Hôtel Bristol

The room was basic but fine, and the breakfast buffet was simple yet enough for me. It’s an old-fashioned sort of hotel, very close to the railway station.

I’ve used this hotel a few times when I need to be near the station, just a 2-3 minute walk away. It’s easy to arrive from the airport, get a few things done, go out for dinner, then sleep well before an early onward train that’s only a few metres away. Almost everything in the heart of Nice is walkable from here. The rooms are well furnished, with comfortable beds, desks, decent showers and good WiFi. Check-in staff are pleasant. My one criticism is the musty smell on the ground floor near the elevator. Other reviews mention it too, and I’ve noticed it on every stay. It hasn’t affected any of my rooms, but it gives the wrong impression of an otherwise decent hotel.

Great location and not too expensive, with Wi-Fi and a good shower. The room has a mini-fridge, though it only gets power while you’re in the room, and air conditioning that goes down to 16°C. There are handy USB charging ports by the bed, but no hanging space for longer items. I found ants in the room and bathroom, and both the toilet seat and flusher were loose and wobbly. I’d recommend it to anyone whose main priorities are location and keeping the price down, as mine are.

I wouldn’t recommend this hotel. My wife’s AirPods were stolen there. The room we first got was awful and nothing like what we expected from the Booking listing: small, dark, with small windows. The bathroom doors had a gap of a few centimetres, making it uncomfortable to use the toilet whether you were in there or sharing the room. The shutters on the already small windows were pigeon-holed, and the air conditioner didn’t work. The nights were hot, so we kept the windows open, but that barely helped, and pigeons visited us too. After two shocking nights, I asked to move for our third night. The replacement room was nice, but it couldn’t undo those first two nights. I don’t know how future guests can avoid the same experience, since staff didn’t see a problem and probably won’t in future. The price-to-performance is completely unacceptable unless you get a normal room with a large window. If you do, your stay may be good. I’d advise people to stay elsewhere to avoid a bad experience. Or you could try your luck, but I don’t think it’s worth it. You’ll just be disappointed with the room you get, and there are much better nearby options at that price. After the hotel responded to my review, I emailed them. We’ll see how it goes. I hope to update this soon.