Post-Pandemic Possibilities

The Ambassador hotel in Juan-les-Pin, on the west side of the Antibes peninsula, has been taken over by the AC/ Marriott behemoth and is now at international chain hotel standards, is within a couple blocks of the train station that links to the rest of the system, is walking distance to all the good parts of Antibes (like the Picasso museum), has its own private section of beach (but not blue like the Nice beaches on the other side of the peninsula, nor rocky but sandy).
Note however that, like Menton and Monaco, J-l-P serves as the working-class contrast to Cap d'Antibes, which has pluses and minuses.

We stayed at the Hotel Beau Rivages in Nice just before the shutdown began. I'm definitely very picky about hotels and would return if I ever needed a hotel in Nice again. It's a block off the Promenade, at the beginning of Old Town, close to the beginning of rue Messina pedestrian street, a stroll to the Negressco, a 20 minute walk to the port....

Several Nice stays, and the last ones have been in an apartment, with reliable plumbing and a kitchen for breakfast, with a boulangerie just down the block, and a tram, bus, or taxi very close. Not certain how long you plan to stay, and you’d need enough bed space for everyone, and there’s not be anyone else making your beds each day, but maybe an option?

Antibes, a great small city down the coast - maybe another consideration?

We loved Hotel La Perouse in Nice.

We have stayed at the Beau Rivage and then rented apartments. We prefer the area near Hotel Negresco.
Antibes is very nice too. I would not stay inVillefranche as it is a port for the large cruise ships. Too bad as it very charming.
Not near Nice, but I agree with poster above as Collioure is one of our favorite places in Europe.

Thank you all for this Pandemic-free mind trip to France. I have Googled all the hotels (and Collioure), and now see that I have many good options to choose from.

We stayed at a delightful small hotel in Nice last October. My criteria was - not too far from the main train station (easy short walk), access to tram & metro links (could see from Juliette balcony), cost efficient (@ $125/ nt for 4 nt stay). A plus was decent breakfast, and lots of restaurants near. Easy walk also to the old town - or jump on the tram. I booked direct and got a great multiday/senior discount. Extra plus - found they had a washer/dryer free for guests. All the "requirements" for "adult" travel. They seemed to have groups of business travelers too. It was fun to watch the breakfast interactions even tho we didn't understand the words - facial expressions and body language seem to be universal. I booked a "triple" for the two of us - to have a little extra space and seating.
Hotel Florence Nice, 3 Rue Paul Déroulède, 06000 Nice TN= 04 93 88 46 87

I tend to go between Marriott properties and boutique hotels. I try to do boutique hotels in France because it’s a more quaint experience and doesn’t have the sterile feeling of a hotel room. The last time I was in Nice, which was the spring before the pandemic, I stayed in a hotel that is ran by a company called happy culture. It was Le Grimaldi. I absolutely loved it. It has so much character and it had one of those cool elevators that was in the middle of the building. My own room has a balcony and I believe I spent under $130 a night. I was there in spring and they still let you use the air-conditioning. There are some amazing restaurants in that area and it’s only a few steps away from all the links has to offer in the center. They were opening up a new trend way line and it stops right in front of the hotel.

Thank you Quilter and Alexander, for your good suggestions.