Interview Owner of an apartment on the Promenade des Anglais!

published on 23/7/2009

“I fell in love with the Promenade for the rest of my live!”

These are the words of successful dentist and owner of an apartment on the ‘Promenade des Anglais Mr. Thijs (dutch)’. He is successfully managing the seasonal rental of his apartment, while working fulltime as a dentist. His rental site and blog are visited by people all around the world and have set a new standard for holiday rental.

Agency 107 Promenade wanted to dedicate this article to Mr. Thijs and the secret behind his success. You can read the full interview below.


Why did you buy an apartment on the sea front of Nice?

Well, I was coming to Nice for a couple of years and was thinking about how fantastic it would be to have your own apartment in Nice with Mediterranean view. An apartment elsewhere in Nice cannot be compared with a sea front apartment on the Promenade. The Promenade des Anglais is a beautiful broad avenue, with luxurious residences, with aristocratic history and the sea view is amazing. It is the best location you could ever dream of. So, I fell in love with the Promenade for the rest of my live!
Further, in terms of investment making, Nice has some big advantages above other seaside locations in the Côte d’Azur region. With respect to prices in Cannes, sea front apartments in Nice are very affordable. As the Promenade is 7 kilometres long, you can find properties for each budget. Nowadays people are looking for a stable investment, the Promenade in Nice has proven this to be for centuries, starting with the construction of the Promenade and its early ancient palaces. Above all, when I compare prices in my country (the Netherlands) with prices on the Promenade, which can be considered as one of the few top locations in the world, the Promenade wins in all facets.

When visiting Nice, how do you like to spend your time there?

Every time I go to Nice I am exploring new things and let myself be surprised by wonderful objects I didn’t notice before. Nice is a great walking city that combines the beachside with all elements of a big city. The old town with the flower market gives you the olden times feeling, whereas in the centre you can find Parisian style shops and boutiques. As I am a history lover, I am a frequently museum visitor and check all what has a historic base.
Nice has an easy access by air (being the second airport of France!), so also a short break can get you charged up again with its great climate all year round. In no time I can relax on the beach and watch the sea with all its changing colours from turquoise to deep blue, sit on the Promenade or of course my own terrace to watch the world go by!

What were your considerations when putting out your apartment for rental yourself rather than through a special agency?

It’s my opinion that all what you can do yourself, you will do it the best and you will get the most satisfaction out of it. So, I made my own website www.NicePromenadeApartments.net and I soon came with an online booking system, that enables me to do this myself beside my work as a dentist. I have the advantage of having control about my availability calendar and I enjoy receiving information about who my guests are.

How have you experienced seasonal rental as an owner?

I have good contacts with many of my clients and I love it when past guests tell me that they enjoyed their stay or put a line on the reviews page. I regard them as my friends and some of them are frequent visitors now and are enthousiastic about the Promenade in the way I am. An important factor that contributes to a successful stay for my guest is the way the meet and greet is done and the property is managed. Seasonal rental has become a successful business for me that gives me the opportunity to offer my clients a well deserved holiday to relax and reconnect with their family.

What are your thoughts on the tramway on the sea front of Nice?

I think it really boosts the Promenade to the most beautiful seaside avenue in the world, if it’s not already. The tramway will be designed exclusively for the Promenade with no equivalent in technology and design on earth, so I cannot wait to be in there as a passenger. What an experience that would be to watch the 7 kilometres of Promenade and the stunning views of the Bay of Angels passing by from the panoramic windows! Using 2 lanes for the tramway, there will be much less traffic left, whereas the Promenade will receive in place a high standing and comfortable transport system that connects all parts of the Promenade including the airport and the city centre in an easy, fast and lovely way for its users.
With this project, the Promenade des Anglais will leave all other seaside boulevards in the world behind. Realising that this is already going to happen within only a few years, I am glad that I have already purchased my own investment on the Promenade!


Reference
http://nice-france-holiday.blogspot.com/

http://www.NicePromenadeApartments.net