The city of Nice, on France’s Mediterranean coast, is famous for its blue ocean, fine dining and the long Promenade des Anglais. It is an elegant place where people with money have holiday homes and people with even more money moor their yachts. But it is also where mere mortals with regular bank balances flock to enjoy the classic combination of sun, sea and sand (well, pebbles actually).
The city is divided into two distinct areas: the bustling Old Nice (Vieux Nice) with its narrow streets and historic buildings; and the New Town with its wide boulevards, leafy squares and the majority of the hotels. Tucked between the big-name chains – Sheraton, Mercure, Sofitel – and Nice landmarks – such as the palatial, antique-filled Negresco – is one of Nice’s most eye-catching and innovative hotels.
Design Hotel in Nice
Opened in 2003 in the New Town, design hotel HI is a relative newcomer. The interior of the hotel was designed by Matali Crasset, an upcoming French designer and Philippe Starck protégée. The hotel’s 38 rooms are divided into nine ‘concepts’. These include the cyber-themed Digital room, the clinical White & White room and the sunny Rendez Vous, which features a lava stone bathtub in the center of it.
All of the rooms offer something that visitors are unlikely to get at any other hotel, which is part of its attraction. On the down side, there are several occasions when form definitely outweighs function: the Monospace room, for example, has an unusual, deep-pink fabric cupboard hanging on the wall, which is only large enough to hold a few items of clothing; while the attractive, shallow sink sprays water everywhere. The novel, doorless en suite bathroom could also prove awkward if you are not on very intimate terms with your roommate.
In addition to the different room concepts, the hotel also has free internet access, a roof-top pool and a split-level bar containing an impressive wooden seating structure that hangs down from the ceiling.
Hotel with ‘Green’ Credentials
HI Hotel also stands out from the crowd with its ‘green’ credentials. “Six years ago, without knowing [we would become an eco hotel], we chose paints that were non-chemical for the façade. And we used ecological resins on the floors,” says hotel manager Laurence Shukor. “Whenever there was an option to choose something not harmful, that was the direction we chose.”
The green evolution continued and the hotel now boasts a canteen serving an all-organic breakfast in the mornings and sushi made from sustainably caught fish in the evenings. The canteen’s cutlery and crockery is biodegradable, the small internal garden is maintained without pesticides, the light bulbs are energy saving and the staff uniforms are made from organic cotton.
Being ‘green’ is never preached at HI Hotel, however. Travelers interested in eco-tourism will find many things that tick their boxes here. But, says Shukor, now that the hotel sells its rooms through mainstream internet booking sites such as Expedia, “some people arrive and they don’t know what they’re getting, they just look at the price.” This means that it is possible to come just to marvel at HI’s design, or take advantage of the hotel’s proximity to the sea and its private beach. But it may be nice to know that even if visitors aren’t environmentally motivated, the hotel is doing its bit for the planet on their behalf.
HI Hotel, 3 Avenue des Fleurs, 06000 Nice, France. Tel. +33 (0)4 97 07 26 26.
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