"Why do you need a real estate in Cote d'Azur?" If you ask five different buyers of apartments in Nice, you will get five different answers. Someone dreams for house beside the sea, someone wants the make the profitable investment, someone else considers that owning such a property is prestigious.
We've traveled to the historical locations of Nice to find luxury apartments in this pearl of the French Riviera. This is a type of property, which will always be highly prized, just as blue chips on the stock exchange or a bottle of Bordeaux Grand Cru that only becomes better and more expensive as the years go by.
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Negresco
One of the symbols of the Côte d'Azur capital is the building of Negresco hotel. If you want to buy luxury real estate in Nice, it fits 100 per cent.
After the Second World War, the hotel owners had to sell half of the building to private owners in order to complete restoration. That's why now you may buy an apartment in a five star hotel which is located in the heart of Nice, on Promenade des Anglais.
There are 4 entrances to Negresco: two from the embankment, one from side facade and one from rear facade, which used to be the main entrance to the hotel. Today, most owners use side and rear entrances, and guests use the entrance from the waterfront.
However, there are special apartments in Negresco, whose owners have the opportunity to enter the building from any entrance. However, it costs a lot, even by standards of Côte d'Azur. A flat of 160 sq.m, with a side view to the sea and with panoramic views to park of Massena Museum, can be purchased for €1.7 million.
Another one-bedroom apartment of 70 sq.m is offered for sale in Negresco for €550,000. Classical furniture of the beginning of XX century and original mosaic with the logo of the hotel on the floor in the hallway are waiting for a new owner.
A small studio in Negresco goes for at least €250,000. But such an apartment can be rented out in a high season with benefit over €1,000 per week.
Thus, the prices in Negresco are highly dependent on size of apartment, its floor and the view from the windows. The minimum cost of a square meter starts from € 7,500 and the maximum reaches €12,000. Buying an apartment in the building, which is the symbol of Nice, is not a fantasy but a very real possibility.
From the Queen of England
In 1880, on the wave of popularity of the Côte d'Azur in the higher circles of the British, the Queen Victoria ordered this magnificent hotel Le Regina to be constructed. Situated on top of a Cimiez Hill and looking to the city from up above, the hotel was opened in 1897. It worked till 1935, when financial difficulties forced the owner to sell apartments to private owners.
Today, Regina is a luxurious residence with swimming pool, tennis court and private garden. It is the only representative of the Belle Époque (the symbolic period of European history 1890-1914 yrs) with such a "range of options" in Nice.
As mentioned above, Regina is located in a quiet neighborhood on the hill of Cimiez. You are unlikely to meet tourists here, but it is home to the elite of local and foreign community (mostly expats from the UK and the USA).
There is a lot of pricy real estate close to Cimiez, but if you are looking for something really special, something that will emphasize your high status, Regina is exactly what you need.
Of course, apartments in this famous building of Nice are not of easy availability: square meter costs from €4,000 to €8,000 (like everywhere, price depends on the size of the apartment, floor of its location and the presence/absence of terraces).
For example, an apartment of 180 sq.m with a terrace of 80 sq.m is offered for €1.24 million, an apartment of 110 sq.m - for €590,000.
It should be noted that the utilities in this residence are very expensive even by standards of Côte d'Azur.
Royal Luxembourg
Royal Luxembourg is another building worthy of attention if you are looking for a luxury property on the French Riviera. The residence is located in the most prestigious part of the Promenade des Anglais, right next to a five-star hotel Palais De La Mediterranee. On the roof of the residence there are two small pools.
There is a queue of people who wanna buy an apartment here. The price per square meter is rarely goes below €10 thousand. For example, for €395,000 one may buy a one-bedroom apartment of 40 sq.m with a balcony. 25 sq.m studio goes for € 245,000.
If you are looking for a property to rent out, Royal Luxembourg is the perfect choice for investment.
Majestic
Unlike Majestic Hotel in Cannes, Le Majestic in Nice has a sad history. Located at the foot of the Cimiez Hill, close to the centre, this impressive hotel with 400 rooms was built in 1906-1909. However, the hotel, just like Regina, was closed and sold to private owners because of financial difficulties.
Today, one may buy a luxurious five-room apartment of 211 sq.m in this prestigious residence just for €998,000. This is a rare example of a quiet apartment in the luxury building of the city centre.
Of course , the list of luxury and famous buildings and houses in Nice is endless. In the next article, we'll keep under review luxury villa of French Riviera.
Text: Konstantin Grape, ee24.com
Photo: shutterstock.com, Veniamin Kraskov / shutterstock.com, Anshar / shutterstock.com, lazur-bereg.com, fr.wikipedia.org, maps.google.ru