I have just returned from a 3 night stay at the Mercure Nice Promenade des Anglais. The location of this hotel is very good. It's just off the seafront, Promenade des Anglais, in Nice. When I checked in, I was offered a free upgrade to a room with a view of the sea. The only drawback is the building is undergoing renovations on the exterior. There were men on scaffolding, just outside my room, so, for privacy sake, I kept the curtains drawn. So much for the view. It was cloudy and rainy the entire weeked (obviously not the hotel's fault), so the view was very grey, anyway. Ocassional bangingm during daylight hours, plus some driling noise and I could sometimes hear the workmen talking.

The room was a decent size, especially given that I was alone. I also received a free drink coupon, for the casion next door. I got an adequate rate through Expedia, which included the breakfast buffet. My welcome pack also included a one day bus and tram pass. Sadly, I had bought a pass covering my entire stay, at the airport, so I wouldn't use this. I saved teh one day pass, as I am planning on returning in May. Walking down the side streets, in the opposite direction to teh seafront, one can find affordable eating. There's a Subway and a local burger franchise, both of which provide meals under ten Euros. Further down, there's a Spar supermarket, where one can buy snacks and drinks much cheaper than using the hotel's minibar. During my entire 4 day, 3 night stay, I only spent 80 Euros of my spending money. Another bargain is the bus services to Cannes and Monaco. The riute 200 will take you to Cannes and the 100 to Monoco. The fare is an affordable one Euro, each way. I did without a hire car and was very happy using the public transport.

Back in my hotel room, wireless internet is provided, free, in room. The only drawback is this annoying requirement to re-sign on, every 6 hours of usage. a nice flat screen TV is provided, but, if you don;t speak French, it's of limited utility. I could only find two channels in English, BBC World and CNN International. On a recent trip to the Algarve, in Portugal, I stayed in an independant 3 star property, of a lesser standard than the Mercure, but they provided 4 English channels. The staff were generally pleasent and efficent. I was also allowed a 2 hour late check out, free of charge. All in all, this seems like a decent, 3 star property. The decor in the corridors seemed fresh and modern. The hotel isn't particularly outstanding, but no problems. Location is a great plus. I'd be wiling to stay here again, but would prefer something with a bit more pizzaz. The room was clean and had all the necessary features, although I couldn't get the in room safe to work. The minibar is overly expensive, so I'd avoid using it. Good, but not outstanding, but sometimes, good is good enough.