Where can you capture in a single glance the Hausmannian station, Thiers Post Office with its red bricks, the rooftops of Nice leading to the Promenade with the sea as backdrop, the bell towers of Notre-Dame Basilica, the Castle Hill with its Bellanda Tower, Cimiez and its Regina?
Answer: From the roof of the iconic Hilton Hotel.
Where can you see cars whizzing along Mathis Avenue and trains arriving at the station, with hills in the background so close you could touch them but not hear them?
Answer: From the rooms of the iconic Hilton Hotel.
Which 4-star hotel was grandly inaugurated on Friday, July 5, 2024, in downtown Nice?
Following recent openings like Mama Shelter, Palais Ségurane, and Hôtel du Couvent, a new luxury establishment welcomed its first guests. And not just anywhere, but at Iconic, where the American chain opened its "30th establishment in France, the first in Nice, following recent openings in Cannes and Monaco," emphasized the group's CEO in France.
Silence, We Sleep
The most astonishing aspect of this hotel is indeed its DoubleTree by Hilton designation. It boasts 105 rooms, "each uniquely designed offering a panoramic view of the city," curated by local designer Karine Journo. It's not just these cozy corridors where each door is adorned with a canvas awning "giving the impression of an Italian city." Nor is it the fitness center on the 5th floor, where guests can cycle while watching a parasail rise behind the dome of the Negresco. Not even the bar, which offers a view to savor during cocktail hour while waiting for the restaurant to open. No, the most impressive thing about this hotel is the silence.
Never before has a Nicois regarded Mathis Avenue as a spectacle. Yet, there's something oddly captivating about sitting behind a window and watching. Watching cars pass by without hearing the hum of an engine. Watching trains arrive at the station without a single sound. The image, without the sound. Soothing.
Beside him, the mayor is all smiles. Following Uniqlo, and with the anticipation of business schools (September 2), Pêche restaurant (September 20), Metropolitan fitness center (year-end), and a performance hall, this marks the second phase of the opening of the controversial glass giant, delayed from its original 2019 plan. "You made me suffer. I've seen time pass, pass... Here we are tonight," exclaims Christian Estrosi, appreciating the view ("from here, we see eras coexist"), the building ("one of the world's most beautiful architectural signatures"), and the environment ("The Nicois have embraced the pedestrian promenade"). Referring to the reservations that accompanied this choice (1), he rejoices: "This is my Louvre Pyramid!"
- In late 2022, the Paris court opened a judicial inquiry for "influence peddling," "organized fraud," "misuse of corporate assets," and "forgery and use of forgery" related, among other things, to the Iconic project. Several searches have taken place at the city hall, the latest in early June.