Hotel Review: Château Eza, Small Luxury Hotels of the World
Èze is a picturesque medieval village on the French Riviera, renowned for its breathtaking views of the Mediterranean Sea. Consistently ranked among the most beautiful villages in France, Èze enchants visitors with its narrow cobblestone streets, historic stone houses, and lush exotic gardens. Naturally, it’s a popular tourist destination, but due to its steep, rugged terrain, the village is home to only two hotels — one of which is the iconic Château Eza. Originally built over 400 years ago during the Middle Ages, Château Eza once served as the winter residence of Prince William of Sweden. Today, it is a five-star hotel that seamlessly blends charming medieval architecture with ancient limestone façades and timeless elegance. We wanted to soak up all the magic of Èze, so we stayed at Château Eza. The experience was even more mesmerizing than we had imagined, reflecting its recognition as a two-Michelin-key hotel. Here is my review of Chateau Eza:
Chateau Eza is located at Rue de la Pise, 06360 Èze, France, and my suite overlooked the nearby Moyenne Corniche.
What Card(s) Should You Use to Book?
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Location
Château Eza is perched high on a cliff in the medieval village of Èze, offering panoramic views of the Mediterranean Sea and the Côte d'Azur coastline. The hotel is nestled within the village’s maze of narrow cobblestone streets, lined with charming boutiques, art galleries, and cafes. Just steps away, visitors can explore the famous Jardin Exotique, a stunning hillside garden filled with rare succulents and unbeatable sea views. Èze is also home to Parfumerie Galimard, where visitors can discover the art of French perfume-making and even create their own custom scent. Conveniently located between Nice and Monaco, Èze also offers easy access to both cities, and for nature lovers, the Nietzsche Path hiking trail leads down from the village to the sea, with breathtaking views along the way.
Lobby & Check-In Review
Because Château Eza is located at the top of the village, cars can only reach the village entrance. Even then, you have to pass through a police checkpoint that regulates incoming traffic. We told the officer we were staying at Château Eza, and they let us through. At the base of the village, there’s a designated drop-off point where doormen welcome us and take our suitcases.
Guests can drop off their luggage at the base of the village, and hotel staff will deliver it to their room.
From there, it’s about a 10-minute uphill walk to the château. We were extremely grateful that the bellmen delivered our luggage to our suite later, as carrying multiple bags up the steep cobblestone streets would have been exhausting. After following the narrow, winding paths, we finally spotted the sign for Château Eza, leading us to an intimate check-in area.
Èze is a historic medieval village, and you can find information plaques around the village that provide historical details.
The check-in process was quick, and the hotel honored my Hilton Honors Diamond status, offering a complimentary continental breakfast. With only 14 rooms and suites spread across charming limestone buildings, the property felt wonderfully intimate. We were assigned to the Corniche room, conveniently located just a few steps from the front desk. Due to high season and full occupancy, there was no upgrade available, even with Hilton Honors Diamond status. Once we learned about breakfast hours and nearby attractions, we were invited to enjoy a welcome drink at the hotel bar.
Since the hotel housed a one-Michelin-star restaurant, the bar’s wine list was impeccable.
After passing through the main lounge and the cave wine bar, we arrived at the Welcome Room, which can also be reserved for private events or dinners.
The Welcome Room presented a more private setting, with an indoor space that would be ideal for winter.
The space featured both indoor and outdoor terraces — naturally, we chose the outdoor terrace to soak in the panoramic views of Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
The view from the outdoor terrace was simply spectacular, offering a panoramic view of the French Riviera.
The champagne was served with olives and nuts, made even more enjoyable by the magnificent view before us.
Crisp welcome champagne while taking in views of the Mediterranean Sea? Yes, please!
After savoring the unrivaled views over the Côte d’Azur, we made our way up to our room.
Suites at Château Eza were scattered around the lobby area, with ours being a one-story walk-up.
Bedroom Review
Our room was a standard room, and it was clear it had been recently renovated. At the center was a queen-sized bed with a curved wooden headboard. Even though the bed was only a queen, it took up most of the floor space.
The queen-sized bed took up most of the bedroom floor, but its incredible comfort was the saving grace.
The headboard seamlessly incorporated nightstands and built-in lighting, and I especially liked the elegant fabric panel that added a subtle touch of color and texture to the bed frame. Each nightstand provided just enough space for small daily essentials.
While the design was aesthetic and clean, figuring out the unlabeled light switches was a real pain.
However, the master light switches were unlabeled, making it confusing to figure out the lights at night. Across from the bed, there was a wall-mounted standard TV. I initially thought the wooden panels on either side would open up for extra storage, but they were purely decorative.
The wooden panels by the TV didn’t open up for extra storage, but luckily, there was a dedicated closet space next to the bathroom.
The real highlight of the room’s design was the arched window overlooking the Moyenne Corniche, which is why the room is called the Corniche Suite.
The Corniche Suite got its name from the view overlooking the Moyenne Corniche.
From the window, we could also see the Devil’s Bridge, named after a local legend where the devil promised to build a bridge in exchange for the soul of the first person to cross it.
The bridge in the picutre is called the Devil’s Bridge, and it was named after a local legend.
The view was absolutely stunning, and I found myself wishing the room had a small balcony to enjoy it even more. Next to the bed, two lounge chairs were positioned in front of a decorative fireplace, which cleverly used water vapor to simulate flames. It was a creative, safe alternative to a real fire, but still added a romantic ambiance to the space.
The chairs were comfortable, but I wish there had been a small side table to make the space more functional.
On top of the fireplace, the hotel had left us a delicious chocolate-covered cake as a welcome treat. Oddly, there were no utensils or napkins provided, which would have been helpful.
The chocolate cake was delicious, but there were no utensils or napkins to be found.
It also would have been nice to have a small side table between the lounge chairs to enjoy coffee or tea in the afternoon, but I suspect the hotel left it out to save space. Behind the bed, there was a narrow walkway that also housed a minibar with a Nespresso machine.
Fresh shots of espresso were a great accompaniment to the decadent chocolate cake welcome amenity.
The mini fridge was well-stocked with alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and the prices were easy to check via a QR code.
Èze is not the easiest place to navigate on foot, and the minibar was especially tempting when we were tired.
The hotel also squeezed in a small desk back there, but most of the surface was taken up by the desk lamp and phone. The WiFi wasn’t the strongest, but having a dedicated workspace was still a nice touch.
Despite the limited space in the suites, the bedroom had a dedicated, albeit small, workspace.
Despite the limited size, the room managed to include an open closet and a small drawer unit, which was much needed since there wasn’t much floor space to leave a suitcase open. Overall, I really liked the room, especially the gorgeous view of the Devil’s Bridge and the dramatic cliffside right outside our window. That said, while the renovations gave the space some nice modern touches, there’s no denying the room felt tight. If you value extra breathing room, I’d definitely recommend booking a larger category than the standard room.
Bathroom Review
The bathroom was tucked into the far end of the room, framed by a charming arched entrance.
The arched entrance to the bathroom and the wooden door preserved the château’s historical charm while giving it a contemporary touch.
Surprisingly, it felt quite spacious, with a single sink vanity and a walk-in shower. Toiletries were by L’Occitane, a brand commonly found in hotels across Southern France.
Almost every hotel in Southern France uses toiletries by L'Occitane, and Château Eza was no exception.
The heated floors were a nice touch, and the separate water closet provided some much-needed privacy, especially in such a compact room.
Since the suite was on the smaller side, having a private water closet was a nice touch.
The walk-in shower featured both a true rainfall showerhead and a handheld option, and there was even a built-in bench, which made the shower experience feel more elevated.
Some suites at Château Eza were more traditional than others, and the walk-in shower in the Corniche Suite highlighted the hotel’s modernity.
Compared to the bedroom, I really appreciated how open and practical the bathroom felt; its simple, thoughtful design made it especially enjoyable.
Dinner Review
Since it’s a bit inconvenient to leave the hotel for dinner, we decided to dine at the hotel’s restaurant, Château Eza, which shares the same name. The restaurant holds one Michelin Star and serves Mediterranean and classic French cuisine, with lunch from 12 PM to 2 PM and dinner from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM.
Château Eza holds one Michelin Star and serves modern French cuisine.
We made a reservation for dinner, which costs 160€ per person, excluding beverages. One mistake I made when booking was not specifying whether we preferred indoor or outdoor seating. As a result, we were seated on one of the outdoor terraces, which offered stunning views of the French Riviera. Nevertheless, it was unexpectedly chilly for June, which took away from the overall experience. The restaurant provided blankets, and while it helped a bit, I really wish the hotel had asked for our seating preference when confirming the reservation. Since the reservation process required emailing the hotel, I wasn’t aware that choosing our seating was even an option.
When you make a reservation at Château Eza, you can choose to dine either inside or outside.
To make matters worse, the weather wasn’t on our side that evening, and a thick fog rolled in just as we arrived, completely blocking the view. While that was beyond anyone’s control, it was still disappointing to miss out on what should have been one of the most breathtaking dinner backdrops.
The weather was not ideal when we dined at the restaurant, and fog settled in quickly.
That said, the food more than made up for it. Every dish was beautifully prepared, but my personal favorite was the crab ravioli with pear, served in a delicate celery juice infused with smoked bacon and coriander.
The celery juice, infused with smoked bacon and coriander, was the highlight of the dish.
Another standout was the langoustine, glazed with peach and served alongside avocado, peach ravioli, and fir tree vinegar, topped off with a rich langoustine head sabayon.
The langoustine was perfectly cooked, and the sabayon beautifully accentuated the shellfish’s natural sweetness.
Despite the weather and seating hiccup, I still walked away impressed by the restaurant’s exceptional culinary execution, fully worthy of its Michelin Star.
Breakfast Review
Breakfast was served in the same lounge where we had our welcome cocktail at check-in. It ran from 7 AM to 10:30 AM in the restaurant, with the option to enjoy it in your room until 11 AM. Fortunately, the weather that morning was beautiful, so we were seated on the terrace, overlooking the sparkling coastline of the French Riviera.
I couldn’t get enough of the stunning view of the French Riviera—the perfect backdrop for breakfast.
To make it even more comfortable, the hotel extended the retractable awning to provide some shade.
With the sun directly overhead, the hotel pulled out the awning to offer some shade.
As a Hilton Honors Diamond member, continental breakfast was complimentary for both my wife and me, but we had the option to upgrade to the American breakfast by paying the difference, which we did, since it allowed us to order an egg dish.
Even without the complimentary breakfast benefit, the prices were reasonable.
After placing our order, the food arrived promptly. I chose a stuffed omelet with cheese and vegetables, which was a classic French omelet, glistening with butter.
The French omelet was cooked to perfection, with a generous amount of butter.
The freshly squeezed orange juice was bright and refreshing, and my cappuccino came dusted with a light sprinkle of cocoa powder.
The freshly squeezed orange juice was naturally sweet, and the cappuccino was lightly dusted with cocoa powder.
The bread selection was perfect for two, with mini baguettes, croissants, pain au chocolat, and pain aux raisins. The cold cuts and cheeses paired beautifully with the bread, or could simply be enjoyed with rich French butter.
Starting the morning off with freshly baked bread, ham, cheese, and butter was a great treat.
I ended my meal with a fresh fruit salad, and I have to say — I really enjoyed the whole breakfast experience. The price felt fair for the quality, and unless you have a very hearty appetite, the continental option would easily be enough for most people. Of course, the real highlight was dining on the terrace — the incredible Mediterranean view instantly elevated the entire meal.
Positives & Negatives
Positives
If you’re planning to visit Èze and want to fully enjoy exploring this enchanting village, the location of Château Eza couldn’t be better. The village is filled with charming boutiques, picturesque alleys, and plenty of scenic spots to capture the breathtaking views of the French Riviera. By staying right in the heart of it all, you can relax and explore at your own pace, without ever feeling rushed.
The service at the hotel was exceptional. The bellmen truly went above and beyond, carrying our luggage all the way from the base of the village up to our room at check-in and back down again when we checked out. It’s no easy feat, and I really appreciated their hard work. The welcome champagne was a thoughtful touch, and the front desk also gave us 10% off coupons for Galimard and Fragonard perfumeries, which came in handy when we did a little shopping.
The culinary execution at the hotel restaurant was also truly impressive. Every dish was beautifully prepared, and the restaurant’s extensive French wine list made it even more special.
Negatives
While the food at the hotel restaurant was fantastic, I do wish the hotel had mentioned the seating arrangements ahead of time. Since reservations were handled via email, there was no option to indicate whether we preferred indoor or outdoor seating, and that small detail could have made a big difference to our overall dining experience.
Summary
Château Eza is truly a piece of history. Once the vacation home of Swedish Prince William, it’s now a charming boutique hotel with just 14 rooms and a Michelin-starred restaurant. Its small size allows the staff to offer each guest thoughtful care and attention. During our brief stay, it served as the perfect base for exploring the enchanting village of Èze. Our standard room was modern and offered a beautiful view of the Devil’s Bridge, though that view came at the cost of a compact floor plan. While our dining experience could have been much better had we been able to request indoor seating at the time of reservation, the food and wine were undeniably exceptional. Thankfully, we had the chance to fully enjoy the stunning French Riviera views during breakfast on the hotel’s terrace — a reminder of exactly why Château Eza is such a special place, ideal for a romantic getaway. Overall, Château Eza delivered a truly unique and memorable stay, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for a luxury hotel right in the heart of Èze village.
If you’d like to apply for the AMEX Hilton Honors Aspire card, please consider using my referral link. It will continue to help fund my blog operations and help visitors make informed decisions to maximize their rewards. Thank you! Click HERE to access my referral link!
