More photosHotel La Pérouse is a true hidden gem in Nice, uniquely carved directly into the limestone cliffs of Castle Hill. Opened in 1936, the hotel takes its name from the intrepid 18th-century French explorer Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse. Its dramatic, elevated position at the far end of the Promenade des Anglais offers a sense of privacy and seclusion that feels worlds away from the bustling city below.
The hotel recently underwent a beautiful transformation led by the Parisian design studio Friedmann & Versace. They focused on a sophisticated aesthetic that blends Mediterranean heritage with modern comfort. The interiors are filled with bespoke details, including hand-crafted ceramic tiles and mirrors, creating a space that feels like a refined seaside manor. Many of the 53 rooms feature private balconies or terraces, offering uninterrupted views of the turquoise Baie des Anges.
One of the property’s most striking features is its heated outdoor swimming pool, which is tucked right into the cliffside and surrounded by lush greenery. It’s an incredibly picturesque spot to relax, especially with the scent of jasmine and lemon trees from the nearby *Le Patio* restaurant drifting in the breeze.
Location-wise, you couldn’t ask for a better spot. The historic Old Town of Nice (Vieux Nice) and the vibrant, colorful Cours Saleya flower market are just a short walk away. Whether you are exploring the ruins of the nearby Castle Hill park or strolling along the famous seafront, La Pérouse serves as a tranquil, high-altitude sanctuary in the heart of the French Riviera.
Expert reviews
“This secret treasure cuts into the cliff (an elevator takes you up to reception), and the best rooms—including Raoul Dufy’s favorite—not only have views of the azure sea, they also look down into an intimate garden dotted with lemon trees. All rooms have a breezy, bright inviting style that makes you think twice about leaving them for a drink at the patio bar or a dip in the cliff-side pool.”
“Once a prison, La Pérouse has been reconstructed into a spectacular and unique Riviera hotel. Set on a cliff, it’s built right in the gardens of the ancient château hill, with a secluded swimming pool almost carved out of the rock to the rear.”
“A prime seaside location and boutique hotel style put La Pérouse in a league of its own. Built into the rock cliff-face of Colline du Château, it evokes the spirit of a genteel villa. Lower-floor rooms face a citrus-tree-shaded courtyard and pool; upper-floor rooms have magnificent sea vistas.”
“The scene-stealing location of this small, luxurious, Mediterranean-chic hotel must be the best in Nice. It was carved into a steep limestone cliff in the 1930s, between the old town and the port, and overlooking the Baie des Anges. Most guests can drink in the big blue stare of the Mediterranean from their terrace.”
What guests liked
- Top location
- Swimming pool
- Beachfront
- Sauna
- Friendly staff
- Comfortable beds
Location
Recent guest reviews
10 December 2025
Fabulous
location is perfect, staff very professional.
would be nice if they have more possibilities for dinner. bath room can be more improved for easier use.
5 December 2025
charming but could be better
position and view
far too many lifts and stairs
3 December 2025
Fabulous
Friendly staff, location, layrge terrace
2 December 2025
Amazing location, great sunset views
Great location, beautiful sunset
Nothing
23 November 2025
Exceptional
Brilliant location, very helpful staff
11 November 2025
Sunny
Parking, change of room, room service.
The room could have been bigger and we should not have been charged for water in the room
29 October 2025
The stay was nothing short of superb from the location, cleanliness, attentiveness, and staff
Amenities
N/A
28 October 2025
Great location ! Felt like going home after long days walking and exploring .
Great location , staff are charming !
They moved us immediately from our room when AC did not work , more than we expected to happen and new room was so lovely !
15 October 2025
Exceptional
Quirky, unusual, interesting,comfortable hotel with wonderful staff and perfect location
14 October 2025
Exceptional
Beautiful hotel with wonderfully elegant design. Room and balcony great, very good restaurant with super nice chilled vibe, rooftop solarium gives you the best view on Nice and for the sunset. Location is the best, short walk to port, old town or the beach.
Considering how amazing the hotel in overall is, the quality of breakfast lags behind
11 October 2025
Close to the old town but a little over priced for the product
The views, location
Getting a little tired and rough around the edges. Expensive
5 October 2025
Exceptional
Great place and location
Changing two elevators, but may be that was the cute part of the building
13 September 2025
Exceptional
Scrambled eggs were delicious, buffet had fresh fruit, plenty of bread and potato options
24 August 2025
Beautiful location but stay was Too short
Location
Price
18 August 2025
Dreamy.
Wonderful location views and design
The rooftop bar and restaurant is sparse austere and not comfortable looking at all. With very odd table settings. It should be like Le Patio restaurant. Warm friendly and inviting
7 August 2025
Overall Excellent stay
Breakfast was very good , location was excellent, roof top bar extremely good but disappointing it was shut 2 days out of the 4 nights we were there (only open Tues - Sat)
The room was quite small, the shower was very disappointing.
3 August 2025
Exceptional
Nice location, great design, good breakfast and overall atmosphere. Karina and Laurent at the reception made my stay special - so attentive and kind!
None
25 July 2025
very nice i would stay again i would just want warm water for the shower
the staff and food was excellent, location too
the showers were cold. there was little hot water
22 July 2025
Very cosy stay in an excellent location
Very warm and welcoming with a unique charm
No complaints
16 July 2025
Perfect hotel in a perfect location within a wonderful city.
Classic French boutique hotel.. wonderful staff, breakfast and lunch was delicious and location was amazing.
12 July 2025
Very good
The view from the suite was incredible very nice location central and right on the beach , beautiful restaurant and pool
Room size was relatively small for the suite for 4 people .
8 July 2025
Brilliant
It was just lovely!!
Expensive
8 July 2025
Our 6th time staying at this hotel and highly recommend it
Everything. Fabulous views of the bay. Perfect location right in the old town. Beautiful pool area. Good breakfast but most importantly excellent service from very friendly staff.
Nothing
30 June 2025
Beautiful pool and restaurant area in a fantastic location to explore Nice.
Excellent location to walk to harbour, beach and old town. Delicious breakfast and very attentive and friendly staff.
The air conditioning control in the room was unreliable; sometimes shut off cooling even when we had put it on. One night stopped working completely.
26 June 2025
Wish we could stay longer. Highly recommended.
Loved everything about it. Location, view, staff and restaurant are all amazing
None
23 June 2025
Thoroughly enjoyable stay in a lovely place in a fantastic location
Exceptionally helpful team (particularly Laurent and Sarina on Reception ). Lovely intimate atmosphere. Felt like being in a mellow house party.
Hotel of this quality should serve fresh orange juice rather than processed at breakfast.
Old-fashioned swirly carpets in the public area (clean but very out of date)
23 June 2025
I had a great time. The location is perfect. Everyone was friendly and helpful.
Location, attentive staff
The obligation to order the main course in the restaurant. I don’t eat that much in the evening.
20 June 2025
Really relaxing & enjoyable
First class front of house people & a great location.
10 June 2025
We had an enjoyable stay, but unfortunately there were many roads closed due to the Ocean Summit, and couldn’t access th
Large bedroom and large balcony
Sunbeds kept collapsing at the back
1 June 2025
Best hotel in nice!
Beautiful hotel with great amenities and the best rooftop view.
Nothing
29 May 2025
Exceptional
Great location
Very good breakfast and dinner
View and balcony
20 May 2025
Perfect! …..All staff were friendly, professional & very helpful.
Small hotel which had the personal touch & lots of special qualities . A real gem!
There was nothing to dislike.
15 May 2025
Just superb
Fantastic hotel rooms with great views. Hotel is a short stroll to old town.
Staff has been very attentive & helpful. Highly recommended!
7 May 2025
Exceptional
Everything! Traditional, comfortable and welcoming! Would certainly recommend and return!
24 April 2025
Wonderful hotel, near Old Town Nice with a beautiful, quaint, courtyard.
Location of La Perouse was excellent. Hotel had a pretty, quaint courtyard with a lemon tree. Heated pool was perfect, restaurant was good, and staff were friendly and very helpful with our day trips. Being able to store luggage for the day until our flight was great. Our balcony on 3rd floor with table and 2 chairs facing the Mediterranean was delightful. Wonderful stay in Nice!
Would have enjoyed a more varied restaurant menu, especially having coffee and a croissant available during the day. Room service was good. Overall, a perfect hotel.
21 April 2025
Exceptional
Really lovely old school deluxe hotel.
18 April 2025
We loved it
Beautiful, quaint and classy
More variety in the breakfast regarding the fruit offer - the offer was the same but also plenty of choice too
17 April 2025
Exceptional
Extremely friendly and helpful staff. Services.
Location
17 April 2025
Super Nice!
Everything. The view from the rooms were stunning and so was the restaurant and pool.
Nothing
8 April 2025
Not the treat I was hoping for
Great location
Breakfast was disappointing - croissants etc were nothing special - just like the frozen ones you get from supermarkets. The room was really small. It is a warren - and one of the lifts to get up was tiny! All in all, not as fancy as I was hoping for.
6 April 2025
Beautiful room, views, and very nice people!
We loved everything!
31 March 2025
Exceptional
we went as extened family and could not have been happier with our choice of hotel. It was amazing. The location was perfect. The staff was exceptional. The breakfast was superb. the hotel had such charm. The beds were extremely comfortable. It was over all a 10++++
31 March 2025
A perfect stay in Nice! Excellent! Give them 5 stars!
Everything! Gorgeous hotel! Fabulous staff!
Beautiful room with lovely courtyard! Nothing was too much trouble. Fantastic location right on the prom. Perfect walk to old town and port. Everything was 5 star! The right mix of old and new. Food was also excellent!
Nothing it was perfect!
16 March 2025
Fabulous
Lovely hotel in a great location
Pool has been out of service every time I have stayed here
12 March 2025
Very good
Great location, within walking distance of everything, all the staff were particularly friendly and helpful.
Somewhat labyrinthine path to reach the room, but the reason is the beauty of the historic building
22 February 2025
A beautiful visit.
Great location with super attentive and friendly hosts.
8 February 2025
Fabulous
Fantastic staff. Great views of the sea
The reception area is poor
1 February 2025
Fabulous
Beautiful view and an ideal location, conveniently close to the beach, city, restaurants, and more. The hotel also offers valet parking for guests arriving by car.
21 January 2025
Comfortable stay in stylish old-money Riviera hotel with sea views and Nice old town right on your doorstep.
Fantastic location right on the sea front and in the old town with its cafes, bars, shops and restaurants. Very stylish and comfortable room. Amazing views.
Scaffold at the front of the hotel due to renovation detracted a little from the otherwise perfect experience.
Hotel facilities
Food & Drink
- - Restaurant
- - Bar
- - Breakfast in the room
- - Snack bar
- - Special diet menus (on request)
- - Kids' meals (additional charge)
- - Kid-friendly buffet
- - Wine/champagne (additional charge)
- - Fruits (additional charge)
- - Coffee house on site
General
- - Room service
- - Non-smoking rooms
- - Family rooms
- - Lift
- - Safety deposit box
- - Soundproof rooms
- - Heating
- - Non-smoking throughout
- - Air conditioning
Business facilities
- - Meeting/banquet facilities (additional charge)
- - Business centre (additional charge)
- - Fax/photocopying (additional charge)
Reception services
- - 24-hour front desk
- - Currency exchange
- - Luggage storage
- - Concierge service
Activities
- - Sauna
- - Fitness centre
- - Solarium
- - Beachfront
- - Open-air bath
- - Spa lounge/relaxation area
- - Fitness
- - Beach
- - Walking tours
- - Happy hour (additional charge)
Outdoors
- - Garden
- - Terrace
- - Outdoor pool
- - Sun terrace
- - Outdoor pool (seasonal)
- - Outdoor furniture
Entertainment & family services
- - Babysitting/child services (additional charge)
Cleaning services
- - Laundry (additional charge)
- - Dry cleaning (additional charge)
- - Ironing service (additional charge)
- - Trouser press (additional charge)
- - Daily housekeeping
Parking
- - Parking garage
- - Accessible parking
Pool and wellness
- - Pool with view
- - Heated pool
- - Shallow end
- - Sun loungers or beach chairs
- - Fence around pool
- - Swimming pool
- - Swimming pool
Miscellaneous
- - 24-hour security
- - Key card access
- - Security alarm
- - Smoke alarms
- - CCTV in common areas
- - CCTV outside property
- - Fire extinguishers
- - Delivered food is securely covered
- - Face masks for guests available
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22 December 2025
Very good