I am now researching Nice hotels. The front runner is Le Grimaldi and I am finding great reviews on Tripadvisor and great prices to boot. Has anyone stayed here that can give me a first-hand report?

Karen, if Le Grimaldi doesn't work out, we were very pleased with The Beau Rivage when we stayed there in September. Just FYI!

Charlene

Hi Karen! I checked out Le Grimaldi a couple of years ago, sounded great. I think we may just stay at Beau Rivage again. It's recently remodeled and the location can't be beat. It's across from the water and backs up to the old town (or whatever it's called). We liked that you could walk to the flower market, cafes, etc. I guess I better start planning soon! Can't wait.

Thanks girls, I am checking out the Beau Rivage now!

Karen: Meant to tell you if Le Grimaldi had not worked out for us Beau Rivage was my other choice - walked by looked fine - much bigger than the other but we could walk to everything too - did you decide on one?? Joanna

Did you book a hotel there yet? We liked the Negresco.

Negresco is nice but also very expensive - Lawrence stayed there when we met in Nice - Le Grimaldi, for the half the price was a winner -

I don't do really expensive hotels when I am coming in pre-cruise or staying a day or two after. Years ago I was in Nice with a group of ladies and we went to the Negresco for drinks before or after dinner, and I found it stuffy. Could have been that they just didn't want a bunch of women hanging around, but we did not feel welcome, and we were dressed to the "code" that seemed prevalent.

I have stayed three times at LaPerouse, a small hotel up the hill from the Old Town, just next to that elevator that takes you to the top of the hill where there's a beautiful park, but this time I think I'll try either Le Grimaldi or the Beau Rivage if we stay over.

Luxurylink.com

has a couple good packages for Nice up for auction at this very moment...might want to check them out

olivia: LaPerouse was booked WHEN WE WERE LOOKING- - Negresco, lovely I am sure, but I am always looking for a BARGAIN!!!

Karen, LaPerouse was on my list, too. We went by and I peeked in, gorgous! It is towards the pier area, right across from the ocean also. I believe most rooms look out onto the Promenade and sea. It wasn't really in the midst of things, which is why I didn't choose it this year. Both John and I prefer location over the actual hotel. We enjoyed being so close to the flower market and the cafes, etc. But, check it out, also, maybe the Le Meridian???

Except for that $60 breakfast in the hotel restaurant!

Negresco has a very nice bar that is richly decorated with medieval tapestries. It was great for having a drink and a cigar. That being said, the drinks were too expensive - 12 Euros for a Pimm's Lemonade makes Manhattan look like a bargain.

I have booked at Hotel Massena for April 1st. It is located near Massena square which is a block or two from the old town. Rates in summer are 160 or 200 euros. Rick Steeves recomends it.
I will include it in my Silversea cruise report either during or right after our return.
We stayed at the Negresco 40 years ago. It was 'snooty' then and still is.

Todd and I both booked the Grimaldi. We each got a suite with a fireplace, balcony and 2 bathrooms!!!! including breakfast, for $170.

Where did you book? I need to get on this. Ready to switch from La Perouse, a 3 minute walk to Old Towne and the flower market, just so I can be with you guys. I hope the flower market is open the day we embark. Joanna and I bought lots of roses and she made a beautiful bouquet in our stateroom that lasted the whole cruise!

Olivia, we booked here at Riviera.com You can use the tabs at the top of the page to look at rates and put in your reservation request.

Hi Karen,

Thanks for the link to Riviera.com.
I was looking for a hotel in Florence.

For curiosity sake, I checked the Grimaldi in Nice and they were offering a large sea view suite at 150 Euro per night. (which at current Euro exchange rate at 1.35 Euro to the US dollar seems to come out to about $202 US) That site also states that at the time you pay your bill it will be in Euro (not US dollars)
Were you able to "lock in" a US dollar rate?

I want to do the same for a hotel in Florence so please let me in on how this is done.

The luxury link.com site is a bidding site, in US dollars, so I can see how this is accomplished.

You seem to come up with the neatest web sites for all sorts of "goodies". Thanks.

DUH....got mixed up and realized we are starting in Rome, so have to do any flower market thing THERE for embarkation rather than Nice! Not sure we are going to be on post-cruise like the rest of you! Nice is wonderful, and I hope you will plan some post-cruise stuff to the little towns outside the city, like Ez and St. Paul de Vence, and the Rothchild Estate.

Med4bike, you really don't know what you are paying until you actually request a quote from them. I was surprised to see the low quote I got for the suite.
You guarantee with a first nights deposit but since I am only staying one night, I am paid in full already.

Editing to add, another good site to check for hotels is Alpharooms.com We got really great rates for our Rome hotel and they quote you in US dollars. The price they quote is the price you pay and you have the choice to pay when you book or 6 weeks before the reservation date.

Caution, there are (at least) two Hotel Grimaldi's in Nice! I was attracted to this thread because we are looking for a post-Voyager hotel in Nice in September. The chat made the Grimaldi sound like a good choice. However, the Hotel Grimaldi rated on Trip Advisor is the Le Grimaldi at 15 rue Grimaldi, Nice. When I followed the link provided by KarenS I discovered that it is for the Hotel Grimaldi, 6 Place du Chateau in Haute de Cagnes (described as being between Nice and Antibes)...clearly not the hotel in downtown Nice. I figured I'd better share this so there aren't some surprises for folks that mistook one for the other. Then, there is also the Mercure Grimaldi at 6 rue Grimaldi in Nice just to continue the confusion! Unfortunately for us, the Le Grimaldi (per Trip Advisor) is booked for the 10 & 11th of September when we'll be in Nice, so I'm still looking.

Scott, thanks for your email! We figured out we booked the wrong Grimaldi several days later but I think we are even happier with this one!

Karen: You can't go wrong with the place you picked - I thought it looked like it had loads of charm and the rate you got was very good - includes breakfast, two bathrooms, and a fireplace??? Maybe it was ok that there was a mix up - Joanna

Karen, we have booked the Beau Rivage for when we disembark the Whisper in May. We were actually lucky to find a room. Thursday the 19th is the day that the Cannes Film Festival ends and the day that the Monaco Gran Prix begins. I couldn't figure out why so many hotels were already sold out.