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Hôtel du Couvent
Hôtel du Couvent
Hôtel du Couvent

27

Hôtel du Couvent

Nice

Monastic heritage meets modern luxury on the French Riviera

What's the backstory? Hotel lovers will genuflect at the high altar of rustic-luxe design at this converted 17th-century convent on the French Riviera. It's the work of one of France's hippest hoteliers, Valéry Grégo and part of the Perseus Hotels group, which holds vibey Le Pigalle in Paris and Les Roches Rouges in Saint-Raphaël in its stable. When the 88-room hotel was unveiled in 2024 it came hot on the heels of an £84 million renovation, the focus of which was to reimagine the convent's original buildings while maintaining the historic sense of cossetting calmness. Mission accomplished. You'll find the sanctuary-like escape amid 2.5 acres of verdant grounds on the Cimiez hillside above Nice's old town.

Suite dreams: Preserving the convent's architectural bones was paramount while converting this sacred space into the hotel it is today, and each room's original purpose remains... albeit in a modern iteration. Original features such as alcoves, terracotta floors, fireplaces and arched ceilings have been revitalised in rooms which were once the old nuns' cells. The shackles of the habit shaken off, they are now dressed in warm-hued lime plaster, with furniture made with wood reclaimed during the restoration process alongside French and Italian antiques. Some suites come with terraces and kitchens showcasing cutting-edge La Cornue range cookers, for those who wish to indulge in the local market's fare. While a pared-back ecclesiastical bedrock informs the aesthetic, the design doesn't miss a beat when it comes to evoking the divine sense of sumptuousness the modern traveller demands.

At one with nature: Even the sloping cloistered gardens were given the five-star treatment during the redesign, with Chelsea Flower Show winner Tom Stuart-Smith at the helm. Facing the Med and verdant with olive trees, frothy borders give way to a slim 20-metre lap pool overlooking the city and a working kitchen garden yielding fruit and veg and herbs for the apothecary, where guests can order personally prescribed tisanes.

What about the spa? Part of the renovation revealed a new building with additional rooms and a sweeping subterranean spa for languid days inspired by Roman baths. The thermal bath circuit encourages visitors to truly unwind and linger, while treatments focus on holistic wellbeing using oils crafted by an on-site herbalist. The moody indoor pool is lit by a circular vent in the ceiling to spiritual effect. And the sense of flow continues at the movement studio which heroes Pilates, barre, yoga and breathwork.

A taste of the Riviera: The south of France's produce is the stuff of culinary dreams – and this hotel speaks a sure-fire locavorian vernacular. Meals are served in a relaxed setting either in the courtyard, on the terrace or in an inviting indoor restaurant spaced decked out in homely dressers and chunky wooden tables. Think of the offering as tout flavour, sans fuss. The hotel's farm and on-site bakery fuels the low-key menu which features the likes of John Dory with ratatouille, convent pie, courgette soup and Mirabelle plum tart. 

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