Before being a charming hotel posted a few hundred meters from the beaches (private but crowded), Le Sud was a somewhat scruffy guesthouse for travelers who disembarked from the nearby station. In summer 2020, the place reopened, completely renovated by decorator Stéphanie Lizée, in a 100% Mediterranean coastal spirit. Chalk white floated walls, floors in uncertum opus, rattan chairs, striped deckchairs… it looks like a seaside vacation home with 29 rooms for naps in the cool.
As for entertainment, there is the bar – well stocked with natural wines, local beers and cocktails – and the swimming pool, recently inaugurated in the garden-terrace planted with palm trees and laurels. Stéphanie Lizée also wanted to pay tribute to the Riviera of artists (Picasso, Matisse, Cocteau, Léger…), hence the pottery signed Datcha here and there and the Klein blue brush sketches by illustrator Franck Lebraly.
With its comfortable bedding, terracotta and raffia lamps, and louvered closet doors, room 305 (Khalil’s favorite, the friendly receptionist) is a good choice, although not huge. The shower room (Italian style) is lovely and comfortable, and through the window you can see the menthol blue water of the swimming pool. Breakfast, frugal, encourages people to come back for an aperitif. All of this offers exemplary value for money for the Côte d’Azur.
Rooms from € 80 (low season), € 100 (June) and € 130 (high season). The South, 5, rue Marcel-Paul, Juan-les-Pins (Alpes-Maritimes). hotellesud.com
At 450 meters: satisfy the sweet tooth
For a long time, the best juanais snack was a waffle served by a … Belgian ice cream maker, in a 1930s cottage wedged between two plush buildings on the seafront. Times are changing: the waffle that everyone talks about in town today ( made of a “bubble” dough garnished with fruits and sweets, presented in a cone) comes from Hong Kong and is eaten at the Bubble Café. A salty version, more local color, is served with salad, egg, tuna, tomato and mayonnaise.
19, avenue du Docteur-Dautheville. bubble-cafe.com
At 550 meters: stock up on summer readings
Postcards, newspapers, cigarettes, beach games… the Casino Bookstore bends over backwards to please vacationers and others. One can of course find books there to sand and stain with solar oil, while waiting for the literary re-entry. The management’s favorite works are displayed in a display case, along with a technical sheet, with a critical opinion written in a ballpoint pen, pinned to the cover, prominently. An attraction in itself.
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