Will start with the ONLY negative: the Maeva Residence is located up a hill - but although it is not steep, would still hope your suitcase has wheels and would recommend comfortable shoes (no high heels!). It is only an eight minutes walk (probably less if you're younger and fitter than me!) down the hill to the supermarket and bus stop, but probably 10-12 minutes if you are pulling or carrying a heavy suitcase. When you go to the supermarket, if you have a small case with wheels, it's probably the best way to bring back your shopping and bottles of water. Although the supermarket isn't massive, it has everything you would need and is reasonably priced.

Anyway, starting at the beginning: if you arrive at Nice Airport, Terminal 2,
then you get a free short bus ride to Terminal 1, where you go to bus stop number 6 and get on bus number 23, getting off at Fabron. (Journey time can be between 15-25 minutes, depending on traffic.) There is a supermarket called Carrefour as you get off the bus. (The cost of the bus is one euro. In fact you can go on any bus in Nice, even changing buses, for the same one euro! It is one euro for up to a 72 minutes journey, but does not include a return journey.)

Anyway, keeping the supermarket (which is on a corner) to your left, you follow the road round, passing under a small bridge; then you will shortly pass a few shops on your left, then cross the road at the zebra crossing, continuing to walk up the same road. Very shortly you will see a sign-post pointing to the right which says Parc de I'Indochine, so you walk up there (it is for pedestrians only) and at the end you will see a sign for Maeva Residence pointing right, and you're almost there!

The room, which was very clean, had everything that you would need, which includes a small kitchen area with a microwave/grill, two ring electric hob, a fridge with small freezer department (remember to turn up the freezer compartment, as my ice-cream melted before I realized!), coffee-maker, and a dishwasher. There is a two seater sofa-bed, which opens up to two single beds, and there is a round dining table and three chairs. There is a shutter on the window and an electric shutter on the door to keep out the sunlight. There is also
air-conditioning. The rooms have a balcony with table and chairs.

I have never stayed in a self-catering apartment before, so did not know what to expect; so apologies if this is the norm; but all the kitchen equipment and utensils you would need are in the room: cups, plates, bowls, glasses, cutlery (including an array of carving and paring knives, serving spoons, spatula, potato peeler, etc), saucepans, frying pan, etc, etc. Bed linen and two kitchen wiping-up towels are also provided. I had taken my own towel, but they do hire out towels which includes one small and one large towel and one towel for the bathroom floor at a cost of 8 euros per person per week.

There is a fairly small but extremely pretty garden which I thoroughly enjoyed relaxing and reading in, and in a different area there is a swimming pool and sun-loungers if you'd prefer.

Madelaine who works in the Reception area is very helpful and speaks fluent
English as well as French. The Reception is open Monday-Friday from 9.00 a.m. to noon, then closes, re-opening at 4.00 p.m. until 7.00 p.m.. Saturday it is open from 8.00 a.m. until noon, then 2.00 p.m. until 8.00 p.m.; and on Sunday it is open from 9.00 a.m. until noon, then closed Sunday afternoon and evening. If you are arriving when the Reception is closed, call them and they will give you a code to enter the premises. (Their number is: 0033-493965347.)

They ask you for a 200 euros deposit (taking your credit card details) just in case there is any damage to your room on departure; however, of course no money is taken if your room is as you found it on arrival.

Also, there is a 90 cents per person per night government tax.

I thoroughly enjoyed my stay: if you want to relax, then the garden is a
wonderful place to just sit and read. If you also want to get out and about,
then it's just a short walk back to the bus stop. Also, when you get back to the
supermarket you can see the beach and the sea, which are just across another road. (The beach at Nice is all pebbles.)

Hope you enjoy yourself as much as I did.

PS: Just to re-iterate, this is not an hotel - so there is no restaurant - nor people to come and make your bed and/or tidy your room, so you clean up your own mess!! :)

Clean and adequate accomodation in a good location at a reasonable price. Close to supermarket, beautiful beach and bus stops to city centre and airports. Extremely helpful, friendly and informative reception staff. Apartments are at the top of a hill which was not a problem for us but may be difficult for families with very young children. It is not necessary to have a car as the apartments are so close to bus stops with excellent and regular buses to the city centre and airports for just 1euro per person per trip.

This lodging is adequate if you're willing to put up with limited opening of the reception desk (WARNING: you will NOT be able to check in if you arrive outside their working hours!), a very poorly designed parking garage, cleaning up your own room, really weird appliances and a 200 Euro deposit (not standard at any other hotel I've stayed in). We couldn't get the air conditioning to work and it turned out you had to shut the patio door BEFORE turning it on or it didn't work -- no instructions, no help, etc. and the staff seemed really surprised that someone wouldn't just somehow figure this out. So we had one very miserable night in which no one got much sleep in 80-degree weather. God forbid they should leave a note that actually tells you how to work it -- particularly as there will be no one to ask for 13 hours between the reception closing at night and opening the next morning! ... There is no staff around at night so woe to you if you are locked out by the coded gates (the place is locked up like Fort Knox) or can't get your toilet to flush, etc. The place has been renovated, but one wonders what it was like BEFORE as it is just about the level of a bad dorm room now, right down to the cheap mattresses and the curious smell which I think emanates from the strange, hemp-like floor covering. It does have a nice garden but it is too far from either the beach or downtown Nice to walk with comfort (at least with young kids -- the beach is about a half mile away and it's uphill on the way back and across a busy road). It has the smallest hotel pool I have ever seen. So if you're going to go to the lovely Cote d'Azur, either pick a family-friendly place that offers a bit more or find a place closer to the beach and the city center. I would just avoid Maeva properties unless there are no other options.

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THE BAD:
Very poorly signposted. Very few staff. Not open out-of-hours. €200 demanded upon arrival - REFUSE WITH GUSTER!. You have to clean your own room, and PAY for towels etc. NO Street parking - had my hire car smacked badly in adjacent road!
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THE GOOD:
Location within 1km of beach and 2km of airport. Beautiful garden - ask for view of garden when (if) booking - we would not go again. Self contained. Balcony. Cooking impliments.
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