Our stay at Hotel Grimaldi did not start out on a very good footing. When we arrived at the square, it was clear that the hotel was locked up--iron gates over the door. Further inspection revealed a note addressed to us with a phone number to call--the owners were gone for the day (a Tuesday) and probably would not be back. The problem was that I did not have a European cell phone and there was no obvious pay phone. Fortunately a young woman at the cafe next door understood our predicament as she spoke English. She handed me her cell phone. I called Tomaz and got an entry code for the door on the other side of the hotel. Our key was in the lock of the door to our room. Everything worked out but not a good introduction to the hotel. NO mention of the situation was ever made during the course of our three night stay at the hotel! Our room, number one, on the first floor was not large but OK. No place to sit except for the bed (there was a small, essentially unusable desk and chair), no telephone and a TV that was a real challenge to figure out but it did have CNN available. The room was clean and the bathroom was just fine. The view over the "Place du Chateau" and the valley beyond was excellent. The croissants and bread at breakfast were very good--this was the typical minimal French breakfast offering--although there were a few slices of a cheese and cherry tomatoes available. Breakfast was included in the price of the room.
Haute Cagnes-sur-Mer is a truly wonderful village to wander around in. The old homes, narrow streets and alleys, cobblestones, and "secret" passages are enchanting. It is high on our list of favorite villages in France.
We had three dinners in Haute Cagne-sur-Mer--the hotel, Josy-Jo and le Fleur de Sel. Josy-Jo is a Michelin one star restaurant although I cannot figure out why--and I have dined at many Michelin starred restaurants from one to three stars. The food is mediocre and the wine list is absurdly small and the food and wine prices are high. The hotel food was OK, especially the foie gras appetizer, but nothing special. The dinner at "le Fleur de Sel" was outstanding in everyway and the wine list put the one at Josey Jo to shame.
I gave an above average rating more because we had a very enjoyable time visiting Nice for two days, the ambiance of Haute Cagne-sur-Mer and the enjoyment of sitting in the "Place du Chateau" having a drink, looking out over the valley and watching the boules players--not so much because the hotel is above average. That being said, we would probably choose to stay there again in the coming years since there is a lot more to see and do in the area and the pluses outweigh the minuses.
















