We often visit the French Riviera and always seek a hotel which is directly on the beach (as opposed to one being separated from it by a busy road). Hotels occupying such favoured beachside locations on the Core D'Azur, are far fewer than you might think.
On this occasion, we were looking to spend a long-weekend in France and, after some careful research, we booked a Deluxe Sea View room with balcony, at Villa Azur, in the coastal town of Villeneuve-Loubet. We got a great rate through booking.com on a bed & breakfast basis.
Check-in starts at 3pm, but as we were celebrating a birthday, we emailed ahead and asked whether our room could be made available if we arrived at around 12.30pm? We had also requested a room on the upper floor, as those have truly private balconies (note: sea view rooms on the ground floor have an inter-connecting walkway running along their shared terrace - as opposed to separate balconies - and therefore in my view, offer less privacy)
Following our flight from London, we took a taxi from Nice airport to the hotel, which is a 15 / 20 minute journey, costing around 50 Euros. Uber offers cheaper fares, but from an off-airport location, which is not as convenient as the official taxi rank, situated right outside the arrivals hall. We were lucky, as our taxi was a brand new Porsche Panamera. Always best to travel in style !
On arriving, the hotel presents as a modern boutique establishment of two floors, set on an attractive tree-lined street, which stretches along the beach. We entered the lobby and were warmly greeted in English. To the right of the Lobby is a restaurant which serves lovely breakfasts, while guests overlook the sea.
We were efficiently checked-in and shown to our room on the first floor. The room was large, bright and airy. There was a very comfortable king-size bed, with crisp white bed linen and nice plump pillows. There was also a sofa, a dressing table, desk chair, occasional table and two bedside cabinets. There was also a long ottoman-style bench along the foot of the bed.
We had a good-sized bathroom with bathtub, over-bath shower, sink unit and ample shelving. There was a good range of high quality complimentary L'occitane toiletries, which were provided in both large pump-dispensers and smaller individual bottles. We had a hairdryer, lots of fluffy white towels, 2 bathrobes and slippers. There is a separate WC. We had a built-in wardrobe with plenty of hanging space, mini-fridge, digital wall-safe, large flatscreen TV and very easy-to-use air conditioning. Two complimentary bottles of chilled mineral water were provided, with more available for purchase (along with wine etc) from reception. WiFi is free and has a strong signal. Lighting comprised both wall-lights, lamps and ceiling spot-lights.
Double sliding patio-doors opened onto our sizeable balcony, which stretched for 4 or 5 metres. It was furnished with two modern reclining sun-loungers, a cantilevered parasol, two dining chairs and a dining table. The panoramic view over the bay was utterly breath-taking, with the sea lapping the beach just a few metres away. Our room had the largest balcony, by far, compared to the other sea-view rooms. We were delighted with our choice.
The hotel also has a large rooftop sun terrace, equipped with patio-style sofas and plentiful sunbeds, offering a more social setting, which was popular with families. The pebbly beach can be accessed either from a spiral staircase which descends from the sun terrace, or from paths at either end of the hotel building.
The hotel was spotlessly clean, with immaculate housekeeping throughout. Staff were helpful, friendly and engaging, making this a wonderful long weekend break.
In terms of what's nearby, Villeneuve-Loubet Marina is next door (2 mins walk along the street, if you turn right on exiting the hotel) and has numerous shops, bars, restaurants and cafes offering views over the modern marina; or, if preferred, just walk past the Marina to find bars and restaurants directly on the beach. The 'La Cabane' restaurant - 2 mins walk along the street in the opposite direction to the Marina, is a 'must' for a relaxed dinner. Colourful at night with pretty lanterns, interesting seating areas - some made of driftwood - and some on the sand. It does amazing cocktails and has a wonderful menu. You can dine under the stars with the Mediterranean Sea gently lapping the shore near your table. Magical.
If you want to explore the Riviera, the Villeneuve-Loubet railway station is just a 3 min walk from the hotel (turn left on leaving the hotel and then cross the road opposite 'La Cabane' restaurant). It has frequent direct local services to Cannes (18 mins journey), Juan Les Pins (10 mins), Antibes (7 mins); Nice (18 mins) and Monaco (30 mins). You can buy tickets in advance on SNCF's website and download them to your mobile phone - or simply use the ticket machines on the platform. Rail fares in France are much cheaper than comparable journeys in the UK. Uber are plentiful and offer a convenient alternative means of travel over short distances (e.g. about 20 Euros from the Hotel to Antibes or Jaun Les Pins).
St Tropez is fun daytrip. Travel by sea to admire the superyachts and mingle with billionaires in the bars alongside the Marina, check out the high-end boutiques, or relax on the sandy beach. You will need to pre-book tickets well in advance, from the Trans Cote D'Azur ferry-line, through their website. Their once-a-day ferry leaves the harbour in Cannes 10.15am. The voyage takes around 75 mins, with great views of the coastline and marine wildlife along the way. You get 5 hours to explore St Tropez and then the Ferry gets you back into Cannes at 5.45pm. For our trip we took a 9.00am train from Villeneuve-Loubet to Cannes Railway Station, from which the harbour is a pleasant 15 min stroll through the town. The Ferry offers great value at around 70 Euros per adult return - and is an experience which will add a an extra dimension to your holiday!
I would 100% recommend Villa Azur as a wonderful boutique hotel, occupying a fabulous beachfront location, with numerous shops, bars, restaurants and cafes on your doorstep and Villeneuve-Loubet's nearby rail station offering superb connectivity to many nearby 'must-see' destinations.
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