I’ve been based on the Côte d’Azur for more than three decades and have witnessed Monaco’s transformation into the 21st century firsthand – not least its thriving hotel scene. Arguably some of the best hotels in Monaco are also some of the best hotels in Europe. There’s reason aplenty to visit, from witnessing innovative measures in sports and tourism to visiting cutting-edge art and music venues. No one could forget when Prince (the artist formerly-known-as rock star) performed on a steamy August night in 2009 at the gilded Salle Garnier inside the Opéra of Monte Carlo. Bathed in a purple glow, it was the first-time psychedelic strobes and mega-decibel guitar riffs reverberated through that historic Belle Époque concert hall. Today, the Casino Square buzzes with live rock and jazz at the New Moods Music Bar, while Cuban rhythms at fill the air at Amazonicó.
Recently, the completion of Mareterra – Monaco’s new luxe waterfront eco-district of land reclaimed from the sea — has added a six-hectare slice of coast to the Principality. Featuring high-end private residences designed by the likes of Renzo Piano, Tadeo Ando and Norman Foster, the new neighbourhood also includes a green park, restaurants, luxury boutiques, a sea-facing promenade (with a stunning pink and violet quartz “meditation grotto”) and a miniature port.
But it’s not all high-end glitter and gold. At the covered market at the Place des Armes, locals enjoy freshly made Barbagiuans – Monegasque fried dumplings with spinach, rice, cheese and leeks – and sip ice cold Monaco-brewed beer. Simple pleasures abound: lush tropical gardens, a shimmering sea, streets lined with bitter orange trees, and a sun-drenched climate. As the traditional proverb in Monegasque dialect, still taught in local schools, proclaims: Gò avü tutu qué chi vòu, meaning “I have everything I want.”
Of course, there are still overdressed matrons teetering along the sidewalks in designer heels with their pedigree pooches, a superyacht-clogged harbour and rows of gleaming red sports cars parked in the Casino Square, but the dazzle grows on you in different ways. As Edward Munch, the renowned Norwegian painter of The Scream, aptly summed up: “Once you’ve penetrated the enchanted castle of Monte Carlo you’re already bewitched and you’ll return – you have to.” Here’s my edit of the best hotels in Monaco, and where I’ll inevitably be returning to next time I go.
Editor’s picks:
Best for luxury: Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo
Best location: Fairmont Monte Carlo
Best boutique stay: Port Palace