Hotel Royal Riviera

Hotel Royal Riviera is a five-star seaside hotel in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, built for the sort of stay where the hotel matters almost as much as the coastline. You have a restaurant, bars, a heated outdoor pool, a sandy beach and a spa-minded collection of facilities on site, so the evening does not depend on finding a taxi or putting your shoes back on.

The hotel has 94 rooms and four floors, with air conditioning, free Wi-Fi and a 24-hour reception. English, French and Italian are spoken by the hotel team, which is useful when you are discussing breakfast, transfers or the small but important question of whether dinner can wait until you have stopped looking like you have just wrestled the sea.

This is a polished base for a couple who want diving within reach but also want a comfortable place for the non-diving hours. Families are catered for too, with a children’s playroom and babysitting.

You are in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, on the French Riviera, at 3 Avenue Jean Monnet. The hotel sits directly by the sea, with a private fine-sand beach and a public beach nearby; sun loungers and parasols are available on the hotel beach, which opens from mid-May to the end of September.

The centre of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat is only a short walk away, making it possible to leave the property for a change of scenery without turning the evening into an expedition. Nearby sights include Baie des Fourmis Beach, Villa Nellcote and Plage des Jeunes.

The setting is a former fishing village turned coastal resort, with the sea on one side and the peninsula’s walks and outdoor possibilities on the other. Parking is available, and an electric-vehicle charging station is part of the hotel’s facilities.

The room choice is mainly about the view, the layout and whether you prefer a double bed or twin beds. Standard and upgraded rooms cover the straightforward couple’s stay, while the Junior Suites and one-bedroom Suites give you more room to spread out and make the return from a full day less of a negotiation between two sets of luggage.

For a couple, the sea-view Junior Suite is the obvious choice when the view matters as much as the bed. The one-bedroom Suites are better suited to a longer stay, with toiletries and practical touches such as a safe, telephone, towels and a mirror. Twin rooms keep the arrangement simple if you are travelling with a friend and have no interest in discovering each other’s sleeping habits.

Air conditioning, a minibar, television, a private bathroom, a hairdryer, bathrobes, slippers and a morning alarm feature across the hotel’s room information, although room equipment varies by category. Soundproofed rooms are available, and room service runs around the clock. That gives you a useful fallback when the second dive, the transfer or simply the Riviera’s ability to make lunch last too long has pushed dinner out of schedule.

Breakfast runs from 7.00 to 11.00, with both a buffet and à la carte choices. Breakfast is included in the hotel’s stated board formula, while the details of other included meals depend on the rate selected. If getting up early for a boat matters, check the practical breakfast arrangement when booking rather than assuming the buffet will bend to your timetable.

For lunch and dinner, Jasmin Grill & Lounge works from a terrace overlooking Baie des Fourmis, serving Mediterranean, Indian and Thai influences from 12.30 to 22.00. It is the more flexible option after a day outside, with a broad enough style of cooking to suit a table that cannot agree on one continent. La Table du Royal is the evening restaurant, open from 19.30 to 21.30, with modern French cooking built around seasonal and local produce.

There are two bars. Bar Jasmin is the pool bar, while Bar Le Cap is an intimate Art Deco lobby bar focused on cocktails. Room service is available 24 hours a day, and the hotel also has a snack bar, bottled water and breakfast served in the room.

The heated outdoor pool is the easy answer when you want water without another timetable. It comes with pool facilities, pool towels and a pool bar, so the transition from swimming to sitting down is pleasingly short. The private sandy beach adds another option, with loungers and parasols available during its season.

For the post-dive recovery plan, the hotel has a spa, sauna, steam room, massages and aesthetic treatments, along with a fitness room and gym equipment. A terrace, garden and solarium provide places to sit in the sun, while the library offers a quieter alternative for the part of the afternoon when conversation feels like unnecessary exertion.

If you still have energy to spend, the facilities include a tennis court, table tennis, cycling, hiking, fishing, windsurfing and snorkelling. There is also a casino on site, plus an excursion assistance service for arranging time away from the hotel. Families have a children’s playroom and babysitting, giving adults a chance to use the pool, spa or bar without conducting a running head count.

Check-in runs from 15.00 to midnight, and check-out is at 12.00. Reception operates around the clock, with a lift serving the upper floors and accessibility facilities for wheelchair users. The hotel is non-smoking and has soundproofed rooms.

Airport transfers are available on request, and the hotel can arrange excursions. Car hire, parking and luggage storage are also available, while concierge, laundry, dry-cleaning, ironing, shoe-shining and wake-up services cover the useful bits of a longer stay. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the hotel.

Children up to the age of 12 can stay in their parents’ or guardians’ room when the room capacity and existing sleeping arrangements allow it. Extra beds depend on the room category. Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB and Diners Club are accepted, and the electrical supply is 230 volts with Type E sockets.