Hôtel du Couvent, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Nice

Character and identity

A 17th-century convent reborn behind the orange trees off Place Rossetti, Hôtel du Couvent occupies two and a half acres of gardens in the heart of Nice's Old Town, with 88 rooms spread across four buildings restored over a decade by Studio Mumbai. Original stone floors, rough walls and antique furnishings set the register: more Provence than Riviera, mindful rather than glittering. A 20-metre lap pool perches above the rooftops, subterranean Roman baths anchor the spa, and chef Thomas Vitele's cooking at Le Restaurant and the garden-set La Guinguette runs on daily deliveries from a single dedicated farm.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The reason to come is the ethos itself: a working garden, a single-farm kitchen, an onsite herbalist and Studio Mumbai's restraint, all wrapped around Roman baths and that rooftop lap pool. Spend up for a room with a terrace over the courtyard, or the two-bedroom Le Jardin Marguerite suite if you're travelling as a family. Shoulder season suits the contemplative mood; summer brings the festivals and the kids' programme.