During our annual sojourn to the South of France we have stayed in apartments for the last couple of trips. This time we thought it would be a nice idea to go back to a hotel based holiday. We wanted to be the Cannes end of the Riviera, have a pool and somewhere with a bit of character. The Mimosas fit the bill perfectly.

This year instead of suffering the eye watering taxi fare (approx 75euros) from the airport, we gave the train a try. It is a very simple 10 min walk to Nice St Augustine station. A bus runs every 20 mins to the station at a cost of 1 Euro. 22 mins later we arrived at JLP and it is an easy 10 min walk to the hotel. If you want a taxi the hotel will arrange collection from the airport with a local firm at a very reasonable 38 euros.

Check in very smooth and efficient. Shown to my room on the first floor. We had booked a double with bath and terrace which was a good choice. The room was nicely turned out with very good (and quiet) air conditioning. Bathroom was a 4 piece - not large but perfectly adequate for our needs. The terrace was money well spent as it was large with 4 chairs, table and parasol and a nice view over the garden.

Breakfast can be taken in your room or on the terrace. I have had some pretty miserable breakfasts in French hotels – this wasn’t one of them. Decent tea/coffee served with juice, croissant, and bread etc and eggs cooked to your liking all served in the lovely surroundings of the terrace. The terrace leads to the pool. No need for the 6am alarm call to reserve a sun bed. There are plenty for the number of guests staying and they are of good quality with plenty of parasol’s to go round. It really is a very peaceful place to read, laze and just top up your tan with the well tended gardens as a peaceful backdrop.

JLP is a short stroll down hill from the hotel. We had a very nice meal at the Hotel Alexandra next to the Mimosas. The price is fixed at 26 euros and was top quality. All the other attractions of the Riviera are within very easy reach of the hotel.

The Mimosas is a great choice for couples or parties travelling as couples. Teenagers would be bored stiff because of its peace and quiet. There were also guests with toddlers. Again I would have thought this hotel not the best choice for those people. The pool has no shallow end or kid’s pool. And if junior has a 2 am feed me screaming fit the whole hotel will know about it. I was told that 70% of the guests are repeat business. I can imagine it- we will certainly be returning.

We stayed here for 4 nights primarily as a central location with which to visit Nice, Monaco, Cannes, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Vance, etc. We were extremely satisfied with our selection and without a doubt we would definitely come here again!

The first impression when entering the premises is it’s stately grandeur and exceptionally well kept gardens. The outdoor pool is as nice as they come.

We paid 115 euros per night for the small room. The room had a small fridge, which was ideal for fruits and drinks. It had a very comfortable double bed (not the 2 twins side-by-side) and the room also has a safe. There is ample parking on the premises.

The hotel is quite old and its decor sets it apart from most places and what gives it it’s tremendous character. This is not a posh, modern establishment but it caters to everything you need and more.

The location of the hotel is fantastic. As there are generally no hotels directly on the beach you have to walk to the beach anyway. The Hotel Mimosas is literally a 5 - 7 minute walk to the boardwalk/beach area. The public beach was nice, clean and sandy. There are lots of places to buy a take-out lunch on the boardwalk. In the evening you must go into town and revel in the nightlife, especially the Pam Pam Rhumerie. For supper we went a place called Les Arcades and if you get there before 8:00 p.m. you can get a 3 course meal for less than 20 euros. There are plenty of other great restaurants and nightclubs.

The downside to the hotel is that there is no elevator. We were on the 2nd floor, so it was not too bad to drag the suitcases up the stairs. You also need to go up about 10 stairs from the ground level to the reception desk.

Staff were nice, the lady who manages the hotel is certainly frank and straight forward. She seemed too abrupt for us at the beginning but the more we talked with her the more we liked her because her goal is customer satisfaction.

All in all, we would definitely recommend this hotel as a 3 star bargain with 4 star exceptional services, and a great central location if you plan on spending time both in Juan-les-Pins or for daily excursions to the countryside.

We stayed here for 2 nights after spending a week in the country-side of Provence.

We arrived at about 2pm and our room was ready and waiting for us. It was extremely hot (hi 30's), so the strong AC was very welcome. Our room was on the 3rd floor and had a small terrace but not one of the large ones we viewed on the 2nd floor which were large enough for dining on. At 115 euros per night though, we were satisfied with it. The room had a small fridge, which was perfect for fruit and wine. The double bed was a true double, rather than 2 twins squished together, and was very comfortable.

We had breakfast by the pool, one morning and ordered it up to our room then next. Each time it was 10 Euro and included croissants and jams, hot tea and coffee, a boiled egg and a glass of orange juice. It was very nice to eat out by the pool but equally nice to have it brought up to our room the next day after a late night out in Monaco.

The pool is clean, cool and inviting, with a gradual slope at the end where one can sit on a deck chair with one's feet submerged in about 4 inches of water. It was very refreshing and hard to pull ourselves away the next day to head for the beach.

The beach is a convenient 10-minute walk away. There is a long boardwalk that will quickly lead you to a large public beach, which is free but you will have to bring your own towel, chair or umbrella if you need them. It is surrounded however, by small sections of private beaches adjoining various bars/restaurants, which will rent you a chaise lounge and umbrella, plus provide food and bar service. We went without so much as a towel, and stayed on the beach in front of the Arc de Soleil where we rented chaise lounges for 13 Euro each and had a great lunch of goat cheese salad, french fries, and a half bottle of rose. Including the chairs, everything came to under 60 euros. They had showers and changing rooms on the premises as well. The beach was nice and sandy and seemed pretty clean. The shore was pretty much taken up by rows of chaise lounges so not much space there, but the water itself was not crowded.

All in all, we would definitely recommend this hotel as a great bargain, with exceptional service, and a great location if you plan on spending time at the Juan les Pins beaches, but not for people who are fussy about up-to-date furnishings and a lot of extra amenities. This is great for a quiet, relaxing stay in a charming old hotel, with few children and little noise.

One last thing to note: there is no elevator and no bell hop, so keep in mind you will have to carry your bags up the stairs yourself. Wasn't a big deal for us, even on the 3rd floor, but might be an issue for some.

When staying at this hotel for the first time in 2005, we didn't quite know what to expect but what we got was far better than we could ever imagine! The property is old but lovely, filled with lots of old furniture, paintings, posters and curiosa giving the whole house a comfy air of the old cote d'Azure as it was 40 years ago. The garden it amazing, with palm trees, flowers, a small but nice pool area (much better than the dirty, crowded beach in the town) and not to mention lots of free parking.

Both of our stay has been on the second floor with a huge teracce overlooking the poolarea and the garden. The teracce is probably even larger than the room. The room is fitted with a fridge so we bought our own breakfast at a boulangerie close by and had it in the morning sun on the teracce. The remainder of the room is ok, not very modern but again giving this very comfy nostalgic air. Good beds, bathroom clean and good enough and extra points for the fridge.

I would definetively recommend you to make sure to get a room with the garden/pool teracce. This is truly a escape from the modern, hectic french riviera and I would definetively recommend this hotel to anyone looking for a calm and peaceful experience. Will definetively go back to Mimosa for a third time!