Staying in a Riviera Pebbles rental property: Frequently Asked Questions for Guests

Meet Our Team

nice apartmentsMatthew Roberts – Founder of Nice Pebbles in 2006, Matt's former career as a micro-biologist in the UK is now a distant bad dream. Two years of Riviera living means he now knows how to handle a speed boat and knows all the right restaurants to visit. His passion is food and wine. Matt is here to answer your email enquiries and help you choose the rental apartment most suited for you. He works behind the scenes on improving our booking system and balancing the books, which often means pulling in the reins of Gayle’s Next Big Plan.

rent nice apartmentGayle Roberts – Gayle relocated to Nice in 2006 with Matthew to set up Nice Pebbles. Formerly a solicitor in the UK, Gayle loves being away from office life. Gayle takes responsibility for the running of the business and works to improve our service to our guests. When it became clear that there was a high demand for a more personal and boutique approach to apartment rentals, she persuaded Matt to take Pebbles further and launch Riviera Pebbles in 2007. Gayle holds the carte professionalle, carte 11284 from the Prefecture des Alpes Maritimes.

vacation apartments in niceLucy Pye – Most of our guests will speak to Lucy on the telephone, by email or in person. Lucy is here to help you choose the right holiday apartment for you. She heads reception in our Nice office and is here to help you with any aspect of your stay with us. Lucy is from Bristol, UK. She first experienced Nice when she did a year’s placement at a French secondary school in her university gap year. She stayed as long as she could afterwards by securing a job at the airport dealing with private jets. She then had to return to the UK to complete her course in International Business and French, where she achieved first class honours. She couldn’t wait to come back, and shortly after finishing her studies, she joined our team.

apartments niceMalena Richard Living most of her life in Detroit and Chicago, Malena moved to France in March 2003 after having a coup de foudre (falling head over heels) with a Frenchman. She packed up her life and moved to Nice, married, and started a small family of three. Since she arrived in France, she worked in the management sector of luxury hospitality business such as world-reknown private dining clubs, hotels, and private estate functions. Running haphazardly into Matthew and Gayle one evening at a restaurant proved to be fate as nearly two years later Malena joined the Riviera Pebbles team. Malena now manages 15 rental apartments in Central Nice concentrating mainly on the Musiciens, Gambetta, Liberation and Etoile areas.

apartments to rent in niceCéline Kozura has previously worked on international moves, as well as in logistics. She has a successful company here in Nice where she handles relocation work for ex-pats as well as her work with us. She grew up in Nice but also lived in Paris and close to Lyon. She speaks French, English and Italian fluently. She loves meeting new people and showing them the beautiful Cote d'Azur. When not working, or looking after her young son, Céline likes to run with her husband, ski and enjoy the outdoor life that is so easy to find in Nice. She also loves to try out all the new restaurants. Céline is the day to day manager of over 10 rental apartments in Nice concentrating on the Magnan, Musiciens and Carre d'Or areas.

apartment in niceClaire Valetti was a musician for 11 years in Paris before returning to her home town of Nice. You can still see her occasionally on stage at the Nice Opera, though she now prefers to keep her love for music more of a passionate hobby than a career. Great news for us! Claire joined the Riviera Pebbles team in 2008 and manages some of our Nice Old Town apartments. When not working or singing, Claire spends time with her Italo-Argentinian husband and young daughter. Claire speaks French, English, Spanish and some Italian.

rentals nice francePhilip Cecchettini is our web master and is responsible for our websites. Based in California, it was a chance meeting in the restaurant La Mérenda when both Phil and his wife and Gayle and Matthew were on a four- day trip to Nice and were sitting at adjoining tables. There was chemistry and the start of a beautiful friendship. A year later Gayle and Matthew contacted Phil and asked him to help them build a new concept of holiday apartment rentals in Nice.

nice apartmentsSheila Langer is responsible for all of our artwork both on the websites and in our publications and marketing products. Sheila is also based in California but spent several years in France and so is called upon to speak her fluent French to our suppliers from time to time. Charles Shepley – Our UK based director, and a tax specialist at one of the leading firms of accountants, Charlie is responsible for our strategic planning, budgeting and UK based marketing.

Our Owners – We choose our owners carefully. All of them are pro-active, pleasant to deal with and responsive to any problems which occur in the holiday apartments we offer to our guests. We all appreciate how they are continually open to suggestions by way of improvements. Without them there would be no Nice Pebbles or Riviera Pebbles and we wouldn’t be able to offer you the service we strive to give our Guests.

The answers below are for apartments under the management of Nice Pebbles or Riviera Pebbles only. These answers do not apply for holiday rental apartments managed directly by the Owner (see details).

What does Apartment Managed by Nice Pebbles mean? rental apartments in nice

This apartment is managed by the Nice Pebbles Team. Nice Pebbles was started by Matt and Gayle Roberts in 2006. The business expanded in 2007 and Riviera Pebbles was launched. You can expect the following when booking with Nice Pebbles:

Standard terms of business for all of the apartments are detailed here.

What does Apartment Managed by Riviera Pebbles mean? riviera holiday rentals

This apartment is managed by a Riviera Pebbles agent. Riviera Pebbles agents have been chosen and trained by Nice Pebbles. Riviera Pebbles agents apply the Pebbles' philosophy and so you can expect a similar level of service from each of our agents. You can expect the following when booking with Riviera Pebbles:

What does Apartment Managed by Owner mean? nice france rental apartments

This holiday rental apartment is managed by the Owner. The Owner uses the Riviera Pebbles site to advertise only. The Owner’s terms and conditions of rental will be different to that of Riviera Pebbles. You should make sure you understand the terms of booking with the individual owner before booking.

Can we stay for less than one week?

Of course. We appreciate that you might like to come for a long weekend, or take advantage of inexpensive weekday flights. You can check the prices for any length of stay on the automated system.
In response to demand from our guests, we now price our rental apartments by the night rather than the week, but the nightly price is based on a week stay. The cost of the linen and towels, cleaning and meet and greet remain the same whether you stay for 1 night or 1 week.

Accordingly, the "price from" that you can find next to the nightly price is based on you staying with us for a week or more. You will pay a higher nightly rate if you stay for less than a week to take into account the cleaning and linen etc. For rentals of over 1 month, it is best to email us for a price since we may be able to offer a discount.

What is included in the price?

Our price includes a Riviera Pebbles agent meeting you on arrival, beds freshly made with Egyptian linen and towels, a basic grocery pack to get you started in the apartment, all utilities and taxes, and cleaning the apartment at the end of your stay. You will also have your agents' contact mobile number to use during your stay to deal with any difficulties which may arise. And you are welcome to pop into our office at 20 Rue de L'Hotel des Postes near to the bus station in Nice.

I am not familiar with the advertised currency. What is the price in Australian Dollars?

Click here for a currency converter.

How do I book?

You can book on-line at any time. Should you prefer to speak to us before booking, you can ring us or email us and we will help you process your booking. We ask for a deposit of 25% of the value of the booking to secure the dates. This deposit is non-refundable.

Two months before arrival, the balance will be requested, minus the French Service Charge which is due in Euros on arrival. To avoid any doubt whilst the French Service Charge is paid on arrival, it is still included in the price quoted. There are no hidden or extra charges.The French service charge is fixed at the time of booking. We cannot be responsible for fluctuations in currency. If you want more information on this, please see our
Terms and Conditions.

How do I pay?

Riviera Pebbles can accept payment through all major credit and debit cards. You can provide your credit card details over the telephone, by email or through our secure server when you book online.

How will I know how to get to the apartment?

We meet all of our guests personally and take you to the apartment to ensure the start of your holiday is as stress free as possible. Once we have received your deposit, we will send you detailed information about the location of the rental property and suggestions of where to meet.

We give you several choices of where to meet including a local cafe bar, the bus station, the nearest tram station and outside the apartment for those arriving by taxi. You will also receive all details of the agent responsible for your party during your stay. You will also have access to our personnel to ask any questions.

We want to make sure you have the best possible experience in the rental apartment you have booked through Riviera Pebbles.

I’m American. These European Bed Sizes confuse me. How big are your beds?

Unfortunately bed sizes don’t travel across the continents. We list in European sizes, so Americans who are used to bigger beds, should take note. If the size of a bed is very important to you, and you want big and wide, look for Super King Size on our rental apartment listings. Our Super King is generally your King. Our King is your Queen. We also say single when you say twin. Here is a general guide:

US Twin: 75 x 39 inches / European Single: 75 inches x 36 inches

US Double: 75 x 54 inches / European Double: 78 inches x 55 inches

US Queen: 80 x 60 inches / European King: 78 inches x 63 inches

US King: 80 x 76 inches / European Super King: 78 inches x 72 inches

For a conversion into centimeters, 1 inches = 2.54 centimeters.

Our apartment rentals with Super King Size beds are:

Ponchettes Plage, Vieux Ponchettes, Casablanca and Villa Mimosa.

You can find these rental properties easily by putting the apartment name into the "keyword" on our Browse and Book facility.

What if I need to cancel?

The 25% paid on booking the apartment is not refundable. Any other monies that we have has received from you will be refunded as follows: over 28 days before arrival, 50 percent will be refunded; over 14 days before arrival, 25 percent will be refunded. To comply with money laundering regulations, our refunds can only be made by direct payment back to the credit card the monies were received from. In some cases you may incur your bank’s small handling charge for this service. Riviera Pebbles cannot refund monies any other way to avoid the risk of inadvertently “cleaning” money. We thank you in advance for your understanding. Should you wish to claim for any lost monies through your insurance company, then we will assist as far as we possibly can.

What time can I check in?

Check-in time is 4pm on the day of arrival, but Riviera Pebbles agents will try to give you access to the apartment as soon as we can when you arrive. We try our best to give you the keys to your rental apartment earlier than 4pm, at least to drop off your luggage whilst we get it ready for you.

Riviera Pebbles agents charge additional monies for late arrivals, payable on arrival as follows:
30 euros for arrivals after 9pm
50 euros for arrivals after 11 pm

What time is check out?

Check-out time is 10:30am. It is always at the discretion of the Riviera Pebbles agent if they will allow a guest to stay later than 10:30am. Out of season, providing the apartment is not to be taken by another guest that day, we will allow you to stay late. However, if a guest is arriving that day, or the cleaning schedule is tight, we will ask that you vacate the apartment at the due time. Where possible we will work around your luggage.

If your flight is later than 3pm, consider booking an extra night. It usually doesn't cost that much for one more night and then you can make the most of your holiday with access to your rental apartment all day.

Do I have to pay a security deposit?

Riviera Pebbles agents will take credit card details from you on arrival in the same way a hotel does. They will not charge the card unless damage occurs. In the event of any damage, you are advised to call the Riviera Pebbles agent so the damage can be assessed with you. Failure to do this will result in the Riviera Pebbles agent’s decision on the value of the damage being final.

Are pets allowed in the apartments?

Much as we love pets, in the interest of all of our guests who may suffer allergies, we are afraid without exception pets are not welcome in the apartments.

Is smoking allowed in the apartments?

No, all of our apartments are non-smoking.

What if I want to change my dates?

Changing dates will require us to update the owner, the cleaners, our assistants and the calendars. There will therefore be an administration charge of £ 30 to £ 60 for date changes for the same rental apartment once your deposit has been paid. Please see our Terms and Conditions for more information. We may not always be able to accommodate date changes, but will try to do so where possible. If we cannot change your dates and you no longer wish to stay with us, our cancellation policy will apply.

What if I want to change my apartment?

Changing apartments will require us to deal with two owners, update two sets of calendars, updating assistants and cleaners for two rental apartments. There will therefore be an administration charge of £ 50 for apartment changes once your deposit has been received and the confirmation form sent out to you. We may not always be able to accommodate apartment changes, but will try to do so where possible. If we cannot accommodate a move to another rental apartment and you no longer wish to stay with us, our cancellation policy will apply

What is you Refund Policy

We will pay refunds as soon as possible, but never later than thirty days of receiving your cancellation and the funds will be returned to the credit/debit card account they were received from.

Terms:
By accepting this quotation and proceeding with payment, our Guests accept the following:
1. You are responsible for taking out comprehensive insurance.
2. We are relieved from any liabilities if the rental property should become unavailable for any unforeseen circumstances. A refund will be given limited to the sums paid to us, and all efforts will be made to secure alternative accommodation for you.
3. Under any circumstances, our liability to you will be limited to the amount of rent paid to us.

What is your Privacy Policy

We will retain the information about yourself that you give our agents, but we will not share any information with anyone outside Riviera Pebbles Ltd, Nice Pebbles Ltd or Nice Pebbles SARL unless ordered by a court, and will treat all information as confidential. However, direct employees and contractors of Riviera Pebbles Ltd, Nice Pebbles Ltd and Nice Pebbles SARL may have access to your information during the normal course of their work. You can rest assured we will never sell or give away any information about you.

Riviera Pebbles core privacy principles:

1. We will not sell or rent your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes and will only disclose your personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy and/or with your explicit consent.
2. Third parties are not permitted to sell the information we provide to them, to market directly to you, or to disclose it in any other way without your explicit consent.
3. We share your personal information with Internal Service Providers for our operations only to facilitate or outsource a Riviera Pebbles service or operation when absolutely necessary and under confidential restrictions.
4. We share your personal information with other Riviera Pebbles members in accordance with our Privacy Policy to help facilitate transaction and to allow members to contact you.
5. We disclose limited personal contact information to verified requests by law enforcement and government officials who conduct criminal investigations, and require a court order for additional personal information, in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
6. We will provide you with notice if our privacy policy changes.