Hotel Le Royal

Hotel Le Royal's handsome six-story neoclassical building dates from 1910. The property has retained much of its Old World, turn-of-the-century charm, with architectural details such as high ceilings and arched doorways, ornate Ionic columns, and marble floors in the lobby. There's elegant, traditional seating scattered throughout, and some guests settle in with laptops. But the outdoor terrace with sweeping views of the sea is a much more popular spot to linger, and there are cafe tables for dining in fine weather. The hotel's clientele tends to be older leisure travelers, especially couples -- many of whom return each year, and are known by name among the property's staff.

Le Royal Hotel has the city's most prestigious address on the Promenade des Anglais, across from the beach on a two-lane road that runs along the coast. Nice's Old Town is within walking distance, where there are plenty of cafes, restaurants, and shops. The location also has excellent public transportation: The bus stop to the airport is just outside the hotel, and the city's main train station is a short walk away

• Seven-minute walk to Neptune Beach
• 13-minute walk to Nice train station  
• 14-minute walk to Nice Opera 
• 15-minute walk to Old Town (Vieux Nice)
• 11 minutes to the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art by public transit
• 12-minute drive to Marc Chagall Museum 
• 14-minute drive to Nice Port
• 15-minute drive to Matisse Museum 
• 20-minute drive to Nice Cote d'Azur Airport
• 36-minute drive to Monaco
• 47-minute drive to Antibes
• 57-minute drive to Cannes

About half of the guest rooms at Hotel Le Royal have balconies with sea views, and their decor is more posh than rooms that look out to the city. There are tufted headboards covered in rich fabric set against stylish wallpaper, design-forward lighting and furniture, and throw pillows and cushions that add a pop of magenta and hot pink to complete the look. City-facing rooms are comfortable, with eye-pleasing earth tones and contemporary furniture, but they don't have as much pizazz. Standard amenities include air-conditioning, desks, flat-screen TVs, safes, free Wi-Fi, but there are no kettles. Units with balconies add robes. City-facing rooms have bathrooms that could use an upgrade, but they have shower/tub combos, whereas sleeker bathrooms in other rooms walk-in showers. All have heated towel racks, hairdryers, and toiletries. 

In terms of amenities, this hotel delivers on basics without any fancy extras. The hotel's sea-facing terrace, where guests can dine in fine weather, is a highlight. There's a continental breakfast buffet served every day at the full-service restaurant, but it costs extra. Lunch and dinner menus offer regional dishes, and there's also a bar that shares the terrace. Other amenities include three air-conditioned meeting and event rooms that can accommodate up to 360 people. Free Wi-Fi is free throughout, there's a public computer in the lobby that guests can use at no charge, and staff will book tours and arrange tickets, but there's no on-site parking.