Needed a room last minute and everything was booked. Stumbled across the Petit Palais by accident on a European web site. It looked nice, so booked it. What a pleasant surprise it was. The staff was apologetic about not having a sea view that I requested, but it actually did have a bit of sea view! Also, there are some large gray parrots that live nearby in the trees that make exotic birdsong. The superior room was large and comfortable. There was a bright street light that shown into the window at night, but if you drew the outside metal blinds it blocked it out. Breakfast was very good too. They have a nice patio with fountain if you want to sit outside too. The location is up in the hills a bit, but still within walking distance of the Old Town. It is a bit of a hike getting home each night up the hill- but we thought it was well worth it being in a nice quiet residential neighborhood with beautiful gardens. Other hotels down in the middle of Nice can be in some pretty grimy areas and quite noisy. Also, the Petit Palais is family operated and you can sense the pride of ownership. The staff are very friendly and helpful and pleasant. This place is a real hidden gem.
Also, as many have stated, Nice is under major renovation and streets are torn up everywhere to build a new metro. They are supposed to be finished this year (2007) but I think it will most likely be another 2 to 4 years. But when it is done, Nice will be transformed to former glory. But don't let that stop you from going now. Nice is a good central location for exploring the Riviera and has lots of good restaurants.












