauren Bacall, Cary Grant, Ernest Hemingway (I started crying when I learned this, because I’m normal), Frank Sinatra, Edith Piaf, Winston Churchill, The Beatles, Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and so many more…
As for their stories, well those are for the walls to tell. My heart swoons to even daydream about it.
The Art
The hotel doubles as an museum and historical oasis of some of France’s most valuable treasures. The jaw-dropping crystal chandelier alone was commissioned by faraway friend Russia and Czar Nicholas II. The superfluous amount of spectacular detail and exquisite paintings can be credited to Monsieur Jean-Baptiste Mesnage (who bought out the hotel bought out in 1957) and his daughter and current owner of the Le Degresco, Jeanne Augier. A passionate French art afficionado and collector, the walls and halls are essentially a showcase thousands of Augier’s priceless paintings, sculptures and antiques — in fact, Le Degresco is the only in France to employ an in-house art curator.
Notable Features
Besides the sweeping views of the sparkling Mediterranean coastline and central location, Les Negresco boasts its own private beach (I’ll take that over an indoor pool any day ) and one of the most famous restaurants in the French Riviera: Le Chantecler. The hotel also has a special floor for VVIP guests (very, very important persons).
My Room
Walking into this room was a surreal moment in my life as a writer and travel blogger. It felt like I was walking into my wildest dreams. The French satin interior was dripping royalty and luxury. The wall was a stunning mural of a vibrantly mystifying forest…which I wanted to wander through. The seaview which was so hopelessly enchanting that I couldn’t even. The energy of Hollywood elites and writers like Hemingway still exuding from the hallways. Extravegant bath robes. Lush slippers. A nutritious breakfast where I was permitted to be my annoyingly picky self. I felt like a princess, and I’m so thrilled Le Negresco was my first home (of hopefully many) in the Côte d’Azur.
