Set in an oasis of calm in the centre of Nice, the Hotel WindsoR is a charming four star “belle époque” hotel, just a stones throw from the sea front. It was truly the perfect place for a weekend break after a long week! It was heavenly to soak up the calm atmosphere and some winter sun, yet be able to step out into the lively Old Town of Nice or walk along the “Promenade des Anglais”.
Find out more about the Hotel WindsoR
Although it is in a busy area of Nice, it is set in a charming garden, with yuccas, lemon trees and bamboos, and there is even an aviary. It is a wonderful place to relax, soak up the sunshine and listen to the birdsong. There is an outdoor pool (open from May until October) backed by a stunning graffiti-art wall and in the summer, breakfast and dinner are served outdoors.
The WindsoR is an old building from the 19th century: it was built by B Pachiaud, an architect from the ‘Eiffel’ school, and it was transformed into a hotel at the beginning of the 20th century. It has been in the ownership of the Redolfi family since 1942.
Location
The Hotel WindsoR is well located in Nice: the Promenade des Anglais, the lively Old Town, the Place Masséna, the flower market at the Cours Saleya and a selection of great bars and restaurants are all within walking distance from the hotel.
The Hotel and Its Rooms
“Ornemental frescos or contemporary artists designed rooms, Hotel WindsoR rooms aim to transport you to another world for the night, regardless of the room category.”
There are 57 rooms, each of which is unique. About 30 rooms are designed by contemporary artists and the rest are decorated with frescoes.
Some of the top rooms have balconies overlooking the garden and the pool.
Inspired by his many travels in Asia and Latin America, Bernard Redolfi commissioned Antoine Baudoin to create murals inspiring the hotel guests to dream and travel, and about 30 rooms with frescoes were created by Antoine Baudoin in the 1980s.
After the death of Antoine Baudoin, the idea of ‘artist rooms’ (“chambres d’artistes”) was born and the first artist room was completed by Joel Ducorroy in 1989. Since then, about 29 artist rooms have been completed and new ones are added each year.
Our room was the “Noel Dolla”, a chambre Wi Séduction, with a view over the garden. You can see the photos of our room above, and the view from our room below.
The following room categories are available
Wi Privilege
A large 27m² room with a garden view or whirlpool
Wi Seduction
A large 21-26m² room on the garden side with bathtub or shower
Wi Creation
An artist-designed 17m² room on the garden side with a shower / or a 22m² room on the city side with bathtub
Wi Intimity
A 16m² room on the city side with a shower
Find our more about all the available rooms here.
The garden and the pool
The heated outside swimming pool is open from May till October according to weather conditions. It has a fresco wall, and is surrounded by beautiful vegetation.
The tropical garden is planted with bamboos, bougainvillea and fruit trees, and there is even a bird cage (designed by Cynthia Lemesle and Jean-Philippe Roubaud) and you can enjoy soaking up the Riviera sunshine, unwind and simply be still listening to the sound of birdsong and admire the historical charm.
It is beautifully lit up at night and is a charming spot for a pre-dinner drink.
Other Amenities
The Hotel also has a Wellness Center : featuring a small fitness area, a hammam, Sauna, and whirlpool.
Wellness Massages, including Hot Stones Massage, a Californian Massage, a Full Body Scrub with Rose Salts, a Phytomer Relaxing Leg and Feet treatment, a face and body treatment and more are also available on demand.
For further details and prices, see here.
Breakfast
In summer, the breakfast buffet is set up in the shadow of the giant rubber tree, and in Winter breakfast is available in the restaurant.
A wide variety of food is available, including meats, cheese, cereals, fruit, jams, scrambled eggs, croissants and other pastries.
If you don’t want to leave the comfort of your room, then you can take a continental breakfast in your room.
Breakfast is served from 7h00 to 10h30, or until 11h00 during the week-end.
For those of you in a rush to get out and explore the town, the hotel also offers an express breakfast served at the bar (coffee + 2 mini pastries).
The Bar and Restaurant
The bar is open 24/7 for hotel guests, and the restaurant welcomes guests in the evening from Monday to Saturday.
Breakfast and dinner are served in the tropical, secluded garden in summer or around the fire place in winter.
The restaurant has just received the labelling title of “Maître Restaurateur“, as it serves fresh produce and “bio” vegetables.
We had booked a table in the restaurant, but probably didn’t need to at this time of year as it was fairly quiet. However, as the restaurant is quite small and open to the public, I would definitely recommend booking at peak times.
There is a fixed menu or you can choose from the ‘à la carte’. There is also the possibility of combining dishes from the ‘à la carte’ menu to create your own ‘fixed’ menu. The menus are reasonably priced (a 3 course meal without drinks is between 32€ and 38€), and there is a good selection of drinks and wine by the glass or by the bottle.
Gluten free and vegetarian options are available.
From the food menu, I tried the onion soup, with a crispy cheese topping, a steak with a bordelaise sauce and the crème brulée. My husband tried the grilled aubergine with parma ham, the duck and the tiramisu (well, he tried a bit of the tiramisu and then I took over!)
I am a big fan of onion soup and often order it when I see it on a menu, and this one did not disappoint! The texture was perfect and the taste was neither too salty nor too sweet, and I loved the crispy cheese topping!
The steak arrived promptly after we finished our starters, and was served with potatoes and bearnaise sauce. I actually very rarely order steak, as I’m not a very big meat eater and I’m extremely fussy about the cut and cook! The steak was perfectly cooked, and the bearnaise sauce was delicious. However, to be perfectly honest, I think I would have preferred the vegetarian option, which I deliberated over for 15 minutes before making my choice!
Both desserts were delicious – we put them in the middle of the table to share but I can honestly say that I ate more than my share of both. The crème brulée (which literally means “burnt cream” ) was caramelised in front of us and the smooth creamy base perfectly combined with the crunchy topping.
My husband’s starter was beautifully presented and very tasty, as was the duck fillet which was cooked in a delicious mango and honey sauce.
Find out more about the restaurant here.
Staff Service
From the time I arrived and was greeted at the front desk I felt very welcomed and comfortable in being there. I value excellent customer service, and I experienced this from the beginning to the end while I was at the Hotel WindsoR
Special Exhibitions
OVNi Objectif Video Nice is organizing its 5th festival from November 22nd to December 1st.
The festival, sponsored by Agnès b, will feature videos inspired by cinema throughout its various exhibition spaces, and will be divided into 3 parts : OVNi in the city, OVNi at the Hotel and OVNi Galleries.
From 22nd November 2019 to 1st December 2019, the Hotel WindsoR is home to the OVNI Galleries exhibition.
Overall
Overall I had a fantastic stay at the Hotel WindsoR, and I look forward to going back many more times. It combines historical charm with a modern twist, and is perfectly located for exploring Nice.
If you’re looking for an oasis of calm in the centre of Nice and close to all the main attractions, then this is the place for you.
For more information about the Hotel WindsoR and to book, have a look here, and please have a look at for some inspiration for What to see and do in Nice.
I hope you enjoyed finding out more about the Hotel WindsoR.
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Some products, trips, hotel stays, restaurant visits are gifted. All opinions are my own
What a place! I love all the greenery! 🙂
-Ashley
Le Stylo Rouge
Me too, Ashley! It really is an oasis of calm xo
Sounds like a great stay at this Hotel! Would love to visit one day! Great job!
xoxo, Vanessa
http://www.WhatWouldVWear.com
It was an amazing stay, Vanessa. I hope you get to visit one day xoxo
What a great post! Lovely photos.
xx- Nina
http://www.stylingwithnina.com/
Glad you enjoyed it Nina xo
I love how there is so much foliage at the hotel! It really enhances the entire mood of the place!
Totally agree! It feels like a different world from the hussle and bussle of Nice! And yet, you’re right in the centre! xo
Those rooms look so cute! Glad you had a great time.
Thank you! I had a lovely stay there 🙂
Hotel looks pretty hun and pictures look great too!
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
Thank you Lovely! Glad you think so xoxo
It looks like a lovely place to stay, love the tropical garden idea!! Xx
Elegant Duchess
https://www.elegantduchess.com
The tropical garden really is a lovely place to relax and it is a lovely place to stay x
Beautiful place with stylish interiors! And the photos are so cute and cozy!
http://www.recklessdiary.ru
Thank you! I’m glad you liked the photos! xo
It’s a pure paradise, nice hotel 🙂
https://loveonthebrainbykinga.wordpress.com/
Yes, it’s a lovely place to stay! I definitely recommend it if you’re ever in Nice 🙂
This hotel looks very charming and stylish! I’ve been to Nice a few times and I love it so much.
xx Simone
I love Nice too, Simone! I was lucky enough to go three times this year and I’m already planning my next trip back xo
what a beautiful hotel! I love how unique the rooms are. The painted walls really appeal to me. The artist who painted these rooms is very talented. Thanl you for sharing this lovely hotel with us.
I’m glad you liked the article, Ivana. In fact, each of the artists rooms was painted by a different artist and that’s one of the things I love about it, as it”s so unique xo
These rooms look REALLY nice and I love a pool that has a nice view. Such a lush place!
Carrie
curlycraftymom.com
The rooms are all really nice, and some of them have lovely views over the pool. The courtyard and the pool area is a lovely place to relax too! xo
I would love to stay here and visit Nice! What stunning accommodations and review Julia!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Glad you enjoyed it Kathrine x
What a fabulous hotel! I can’t believe that every room is done so differently but I just love that! And that courtyard looks so inviting. What a wonderful place to stay and I think it would be just delightful to visit Nice. Looks like you guys had a great time and excellent food!
Ruth
Yes, we had a really great time and excellent food! I loved the fact that each room is done differently too – it makes it so unique xo
Woww this place looks so stunning – what a perefct place to stay ♥
xxx
Tina
https://styleappetite.com
Yes, I really enjoyed my stay there! xo
How stunning! Real oasis… I love the wall of the painted palm trees and sunset.
http://www.fashionradi.com
I agree! I love the courtyard and the pool area! It’s so relaxing x
Such a great post!
xx- Nina
http://www.stylingwithnina.com
Glad you liked it Nina x
That hotel looks so magical from inside and outside. I like room interior so much. Thank you for sharing.
Giveaway – http://www.exclusivebeautydiary.com/2019/12/what-made-this-decade-count-for-you_1.html
I agree – it is a magical setting and I loved the courtyard and that every room is unique x
Such a cute hotel darling!
xoxo
Lovely
http://www.mynameislovely.com
Isn’t it?! I love that all the rooms are unique xoxo
I understand you enjoyed the stay there! Everything looks really beautiful. Thanks for sharing!
xx Rena
Yes, I really enjoyed my stay here! So glad you liked the article xo
This boutique hotel looks and sounds amazing! I love all the unique details. I hope one day to visit here!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
I hope you visit there too, Kathrine. I’m sure you would love it 🙂
This hotel looks super pretty!! I have been to Nice once with the school and I adored this French town.
Cate <a href="https://35mminstyle.com
Yes, Nice is a great place to visit and the Hotel WindsoR is really pretty and calm