Hotels · Our pick on the Riviera
The grand hotels of the Riviera: the back story
The back story
About The grand hotels of the Riviera: the back story
The Riviera’s great hotels were built for winter. The first visitors came for mild sunshine between October and April, and Nice still carries that history: UNESCO inscribed “Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera” on the World Heritage List in 2021. Summer came later, with bathing, beach clubs and the jazz-age crowd on the capes.
Nice and Cannes
In Nice, Le Negresco faces the Baie des Anges from the Promenade des Anglais, its pink dome lit at night. In Cannes the palaces line La Croisette: the Carlton, now Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel; Le Majestic, with its Barrière casino neighbour; and the Martinez, whose La Palme d’Or holds a MICHELIN star (2026 guide).
The capes
On Cap d’Antibes, the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc was founded in 1870 as the Grand Hotel du Cap (in the hotel’s words), and its Eden-Roc pavilion sits on the rocks above a seawater pool. On Cap Ferrat, the Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel, stands in six hectares of gardens; La Réserve de Beaulieu and Royal-Riviera are close by. Above the sea at Èze, the Château de la Chèvre d’Or and Cap Estel each hold a starred table.
Several of the most famous hotels close in winter: check the season before you plan around one.
Saint-Tropez
Byblos and its nightclub, Les Caves du Roy, celebrate their 60th anniversary in 2027; Cheval Blanc St-Tropez, designed by Jean-Michel Wilmotte, faces the Plage de la Bouillabaisse; and La Réserve Ramatuelle looks over the Pampelonne peninsula.
Seasons
The Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc’s next season runs from 18 April to 17 October 2027; Cheval Blanc St-Tropez opens on 6 May 2027; Byblos reopens on 22 April 2027 (the hotels’ own websites, checked 22 October 2026). Nice and Cannes stay open all year.
Our advice: for a first visit, stay in Nice or Cannes and take the train along the coast; book a cape hotel for a few nights of pure stillness.
Why it's on our list
- Nice and Cannes
- The capes
- Saint-Tropez
- Seasons
- Our advice
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with The grand hotels of the Riviera: the back story before you go.
How far is it from the sights?
Distances from The grand hotels of the Riviera: the back story are approximate, measured in a straight line (as the crow flies). Times are approximate too: walking at about 80 metres a minute, cycling at about 15 km/h and driving at typical city-traffic speeds. Traffic and routes vary.
Key sights
- Musée Picasso, Antibes2.9 kmWalk 36 minCycle 12 minCar or taxi 10 min
- Palais des Festivals8.9 kmCycle 36 minCar or taxi 20 min
- Nice Côte d’Azur Airport14 kmCar or taxi 28 min
- Promenade des Anglais19 kmCar or taxi 37 min
- Cours Saleya (Vieux Nice)20 kmCar or taxi 39 min
- Musée Matisse22 kmCar or taxi 42 min
- Villa Ephrussi23 kmCar or taxi 44 min
- Èze village27 kmCar or taxi 51 min
Main railway stations
- Antibes3.5 kmWalk 44 minCycle 14 minCar or taxi 11 min
- Cannes8.8 kmCycle 35 minCar or taxi 20 min
- Nice Saint-Augustin (airport)14 kmCar or taxi 30 min
- Nice-Ville20 kmCar or taxi 39 min
- Menton38 kmCar or taxi 71 min
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