Hôtel du Couvent: Sunshine City Break

The old-world Riviera resort town has a fresh new hotel in its mix. In Nice’s storied Old Town, 88-bedroom Hôtel du Couvent is housed in a 17th century convent brought back to life by Valéry Grégo, the man behind Les Roches Rouges on the Côte d'Azur and Le Pigalle in Paris. Grégo enlisted the help of Louis-Antoine Grégo Architecte to carefully restore and revive the honey-hued building, alongside Festen Architecture who’ve crafted a warm interior palette heroing local materials and artisanship.

“The idea is to celebrate the European spirit of the Grand Tour by reclaiming a sense of culture and landscape,” says Grégo of the project. “Today people travel everywhere, work anywhere. They form communities wherever they are, looking for ways to live, work and travel. They also want to share and engage more. They want more inspiration and wonder, but at the same time are mindful of their impact on the world and aim to re-evaluate the purpose and environmental footprint of their travel. I think that hotels need to help us travel better and create wonder.”

While the easygoing throngs of Mediterranean city life play out beyond the hotel, there is plenty of downtime to be had within. 2.5 acres of gardens have been masterfully landscaped by Tom Stuart-Smith and James Basson, in which more than 3,000 species of plants form the foundation of treatments and remedies, overseen by the hotel’s resident herbalist, at the beautiful subterranean spa. Paying tribute to the city’s heritage, and the remains of the Roman baths in the Cimiez quarter, the spa features three successive baths; the tepidarium (temperate), the caldarium (hot) and the frigidarium (cold). For more active pursuits, a light-filled “Movement Studio” is dedicated to fitness classes, from dance to yoga.

The garden ‘farm’ also supplies for the hotel’s three restaurants: Le Restaurant du Couvent in the cloisters; poolside La Guingette, and Le Bistrot des Serruriers. “Having our own farm means making a commitment to the living world,” says Grégo. “Understanding our products, protecting the soil, preserving local savoir-faire and creating seasonal menus.”