Why art lovers are checking into this former convent in Nice

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French Riviera Week:
Your guide to the Côte d’Azur‘s cultural treasures

By Matthew Wexler

Art enthusiasts flock to France to see the masters, often heading to Paris to spend hours meandering through the Louvre. But if you want to sleep with a curated collection, travel south to Hôtel du Couvent in Nice. The historic convent, built in 1604, features a staggering number of pieces throughout its meticulously appointed rooms, suites, and shared spaces. The recently opened five-star property is worth the price of admission; in this case, a night (or if you’re lucky, a few) sleeping among a treasure trove of objets d’art.

Featuring lead curation by Virginie Boulenger of Atelier Saint Lazare, the property showcases hundreds of sculptures, paintings, art books, and trinkets throughout its 88 rooms and suites, as well as public spaces, including wisteria, linden, and orange trees, Roman baths, and an on-site herbalist. But back to the art.

Art treasures around every corner

artwork throughout Hotel du Couvent, Nice, France. — Hôtel du Couvent. Photos by Adrianna Glaviano.

Hôtel du Couvent and curator Boulenger considered the “where” as much as the “what” in its attention to detail. After conducting detailed research on how art is placed in convents and monasteries, the team considered which works would best enhance various spaces. Given the convent’s original origins, they also leaned into pauvreté (poverty of material), embracing simplicity and intentionality over the wow factor you might find in a Las Vegas hotel.

Instead, the hotel and grounds become a treasure hunt, revealing classical busts or statues on wall-mounted plinths throughout the high-ceiling hallways, large engravings by Antoni Tàpiès, and the 17th-century masterpiece “The Five Senses” by Carlo Cignani Forlì.

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Among the guest rooms, visitors will discover unobtrusive gems in every corner, from flea-market and antique-dealer finds to 21st-century art. Modern commissions, such as Claire Basler’s vibrant, small works and Inès Longevial’s secular series on the Virgin Mary’s facial expression, bring cohesion and breadth.

And if you want to curl up in the courtyard or tiered garden with a good book, you’ll discover among the extensive collection botanical handbooks, archival issues of the French art journal Derrière le miroir, and a selection of theatrical works. But the real show is Hôtel du Couvent’s exquisite attention to detail, worth a standing ovation.