Where to Stay in Menton: Best Location + a Great Hotel Recommendation!
Where to stay in Menton, France! Menton is a BEAUTIFUL city located on the FAR EAST side of the French Riviera (literally right next to the French/Italian border!) When it comes to beauty, I think it was my favorite city on the French Riviera!
Though many people take day trips to Menton from Nice, I highly recommend staying at least one night rather than taking a day trip!
So, where should you stay while in Menton? Here I will divide the town in different areas and what the pros and cons of each area are!
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Menton’s Geography (With Maps)
Menton is a small, walkable city so there really isn’t a BAD place to stay in Menton. Everything will be PRETTY walkable no matter where you choose to stay (I.E you can walk from one side of Menton to the other in about an hour).
Here is an UNOFFICIAL breakdown of Menton in terms that are easy to grasp.
- The old, historic district of Menton
- Menton’s City Center
- The Garavan side of Menton (near Port Garavan on the east side of Menton)
- A northern, mountainous sliver (as you can see on the first photo below)
Most of the highlights and restaurants of Menton are located within the old, historic town and the city center. If you want:
- Convenience and easy walkability, stay in either old town or Menton’s city center
- To be a little out of town, but at a level and easy walking distance from old town, the Garavan area is a good option.
- To be a little more secluded and up in the mountains with a view of Menton from above, you can head north into the more mountainous area of Menton.
Where to Stay in Menton: Old Town
The old historic center of Menton is mostly residential; it is full of colorful buildings home to apartments and locals. Therefore, MOST of the places to stay in the historic old town are going to be apartment rentals on VRBO, etc (I thought I found ONE hotel there, but can’t seem to find it again.)
- Therefore, if you stay here, know that if you arrive into Menton via train early and want to explore the city before check-in, you may be toting your luggage around (whereas most hotels will store it for you)
However, this is a BEAUTIFUL part of the city, so if you want to be in the heart of Menton’s colorful streets and get views of that gatorade BLUE water, this is where you want to be.
This studio apartment is reasonably priced and highly rated studio found in the old town of Menton. However, as you can see, there are many studio apartments to choose from.
Where to Stay in Menton: City Center
Menton’s city center is another great area to stay in for convenience and walkability and has loads of hotel options!
West Side of City Center:
The west side of the city center is good for those who want to be close to restaurants, beaches and/or the casino, but want to be out of the crowds a little bit.
East Side of City Center:
Anywhere in the city center will be a walkable area to stay. However, if you want to be closer to old town, in more of the hustle and bustle, you will want to stay on more of the eastern side of the city center.
- The east side of the city center kind of overlaps with the historic old town; in all honesty, I don’t know where the border lies.
Hôtel de Londres
A nice and highly rated hotel within walking distance to the beaches!
The decor and outdoor patio area are 😍
Ibis Style Menton Centre
Is another highly rated and cute hotel with a great location for walkers! Rooms with balconies have great views too!
Where to Stay in Menton: Garavan Area
The Garavan area is on the east side of Menton and is known for its harbor, Port Garavan. It is a little less crowded on this side of town, but will still have great ocean views.
Old historic center is where the beautiful color of Menton is found. However, if you are IN the old town, you don’t get a good view of ALL the colors. If you want a view that looks back on the colors of the old town, THIS is where you want to be!
Also, Menton has a train station on this side of town (Menton Garavan Station), so an added perk is that if you stay on this side of town you will be CLOSE to a train station!
If your priority is incredible views of the colorful, old town, this hotel offers the best view!
However, to get this good view, you have to be a little further from the old town.
Hotel Napoléon is a nice, 4 star hotel a little closer to old town. It has great views of the beach and port, but the views of old town are more obstructed than Hotel El Paradiso.
Where to Stay in Menton: Mountain Area
If you would like to stay near Menton, but would rather be out of the hustle and bustle or just would like to be up in the mountains, head north of Menton!
You will notice that the mountains stand RIGHT behind Menton’s old town and city center; the elevation gain is quick!
Once you get north of the city center of Menton, you have less hotel options as well. Most housing in the mountains will be more apartment rentals/VRBOs also.
Mountain Recommendation
Maison Mentonnaise (vue panoramique sur mer) is a rental located north of Menton that will give you the top down view you are probably looking for if you are choosing the mountainous area.
The highlight of it is the outdoor terrace and dining area!
Budget Hotel Options
Don’t care where you stay, just want an affordable hotel? Got it. Here are few good hotel options that are more budget-friendly.
HOWEVER, REMEMBER. The French Riviera is a HOT (figuratively more than literally 🤪) summer destination, so if you plan to visit anywhere between June and August (especially August) and wait last minute to book, you may be hard-pressed to find a “budget-friendly” price.
- Budget, 2 star hotels in Menton run about 65-80 euros per night.
The two budget hotels with best reviews are Hôtel Richelieu (4.0 trip advisor rating) and Hotel Pavillon Imperial (4.5 trip advisor rating!)
Luxury Hotel Options
Looking for more of a luxury option in Menton? Though most other cities in the French Riviera have more luxury options, you can still find that 5 star luxury in Menton.
The highest rated hotel in Menton is 5 star hotel, Villa Genesis. It is a boutique hotel located on the west side of Menton’s city center.
- Price: In the Spring, rooms are around $200 and closer to $300 a night in the summer with taxes. So, is it expensive? Yes, compared to what I typically pay. But if you are a luxury traveler, I’m sure you’ve paid much more than this for a 5 star hotel!
Villa Genesis
I’ve taken some photos from their website (NOT MY PHOTOS), so you can see how gorgeous the villa is 😍
4 Star Options:
If you want something nicer, but not quite 5 star-nice, then there are several 4 star hotel options that are nice. One is Hotel Napoléon that I mentioned earlier and another is Princess Et Richmond.
- Both are a little over half a mile from the city center, have incredibly beautiful interiors and great views of the beach!
A Hotel Recommendation for you!
I tend to be a fan of hotels (rather than apartment rentals) when city-hopping due to being able to drop luggage off for storage while we explore the city before check-in hours. (always check that this is an option!).
I also tend to choose hotels based on walkability. It doesn’t have to be DEAD CENTER in the city, but I want to be able to walk to most places/restaurants or at least have an easy walk/transportation to the them.
Our Choice for Menton:
While in Menton, we stayed in Hotel Narev which is a cute little boutique hotel located on the northeast portion of Menton’s city center and just a couple streets over from Menton’s historic old town.
- The hotel had luggage storage, clean (though small) rooms and SUCH FRIENDLY staff. I think the friendly staff is what makes me want to recommend the hotel in all honesty.
As we checked into our hotel for the night, the staff offered us a complimentary glass of champagne as they were celebrating the end of the season and an upcoming closing to renovate the hotel!
So, as of 2025, Hotel Narev has changed to Hotel Gabriel and it is a newly updated and CUTE boutique hotel
- Price: As of January 2025, Hotel Gabriel is priced at around the same as the Ibis Style Menton Centre that I recommend in the east city center (Around $138 per night in February, ~$150 in June)
Hôtel Gabriel Menton
Click below to see the new AMAZING renovation photos and to book a room with Hôtel Gabriel Menton!
Final Thoughts on Where to Stay in Menton
If you’ve gotten this far, then you’ve noticed there are LOADS of accommodation options in Menton. But that can also make it hard to choose! Hopefully this helps narrow down which part of Menton you want to stay in and have a good idea of good options in each area!
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