Villa Bougainville by Happyculture

If you'd like to stay in a gorgeous French boutique hotel, this is the place for you! Firstly, you are greeted by complimentary refreshments from the fridge, and a lovely team of staff who are super friendly to help make your stay a comfortable one. It was a great bonus that the staff/ receptionists knew Nice very well and can give you recommendations for just about anything related to the city or even the Riviera as well. After checking in, there's nothing to do but head upstairs to see your room. Now, as the building is nearly a century old (1928), you must be thinking if they have an elevator, and you're in luck to find out that they do! However, it's an experience of its own. The tiny elevator matches the vibe of the building especially in its datedness, and can only fit about maximum 3 people, where that situation will have you feeling like sardines in a can. Nevertheless, it never bothered my friend and I, and was part of the charm of the hotel which I liked a lot. Having an interesting introduction to the elevator, we found our room, and it was simply lovely. The beds were super comfortable, with ample amounts of storage in the desk and a built-in closet with four shelves. You even have a mini fridge to cool your foodstuffs with a provided tea/coffee set completed by a kettle. The bathroom, while may be considered small, is really cute and stylish with all the modern comforts of a hotel such as lotion, hand wash, shampoo, body wash, and conditioner with fresh towels as you wish when you place used ones in the sink for housekeeping. To top it all off, (as far as I know) every room comes with a balcony, and the street view makes for a nice opportunity to take in those cool mornings and bustling evenings. However, one of my gripes with the room on the first day was that the areas above the bathroom door and curtains were loaded with so much dust that you could weave it into a fabric. The desk was also slightly dusty but I quickly dealt with it by giving the areas a quick clean with my trusty wet wipes. As far as I know, the hotel will accommodate your requests in these situations and can clean it for you. Other than that, we had slept beautifully for our entire stay, with the sounds of trains braking into Nice Ville and the traffic from the streets below muffled nicely by the balcony doors (you can still hear the noises faintly but not so much that you'll be constantly disturbed). Our stay included a breakfast buffet every morning from 07:00 to 10:30 (totally worth to include), which offered a nice selection of croissants, mini crepes, fruit salad, white cheese, three cheeses (brie and some slices which I do not know of), cold meats, scrambled eggs, bacon, coffee, cereals, milk and a milk alternative, breads, salted and unsalted butter, jams, hazelnut spread, caramel sauce, and chocolate sauce. I liked how comfortable the leather seats were. Talking about the location, it's prime. Within the city centre, you're in the middle where there are some greats eats within walking distance. The Nice Ville train station is about a short 5 minute walk. The nearest tram station (Gare Thiers) is about an 8 minute walk, and there is an incredibly convenient bus stop (Gare Thiers / Poste) nearby that can take you to and from the Massena square. I can say I had a fantastic experience staying here, and you might too. 9/10. Recommendations and tips: - Those checking in: if you have large luggage or a lot of it, you will have to take more than one ride lifting the bags up to your floor. - Bring (antibacterial) wet wipes, it's not only hygienic but also can help you if you'd like a quick clean to your liking, otherwise the hotel can do it for you at request. - If you're a light sleeper, request a room facing away from the street. - Ask the receptionists for recommendations or anything, they know a lot!