Save the best for last

Starting my stay in Nice in the rain was a pleasant change.

Actually I enjoyed the rain, not only because I grew up in a country with lots of rain and nature really needs it here. A change after almost no rain during my journey. My journey brought a bit of refreshment to the dry city and region. The day after a clear blue sky, a perfect start to explore the city.

Memories

Nice has memories, it’s the only destination of the three cities that I knew before arrival and as just a tourist. I won a prize and stayed in the Radisson Blu hotel with Christophe. Honestly, we would never have chosen this hotel, we preferred small hotels, an air bnb, or a camping. Yes, I have always been a camping girl, but this was an offer we couldn’t refuse. As I passed by with the tram on my first day I got sentimental, of course. And the first appointment I had was opposite the restaurant where we had lunch, Le Plongeoir, a very popular and amazing spot in Nice.

No coincidence…

Bertrand, my enthusiastic host, and contact person of the Convention Bureau in Nice welcomed me in a fantastic restaurant called La Reserve next to the Plongeoir (can you imagine?!?) and told me that he grew up in this area. Apparently we have lots in common, including our passion for the meetings and events industry. And even the same building year :-). And at the end of our conversation we even discovered that he worked with Miek, my dear friend who passed away in a car accident, just a week before my husband died.

Preparation is key

To create a good tailored program with site inspections and visits it requires time and effort, which is precious nowadays. I can’t do this alone in a city where I don’t have the contacts, nor the connections. Therefore I want to focus again on the role and function of the convention bureau. They are here to help you with requests for any type of meeting, event, incentive or conference that you want to hold in the city. If you are an expert in events or not, that doesn’t matter.

Bertrand and I started weeks before my arrival to align all my activities and visits with the strategy of the city. We were in touch regularly. This campaign is more than just taking a picture of a beautiful room in a hotel :-). A lot of work behind the scenes is done in collaboration with the partners, before and during my stay. Just for people who think that I am still on a holiday… ha ha ha. We even managed to schedule a call with MD, PhD Renaud DAVID, (Organiser of the French Conference on Sport-related Concussion) and focused on the impact of sports and brains. More insights in my next blog.

Host your conference in a church - Hôtel Le Saint Paul

Passionate and professional lady Nerea who knows her job and property by heart. I love these kinds of people (I do things not or for 200%) and working in a sales position for 15 years, says a lot about the hotel. Actually, better said church. This iconic building, opposite the beautiful restaurant la Reserve, has a stunning view on the bay of Nice. It’s situated near the port, in a more quiet area, but still part of the city centre of Nice.

This is the only 3 star hotel which has meeting rooms and is equipped for meetings and events. The largest meeting room can host up to 200 pax. And you can see the lovely chapel from the meeting room. The majority of the hotels who're equipped for meetings and events in Nice are 4 or 5 star hotels, but again, you see, there are options for different kinds of budgets. Next, Le Saint Paul is a private hotel, owned by the church.

Can you image taking a bath with this breathtaking view - Le Meridien Nice

The beauty on the boulevard

This hotel can’t be missed. In the heart of the city, and along the famous boulevard of Nice with unique views on the Mediterranean sea and coast, you can’t miss Le Meridien. Again, a very passionate and experienced lady, Nolweinn who just arrived from Paris is in charge of the MICE department. The Meridien is known for leisure but less known for its MICE options and especially its capacity. Therefore, an excellent moment to explore the hotel and its possibilities.

The huge advantage of this hotel is that they have a dedicated area for meetings and events. Including a kitchen on the same floor (important detail so your food would not be cold) and separate access to the restaurant so you won’t disturb or mingle with the regular guests. The hotel has 318 rooms, 11 meeting rooms. And the largest meeting room can host up to 500 pax. This hotel is the second largest MICE hotel in the city.

The bar in hotel Anantara with an amazing view over the city and the sea

The new kid on the block

Anantara, opened his first hotel in France. A brand new 5 star hotel in the centre of Nice. The Anantara experience was born in 2001 with their first luxury property in Thailand’s historic seaside retreat of Hua Hin. From that day forward, they expanded, and for 5 months they opened in Nice. Anantara is part of the NH Group. And they already have an occupancy rate of 80%, amazing. This hotel has 151 rooms and for now 50% of their clients are French. But as this hotel just opened, the audience might change, especially during the summer season.

Again, this hotel is known for leisure but less for meetings and events. The largest ballroom can host up to 260 people in theatre style. And it has smaller meeting rooms, including a dedicated board room with all the newest technology support you need. The hotel definitely has an Asian influence and touch, for example if you arrive you will get a refreshing towel and the slippers in your room are from bamboo (not the regular with soft slippers).

Action time

After many nice meals, it’s time for sports. I decided to go on Sunday for a run along the beach. It was nice weather, a bit cloudy, perfect for a run. On Sundays you see in many countries people going for a run, same here. The road along the coast was blocked for an event, to stimulate people to cycle, so no cars, lovely. As I was running towards Antibes, I saw the castle approaching. Suddenly, it popped up. Yes, Christophe and I rented a bike from the Radisson hotel (this is a rare occasion because we were both not bike lovers) and biked along the coast. I cry and I laugh because when we returned I had a black print on my pants from the saddle of the bike. I wore white trousers that day. Such mixed feelings, happy for the time we spend together and the memories we created, but it’s painful because I would have loved that he would be here with me today. Here, I cherish my memories and take the time, but what if I didn’t come, would I also be able to remember… ???

Like a Dutch widow said to me, it’s a whirling path. You are thrown from happiness into sadness, from thankfulness into anger and everything in between.

Teambuilding Explore my bag, including the yellow backpack. Exploring Nice in a sustainable way.

Exploring the centre of Nice

A new city game called Explore my bag focused on sustainability just launched in the city. Bertrand said you’re lucky and you can try out this new game. Fantastic! Let’s do this. I had not only the ability to get familiar with the game, but also to meet event agencies of the region. On top, the game was an excellent way to explore the city. Before the start you receive a bag made of recyclable material, and you will receive tasks, exercises and questions related to the city, its history and sustainability. My French is good, but not fluent enough for this game, at least I tried :-) Of course the game is available in English. I offered my support to translate the game into Dutch. The purpose of the game is to create awareness for sustainability and to explore the city in a fun way. Mission accomplished Emmanuel & Adrien.

Laundry goes on…

Nice is not really a camper friendly destination. In the city or close to the city there are no campings. I decided to choose a camping site close to a train station with a direct connection into the city. No, I’m not going to drive into the city.

The accessibility is fantastic by plane. Perhaps not the most sustainable way (don’t want to say that I’m more sustainable living and working in my camper). Just the airport is located in the city, and with public transport you are within no time in the centre of town. For international events, this is unique. And with the new tram (this wasn’t there yet during my last stay) the public transport has really improved in many ways.

In the meantime my laundry was piling up. I need time to do my laundry. I’m not at home where I can put in the machine, here you need to make time, and be sure that the sun will shine. The last item is not really a problem, just as the travels towards the city and back were taking me a lot of time, I finally found a moment to do my laundry. Arriving at the reception I asked for a jeton, and they accepted only cash. I didn’t have any cash money anymore! And the nearest bank is 2 km away. I got a bit annoyed and a lovely Dutch couple were standing next to me and gave me 5 euros to do my laundry. Thanks guys!

The world is very small

Having lunch with a French lady, married to a Scottish man, whom I met in Montenegro in November thankx to the introduction of a Dutch couple, and now having lunch in Nice? Can you follow ;-) Just want to say that the world is a small place! It’s amazing how meeting people can lead to new encounters. And apparently Nice was the right spot to meet.

Up to more nice meetings in Nice, looking forward!

Stay tuned…

Save the best for last

Surprising Nice

The hidden green gem