Nice's Tourism Boom: New Hotels, Art Exhibitions, and Culinary Scene

Nice, France, has transformed from a gateway to the Côte d'Azur into a destination in its own right, with a tourism boom in 2025 recording 5.3 million overnight stays, an 8% increase from the previous year. The city offers a UNESCO-listed old town, markets, Baroque architecture, and museums dedicated to Matisse and Chagall. New hotels are opening, including the five-star Maison Albar Le Victoria, designed by Nice-based architect Jean-Paul Gomis with interiors by Studio MHNA (Paris), featuring 102 rooms and 30 suites, a rooftop restaurant and bar Taulissa, and a spa with an indoor pool, hammam, and sauna. Other notable hotels include the seafront Le Negresco, independently owned by a charitable endowment fund established by late owner Jeanne Augier, with an art collection of over 6,000 artworks, and Hotel du Couvent, a 17th-century convent with 88 individually designed rooms. Culinary highlights include Taulissa, created with chef Glenn Viel of three-Michelin-starred L'Oustau de Baumanière, and Le 1604 in the old town, where chef Eric Brujan uses ingredients from the hotel's farm. A current cultural highlight is the exhibition "Henri Matisse–Yves Saint Laurent: Beauty, Fashion and Happiness" at the Musée Matisse, on until 28 September 2026, featuring 160 works exploring the creative connections between the artist and fashion designer. Other art stops include the Musée Marc Chagall and the Musée des Beaux Arts de Nice, while MAMAC is closed for renovation.