Monte Carlo Travel Guide

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We Made Ours a Combo at the Hermitage Hotel's Spa

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: Square Beaumarchais , Monte Carlo, Monaco, 98000
January 12, 2012 at 9:15 AM | by | Comments (0)

The dress code at Monte Carlo's Hermitage Hotel may be 'chic' and 'elegant attire,' but if you see guests wandering around the lobby in robes and slippers, as we did, there's no need to call the fashion police. These people have just come been enjoying the hotel's spa, Thermes Marins Monte-Carlo.

We had the chance to try a treatment there recently, and we gotta say, there's more going on here than just scented candles and Swedish massages. The spa is known for its sports programs, high-tech machines and nutritional counseling, all of which draw high-profile athletes and the dancers of the local Monte Carlo Ballet.

Then there's that huge solarium-style pool with views of the Mediterranean...

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Forget the Christmas Tree, Rub Here for Good Luck at the Hotel de Paris

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: Place du Casino, Monte Carlo, Monaco, 98000
December 21, 2011 at 12:16 PM | by | Comments (0)

While we're rather partial to Monte Carlo's Hotel Hermitage for its quiet elegance, and dig the water views and amenities over at the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel, all of the big names who visit Monaco stay at the Hotel de Paris.

That includes the gamblers. As the closest hotel to the Casino Monte-Carlo, and with rates that warrant a turn at the blackjack table, Hotel de Paris is a natural choice for anyone keen for a flutter. What we learned when popping into the Hotel De Paris for dinner recently, was that it is tradition upon entering the hotel's lobby to rub the knee of Louis XIV's horse.

You won't have any trouble remembering which knee of the statue to caress, either--as you can see from our snapshot, the many years of lucky rubs have left their mark on the ol' steed.

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Santa Has His Sights Set on Hotel Hermitage Monte Carlo

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: Square Beaumarchais, Monte Carlo, Monaco, 98000
December 20, 2011 at 3:40 PM | by | Comments (0)

If you've seen the latest iPhone ad, you know that Santa is using Siri to navigate his way around the globe this Christmas. One place we know he'll be hitting up is the pretty Hotel Hermitage in Monte Carlo.

The posh hotel, the more subdued sister of the famous Hotel de Paris, is offering a special Christmas package partly inspired by the growing number of families who have to choose sides when it comes to where to spend Christmas. And they're throwing in an appearance by Père Noël aka Santa.

We already told you about the hotel's Christmas package here but if you're in need of a very, very last-minute stay in MC for Xmas, here's what the Hermitage is offering:

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We Have Selena Gomez to Blame For This Bad Case of Hotel Lust

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: Place du Casino, Monte Carlo, Monaco, 98000
July 5, 2011 at 4:00 PM | by | Comments (0)

You may know the luxe Hotel de Paris in Monaco from the James Bond movies and its location adjacent to the famous Monte Carlo casino but now your daughter also knows the hotel, thanks to new Selena Gomez movie, "Monte Carlo."

But just FYI, there is no Grimaldi Suite at the hotel, although the Churchill and Garnier suites are nothing short of spectacular. Not that the regular rooms are all that shabby either. The five different room categories each have their own distinct look (we're partial to the pretty city view rooms and the more modern courtyard rooms--the sea view rooms seem fussy) and all come with luxe furnishings, decor and amenities.

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Wouldn't You Like to Feel The Sand Beneath Your Feet...in This Hotel Pool?

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 40 Avenue Princesse Grace, Monte Carlo, Monaco, 98000
January 26, 2011 at 11:16 AM | by | Comments (4)

As we mentioned yesterday in our review of the Monte Carlo Bay Resort, the place to be when staying at the hotel is poolside.

That's because the hotel's pool area includes a sandy-bottomed "lagoon", an indoor swimming pool (that connects to the outdoor one), a childrens pool, and several jacuzzis placed throughout.

And while you're busy walking on sand, the mesmerizing Mediterranean is always just over your shoulder. You may even be able to spot Grandma's cruise ship a Russian billionaire's yacht!

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Inside The Monte Carlo Bay Resort, But It Might Cost You Extra

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 40 Avenue Princesse Grace, Monte Carlo, Monaco, 98000
January 25, 2011 at 10:11 AM | by | Comment (1)

Yesterday, we took you inside the posh Hermitage Hotel in Monte Carlo. Today, we're giving you another option to consider when you head to Monaco this summer--The Monte Carlo Bay Resort.

We've already spouted our love for the rooms' plug panels but now allow us to take you all the way inside.

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Inside The Hermitage Hotel in Monte Carlo, For Those Who Live in 'Chic' and 'Elegant' Attire

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: Square Beaumarchais, Monte Carlo, Monaco, 98000
January 24, 2011 at 12:16 PM | by | Comments (0)

Things may be quiet on the South of France right now, not to mention a little chilly but if you're keen to get planning on your summer vacay, allow us to take you inside the ritzy Hermitage Hotel in Monte Carlo.

The hotel has a magnificent location in Square Beaumarchais with killer views of the Mediterranean and the Monte Carlo marina (Hello, Yacht-spotting!) It's also steps away (or a Lamborghini joyride) from the famed Monte Carlo Casino, luxury designer stores and countless watch shops (there's even a Prada store within the hotel.)

But is it worth your sugar daddy's money? Let's go inside....

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No French, Italian or English Needed to Understand What This Means

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 40 Avenue Princesse Grace, Monte Carlo, Monaco, 98000
October 11, 2010 at 5:00 PM | by | Comments (0)

You know how much we love our plug panels here at HotelChatter so imagine our excitement when we checked into the Monte Carlo Bay Resort in Monaco and saw this on the wall underneath the TV--a plug panel that all languages can understand! (Most of the resort signs are in French, Italian and English.)

We also loved the generously-sized flat-screen TV that hung on the wall opposite the bed. After staying in four different hotels in Europe before this one, we were starting to think that Euros did not like big flat-screen TVs. But the Monte Carlo Bay Resort had this one all turned on with a personalized greeting too.

Room rates at the hotel, which is part of the Societe des Bains Mers, start around 500 Euros a night for a city view room. We actually booked ours through Kiwi Collection for 319 Euros a night which included a great breakfast spread every day. (We may have eaten three croissants one day. Don't judge.)

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Room with a Killer View: The Boats Float By in Monte Carlo

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 12, Avenue des Spelugues, Monte Carlo, France, 98007
July 5, 2007 at 11:24 AM | by | Comments (0)

We are suckers for a room with a killer view.  We find that we are even more likely to forgive some minor hotel inconveniences if we can stare out the window at something pretty--yeah we are that shallow. Let's help out our fellow hotel mavens by uploading rooms with killer views to the HotelChatter/Flickr photo pool, or by sending the photo along to us. We will feature our favorites in this space from time to time. Remember to tell us the name of the hotel and the room number of the hot view.

This killer view seems to be actually even better than the hotel promo pictures suggest. It was taken at the luxurious Fairmont Monte Carlo so you can be sure that this kind of view ain't cheap (an attempt at this view might set you back something like 350 Euro but rooms can go well over a thousand Euro a night).

The hotel has a zig-zag design that maximizes the number of rooms that really do get the yacht-drifting-past-your-window view, though. If you've been in the last few years you might've thought, like many previous guests, that the Fairmont was in need of a reno to get away from its 70s roots, and this is now underway.

[Photo: davidbarsotti]

Related Stories:
· Fairmont Monte Carlo reviews [TripAdvisor]

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French Riviera Style: Columbus Hotel Monaco

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 23 Avenue Des Papalins, Monte Carlo, Monaco
March 28, 2007 at 9:10 AM | by | Comments (0)

The Cannes Film Festival is still a ways off (it starts on May 16) but a reader's recent tip about the French Riviera got us daydreaming about escaping to Cote d'Azure. This week we'll be talking about some of the hotels worthy of checking into. As always, we wanna know what you think, not just what Uma, Rod Stewart, P.Diddy and Paris Hilton think, of the hotels here. So send us your thoughts and questions or comment below the story, telling us what's right, what's wrong and what's just French.

For those looking for a not-so-secret stay along the French Riviera, then may we suggest the Columbus Monaco a boutique hotel owned by Formula One Star David Coulthard. Located in the Princess Grace Rose Garden (a 6-minute helicopter ride and 30-minute car ride from the Nice airport if you feel the need for speed), the hotel has 153 bedrooms and 28 suites each equipped with some crazy technology like:

An interactive TV system with infrared cordless computer keyboard, dual phone lines with direct modem access, CD stereo system and Playstation

Of course, this hotel is all about flash so the hotel's bar and trendy brasserie "have already become two of the coolest drinking and dining spots on the Cote d'Azur."

If you want to head to the beach, the hotel has a taxi-boat take you to Paloma Beach at the tip of Cap Ferrat or you can have a helicopter fly you to St. Tropez for the day. Other hotel services include yacht rentals, golfing, fashion consulting or as they call it "looking good sessions" and a Danielle Steiner spa.

The reviews on the place are pretty stellar except for a recent one where a guest complaining that David Coulthard wasn't overly-gracious. Meanwhile, we are upset that the beds aren't built like the racecar bed from Silver Spoon.

[Photo: TripAdvisor]

Related Stories:
· Columbus Hotel Monaco reviews [TripAdvisor]
· French Riviera Style: La Bastide Gourmande [HotelChatter]

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Anti-View: An Overpass Ruins the Mirabeau View from Room 511

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 1 Avenue Princesse Grace, Monte Carlo, Monaco, 98000
September 28, 2006 at 12:43 PM | by | Comments (0)

This hotel view in Monte Carlo is close to being perfect with the pool and the beach in sight. But that damned overpass? What architect decided to build that?

The Mirabeau Hotel is in the first five floors of a thirty story building, the balance being luxury apartments. We were lucky enough to get a room on the fifth floor (#511) with a nice sea view and a generously sized private balcony.

Ah-ha so if you own a room higher up than the fifth floor, your view will cancel out more of that overpass. The rest of you hotel guests will have to deal with the overpass.

Related Stories:
· Nice hotel, view overlooking Mediterranean, near casino [Real Travel]
· Hotel Mirabeau Reviews [TripAdvisor]

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Monte Carlo Bay Set To Open

Go To The Hotel's Web Site Where: 40 Avenue Princesse Grace, Monte Carlo, Monaco
September 26, 2005 at 10:54 AM | by | Comments (0)

The Monte Carlo Bay Resort, is set to October 1, will feature over 11 floors, its 334 rooms, 21 of which are suites, private terraces overlooking the Côte d'Azur.

Furthermore, the resort will feature four restaurants, two bars (one situated on a terrace overlooking the sea) all in the hopes of keeping you right inside their resort while you visit Monaco.

Next month, we should know how things will work out at Monte Carlo Bay.

Related Stories:
·   Monte Carlo Bay Hotel Reviews [TripAdvisor]

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