Hotel Windsor

Rooms

There are 4 (rather interestingly named) categories of room Wi Intimacy rooms face the street and have a shower; Wi Creation are more spacious, face either the street or the garden, and have either a bathtub or a shower; Wi Seduction are larger still and face the garden; and Wi Priviledge have the additional bonus of a balcony or Jacuzzi tub. We think these latter 2 categories are well worth the extra, especially if you’re in the hotel for a couple of nights. Beds are either twins or queensize (make sure to state your preference when booking), mattresses are comfy, and there's air-con, mini-fridges, complimentary toiletries and satellite TV.

The obvious highlight are the 30 artists' rooms which straddle these categories. The range of styles and their sheer exuberance is almost overwhelming - though bear in mind that they cannot guarantee a particular room, only the category.

One of our favourites, and where we stayed during our last revisit, is François Morellet’s luminous white room (Wi Privilege), streaked with yellow rays of sun painted on the walls. It's based on a French pun where sunbeams turn into sleep beams (rayons de soleil/sommeil) at dusk. Another winner, and the favourite room of (now retired) owner Bernard Redolfi, is that of Gottfried Honegger (another Wi Privilege room), with its whitewash-and-stone walls, white-draped chairs, warm uplighters and tall French windows. Equally bright is Tunisian artist Samta Beyahia’s room (Wi Intimancy), with deep blue splashed throughout; we loved the stained glass window and bathroom tiles.

One of the wittiest rooms is the small cheery twin by Joel DuCorroy (Wi Intimacy), whose plaque-artist-meets-Warhol décor combines minimalist furnishings with amusingly worded steel street signs hanging everywhere, even over the toilet. An equally amusing - but not so restful - space is the tiny double room designed by Nice’s enfant-terrible, Ben (Wi Creation), whose brilliant-hued graffiti scrawls of witty aphorisms may keep students of French up all night, pondering what the artist had on his mind.

The other rooms are less flamboyant, but hardly dull by normal standards. Some come clad in frescoes by Antoine Beaudoin; others have huge posters plastered across the walls.

Features include:

• Hairdryer
• Minibar
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

Breakfast (extra cost) is a generous buffet of pastries, eggs, sausage and bacon, assorted juices, fresh fruit, muesli, cereal, ham, cheese and yoghurts, served on the sunny dining patio, where you’ll want to linger over refills of café au lait and read the newspaper. We really enjoyed ours, but felt that a stroll into the Old Town or to the promenade for a coffee and croissant would have been on the cards if we’d stayed for longer. In the winter, breakfast is served in the wood-panelled bar.

Dinner is also served outdoors, weather permitting, or in the cosy bar. The limited menu is well worth the price, especially the 3-course option which features ultra-fresh regional specialities. We enjoyed an asparagus and artichoke salad, followed by ricotta and truffle ravioli and a thick fillet steak that was cooked to perfection! We finished with tiramisu and crème brûlée; the waiter sugared and blow-torched the brûlée at the table, a nice touch we thought (and luckily everyone’s eyebrows stayed intact!) Sitting in the garden under the canopy of tropical plants with the sound of the resident parrots chirping away was very relaxing. Note that the restaurant is closed on Sundays, but the bar is open for drinks.

For simpler fare, Nice's Old Town is a labyrinth of small streets with a huge selection of cheap eats like fried courgette-flower fritters and socca (the local speciality, a paper-thin savoury chickpea pancake). There are numerous other restaurants and bars within easy walking distance from the hotel.

Features include:

• Bar
• Kids' meals
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Room service
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Chill out in the hotel's garden before enjoying a massage and a private session in the Turkish hammam
  
• The sprawling marble Museum of Modern Art (MAMAC) on the fringe of the Old Town is the home of contemporary European and American works. The impressive permanent collection includes works from members of the Nice school and the New Realists; check out the works by Raymond Hains and Ben, both of whom designed rooms at the Windsor
  
• The narrow, cobblestone pedestrian streets of Nice’s Old Town are a treasure trove of regional products, homewares, china and funky clothes. Antique lovers will enjoy the Monday morning antique market on the Cours Saleya, where you can pick up lace tablecloths, silver Art Deco platters, phonographs and vintage posters
  
• The beaches at the Promenade des Anglais seafront are paved with big grey pebbles, but you can buy a cheap foam mattress or splurge on the luxury of a private beach (the best bets for reliably good food and hip atmosphere are Castel Plage, Beau Rivage and Le Florida)
  
• Explore Belle-Epoque architecture in hilltop neighbourhood Cimiez, where you’ll also find the Matisse Museum, the Archaeology Museum and Roman arena, plus a fragrant rose garden behind the cloisters of the Franciscan Monastery. Matisse and Dufy are buried in the nearby cemetery
  
• Up in the wooded hills of St Paul de Vence is the spectacular Fondation Maeght, with seasonal modern art shows and a to-die-for sculpture garden
  
• You can rent bicycles from Nice’s Vélo Bleu system (the French equivalent of Boris Bikes). There are 175 bike stations throughout the city, and there’s one just in front of the hotel; this is a great way to discover the city

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Cycling
• Museums / galleries
• Sailing
• Shopping / markets
• Swimming
• Traditional cultures
• Yoga

Kids

All ages are welcome and kids will love the lush garden. Do note that there is original artwork throughout, but this shouldn't be a problem for well-behaved little ones.

Best for:

All ages

Family friendly accommodation:

Extra beds are only available in Wi Seduction and Wi Privilege rooms, but all categories (except Wi Intimacy) can fit a baby cot. Some rooms can interconnect (request on enquiry).

Cots Available, Extra Beds Available

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Hotel Windsor is in central Nice, about a 5-minute walk inland from the Promenade des Anglais and not far from the landmark Hotel Negresco. Nice is a 2-hour drive east of Marseille, on the Cote d'Azur in southern France.

By Air:
Nice (5km) is super close. Click on the links below for a list of airlines serving this airport.

From the Airport
If you're just coming to Nice for the weekend, you probably won't want to hire a car. Hotel Windsor is 15 minutes from the airport by taxi, or you can catch the 98 bus from the airport to the stop Palais de la Méditerranée along the promenade. From there, it's a 5-minute walk.

By Rail:
If you'd prefer to travel overland, take the Eurostar to Lille Europe, then change onto the super-fast direct TGV connection to Nice. The journey from London takes 9 hours in total.

By Car:
If you do want to hire a car, see our car rental recommendations.

Detailed directions will be sent to you when you book through i-escape.com.

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