BlindPilot

First time in Nice/Monte Carlo.

Which of the 2 Holiday Inns in Nice is more centrally located for walking to shops, restaurants and possibly tourist sites? Holiday Inn Saint Laurent du Var (167 Promenade Des Flots Bleus ) or Holiday Inn Nice (20 Boulevard Victor Hugo)?

Arriving in Nice by train from Milan. Flying out of Nice Airport to Dusseldorf.

We will only be in Nice for 2 days (1 Night) only and will also take a train to see Monte Carlo for a few hours during this stay.

Thanks for the insights.

336

No doubt the Holiday Inn Nice for city centre location.

The Holiday Inn Saint Laurent du Var is next to the airport.

Smythmeister

Definitely Holiday Inn Nice (Victor Hugo). I stayed there in January with the misses. Very nice hotel and great location. It's only a few hundred meters from the sea front and the Hard Rock Cafe (if that floats your boat).

We had one of the top floor suites with its own private balcony. The suite is very small indeed but the views from the balcony are great. If the suite prices aren't massive (we paid €160 for one night) then go for that, otherwise get a lower room as it isn't worth much more than what we paid, in my opinion.

We did sit for a drink in the evening in the bar. We were the only ones in there. The bar tender brought us out a plate of sandwiches, completely free. We didn't request them but thought it was a lovely touch.

All in all, I would recommend this for the location and the good service. If you can stretch to the Carlton Cannes though, that is worth a night. It's a stunning property (if a little dated in places) with service that is second to none.

mareh

My husband and I stayed at the Holiday Inn Nice for about a week last summer on points. The staff was extremely nice. However, our room needed at least a partial refurb, especially the bathroom and mattress. The location was great though.

L'Hydropathe, which is nearby, is a nice place to eat.

nicolas75

Holiday Inn Nice is a pleasant urban hotel for location, quite good restaurant and friendly staff.

The hotel has been recently renovated. Rooms are not huge but comfortable (ask for terrace rooms).

thegreatmrsj

Just back from a one night stay in the Victor Hugo HI Nice. Really great location, lovely staff, the barman in particular is so so helpful and all the reception staff are great. We had booked on an advanced purchase rate of £89 including breakfast and were given an remodelled executive room on 8th floor which was very spacious. Will certainly go back there again

greenfrog2015

HI center is good location. short walk to everything. If you are not in town for many days, central location makes lots of difference. checkin and checkout is efficient. coffee is good. lunch price is fair. within 5 minutes to walk to promoneda. i get upgrade as a platinum.

Adam1222

This seems to be the most recent thread, so i figured I'd share my experience at the Holiday Inn Nice Centre (Victor Hugo). Overall, I had low expectations but found the hotel more than adequate, especially at the 25,000 points per night rate I paid.

One odd thing, I had booked a King Standard room, and the day before my stay, had been upgraded to an "Executive 2 beds." At check in, though, the agent moved me to an Executive King no problem.

The weirdest thing about the hotel is that it seems to have been partially renovated multiple times, such that there is a total hodgepodge of styles and ages. The small lobby area is very recently renovated. The hallways by the rooms look straight out of 1995. The main portion of the room was probably renovated in the past 10-15 years, but the furniture was very best up. The bathroom, however, also said 1995. The fitness center looked like something out of 1992, but did have a lovely sun terrace with chaises you could sit on.

Hallway

Executive King room

Executive King room

Executive King bathroom

View from Executive King room

Fitness center

I found the bed quite soft but otherwise it was a fine room. I wasn't facing the sea but the view was still nice.

The location is great, less than 10 minutes walking to the train station or the seafront, a little longer to Old Nice. The area right around the hotel is residential and pleasant, and there is a delicious bakery, Dom, down the street.
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(It is also the DL crew hotel.)
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Concerto

I must try this, sounds good. My favourite in Nice is the HI Var, just across the river from the airport. The HI in Cannes is quite good too. Avoid the two newbuilds (HIX and CP) at the airport, definitely not good unless you've got a flight at 6am.

Happy

Would you elaborate why the 2 newbuilt at the airport are no good? Is the drawback being by the airport and bit far from town? But isn't that there is the metro from airport to town pretty convenient?

Adam1222

There is a tram from the airport downtown, but it's much better to be able to wander from your hotel around the city, down to Old Nice, the main Promenade, and the train station to other parts of Cote d'Azur

Happy

But if only use the HIX / CP at airport location as a "home base" for the nightly retreat, it isn't too bad, right? especially the HIX point cost is so cheap at 13K while the HI at Victor Hugo is more than double that.
For the going up and down the coast, personally I like taking the bus instead. The L100 and L110 are great for such purpose. It used to only cost 1 euro. No idea how much now. While it is slower but it also allow you to see much more and can get off in areas where the train is less convenient.

IIRC the SNCF operation at Cote d'Azur often has impromptu strikes. We once were stranded in Monaco, almost missed our ship that docked outside Cannes. Had to take the bus from Monaco to Nice, then Nice to Cannes. Already missed the last tender departure time but it turned out because of the strike, the roads became very congested so the ship's own tour buses also were late... At the end the ship left one and a half hour late from original sail away time.

francophile

Concerto very recently did an excellent report on the Crowne Plaza at the airport:
The Crazy Krakow Lisbon XP Run

I've stayed at the HI Nice at boulevard Victor Hugo property twice (pre-lobby renovation in 2018 and post-lobby renovation in 2019). The service at this hotel is excellent and staff are genuinely warm and friendly. However, the rooms in my opinion are in need of a renovation.

If I didn't have to be in central Nice and wanted to stay at an IHG property, I would be very tempted to stay at this new Indigo which is very reasonably priced. The hotel appears to be only a 10 minute walk from the train station and is only a 10 minute TER ride from Nice. You can also take the 200 bus and the bus stop is only 150m from the hotel. However, I would still prefer to take SNCF.

https://www.ihg.com/hotelindigo/hote...cm/hoteldetail

Concerto

Indeed, I was just going to link the single post that describes the HIX and CP combo at the airport. I have included information about the bus and tram system, where rides are indeed €1. For me, the number 12 was the most efficient way to get into town. You just have to work out how to access the bus stop on the Hong Kong style overpass.
As for the hotels, there's something not quite right about them. I wouldn't go back. The better of the two is the HIX (and it is the cheaper, also with free breakfast). I always find HIX to be my preferred brand because you know what you are going to get and they tend to be consistently ok.

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/33520322-post60.html

ninjalad

I just had three nights in the HIX in Baden Baden, I must say that I don’t like them , bed was uncomfortable, breakfast was horrible and the coffee was strange!
I have five nights booked on the HI Cannes at the end of the month , keeping my fingers crossed it will be ok
Am off to Berlin tomorrow to my favorite IC where it seems I’m getting a signature suite 😂