Full of colour, fun and retro character, Nice Pam Hôtel brings a taste of the Golden State to the French Riviera. Rose Dykins reports

Nice Pam Hôtel has opened in the French city with a guest experience that feels like landing in Los Angeles.

The hotel celebrates the synergy between the Californian lifestyle - such as its sunshine, palm trees and beachfront rollerblading - and the laid-back, open-air, healthy way-of-living in Nice. The French city's pastel buildings with vintage touches and cool, youthful vibe are all inspiration for the concept of the hotel, conceived by interior designer Michael Malapert.

Known for creating elegant-yet-daring spaces with a unique atmosphere and sustainable design, Malapert wanted to introduce both street culture and a California vibe into an urban hotel for the first time.

“For a long time, people have held very clichéed ideas about the city of Nice," says Malapert. "Often it is wrongly confused with its neighbours Cannes or Monaco. On the contrary, it is a young, dynamic city that is expanding rapidly, with its own authentic way of life, thanks to the sea, the palm trees and the outdoor lifestyle.

"[It's a] city with international connections, that boasts the second-most important airport in France. These are the aspects that we wanted to foreground, via the kind of striking, brightly coloured and vibrant project that this city deserves. We wanted to give the city the gift of a vibrant and dynamic hub that would serve as meeting point for the lifestyles that are, right now, the coolest around.”

Upon entering the reception of Nice Pam Hôtel, guests are treated to a kaleidoscope of Californian culture. There are giant backlit neon lights to walls decorated with longboards and retro and 1970s accessories, while the colour palette of  yellow, pink, celadon green adds to the young, playful ambience. The furnishings nod to both California and the Mediterranean, blending colours and natural tiles and earthenware.

The hotel has 102 colourful bedrooms spread across five floors. They range in size from 180 sq ft to 290 sq ft). There are family rooms that house up to five people with sofa beds and bunkbeds, and some rooms have terraces for enjoying the city's famous sunset (said to make the scenery glow pink).  A signature feature of the rooms is the bright sunset-themed headboard.

On the ground floor, Pamela's restaurant and bar is a space designed around a grand central bar with a tiled facade and a Californian cafe, with benches fashioned from white concrete and marble, wooden decorations, corner sofas and communal dining tables.Pamela's serves Californian-style fare including acai bowls, pineapple coconut drinks and the Pamela’s Club sandwich filled with pastrami, avocado and Piccalilly sauce.  "All-day" menu options include hot dogs, cookies, sweet or salted popcorn, carrot cake or banana bread, and can be ordered to take away.

As well as Pamela's, Nice Pam Hôtel is fronted by a small outside terrace sheltered by white and pink awnings. Meanwhile, The Boho Lounge is a space to take a break or check emails, while the Palm Garden, is like an indoor garden. an indoor garden.

The ground floor area where these spaces converge sets the stage for the hotel's programme of events, including film screenings, karaoke, stand-up comedy, concerts and DJ sets, and the open-mic Sunday brunch that takes place weekly.

Room rates for Nice Pam Hôtel start from €80 per night.