Villefranche Sea Institute

We've stayed 8 nights. The room and entire hotel is in need of deep cleaning. This is beyond of what a housekeeper can do. You can see dirt or stains on the walls, around air conditioner frame, on the radiator, in the elevator. The bathroom had a sewage smell that they try to disguise by turning the air conditioner on to freezing cold and leaving the door open to the room. Once you shut the bathroom door the smell was quite strong. It is not a 4 star hotel. The breakfast was great. the staff was helpful. Location is OK, although I would not say Thiers Avenue seems very safe in the evening. It is close to Nice-Ville train station and Alsace-Lorraine tram stop. Nice and surroundings are beautiful.

The hotel’s location was very good, easy to navigate and in the center of everything, especially the restaurants. The elevator was in the half way, meaning you need to walk up or down to get to the elevator with your luggage! The hotel is located at a pedestrian zone, you arrived with taxi or uber at the corner of street two blocks away. The room was pretty big and noisy level was high until midnight, but the windows were sealed well, it didn’t bother us that much. The breakfast was nice and I thought was cheaper than what you got from the restaurant downstairs. The apartment had basic equipment, no water no facial tissues (which I really needed all the time). The reception desk staff were very friendly and helpful.

This is not a conventional hotel; Reception is often unattended and guests are trusted to look after themselves. Maids will not enter your room when you are out to tidy, clean and make the beds, though a member of staff did offer us clean towels when we needed them. For those on a budget, there are facilities for preparing and eating food in the rooms. Everything is clean and well appointed. The staff - mostly young women, as far as I could make out - are exceptionally charming and helpful. I was contacted by a staff member a day or two before our arrival, to give us instructions on how to find the hotel and access the hotel using a pass-code. She also provided prompt information when I asked for it. Our room overlooked a main road but we were not disturbed by traffic noise because double-glazing reduced external sound by at least 95%. The rooms are air-conditioned, of course. AMMI is nicely situated on the edge of the old city, just seconds from the lanes and passage-ways which make this part of town so attractive, with their bars, cafes and restaurants. I'd guess that it's a 15 minute stroll to the beach. Recommended!