Experience luxe Monaco during a stay at the inimitable Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo Monaco.
The facts
Traveller: Belinda Jackson
Room: Exclusive Room with sea view and terrace
Address: Sq. Beaumarchais, Monaco
Date: April, 2023
Price range: €450 – €2,000 during on the season
Best for: An impeccably polished, yet warm and welcoming hotel with to-die-for views of the Côte d’Azur.
Location
At just 2km2 wide, Monaco is the world’s smallest country after the Vatican and is all luxury. However, for peak luxe, head to the Monte-Carlo district, where the Hotel Hermitage Monte-Carlo Monaco is located. Surrounded by France, the Italian border is also just a 30-minute drive, making a three-country visit entirely possible in one afternoon.
Within a short walk, you can find…
Facing the azure blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea, Monégasque life revolves around that view. Swim in the waters at the city beach and down fresh oysters on the marina. And don’t miss a visit to the beautiful Oceanographic Museum dedicated to exploring and preserving life in those waters.
Claim to fame
In 1898, the Hôtel Hermitage transformed from a modest inn to a lavish palace – literally. The façade is modelled on the Prince of Monaco’s palace and epitomises the grandeur of Monaco, yet sans stuffiness. The sister property to the Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo, the Hermitage is set back one block from Place du Casino and gives all the glamour without the daytrippers at your door.
The showstopper
It’s hard to choose where to enjoy breakfast; inside the Jardin d’Hiver (winter garden), beneath the stained-glass ceiling by Gustave Eiffel, or on the terrace, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.
The room
My room is an Exclusive Room, which has a sea view with a terrace, and the view over Monaco’s Port d’Hercule is breathtaking. I take a seat on the terrace to watch the sun drop and the lights glitter across the water and the many, many yachts moored there. The décor is a very Belle-Époque, with trompe l’oeils and murals with a restful, muted palette. Glass doors lead out to the balcony, and a spacious marble and mosaic-lined bathroom with bath and bidet.
Amenity game
It’s only natural the shower amenities are Acqua di Parma’s Blu Mediterraneo range, and the unisex Aranci di Capri fragrance channels the Cote d’Azur vibe perfect. A coffee pod machine, tea and bottled water are waiting in the room.
Beyond the rooms
Expect crystal chandeliers and more than a fleeting nod to the palace at Versailles. Particularly in the riotous Belle Epoque conference room, where a pair of sunglasses wouldn’t go astray. Its owner, the Société des Bains de Mer de Monaco, has four hotels in Monaco. A free shuttle bus runs between them and the celebrity-approved Monte-Carlo Beach Club, open April to October.
Spa life
The Thermes Marins Monte-Carlo is connected via subterranean corridors through the Hotel Hermitage, but it’s good for the step count. It includes a solarium, fitness centre and a heated seawater pool. I am one of the few swimmers until a water aerobics group kicks off. Then, retreat to the spa and sauna, followed by a dip in the chilled plunge pool. You can also book an appointment in the beauty and hair salons, or arrange a massage.
Dish to dine for
The hotel is home to the Michelin-starred restaurant Pavyllon, by Yannick Alléno, a disciple of Alain Ducasse. Given its address, you’d be forgiven for expecting over-the-top formality, but stepping into the restaurant reveals a modern dining room with a large counter curved around the open kitchen. Most diners are sitting up there, eating and chatting with the wait staff and, when they’re free, the chefs.
My 11-year-old is welcomed and spoilt with the spaghetti with blue lobster bolognese. I opt for a sensational turbot filet brushed with mustard and grilled. The chocolate soufflé is the crowd-pleaser, though my beautiful dish of zucchini flowers with Fontainebleau cream easily rivals it, for non-chocophiles.
Staying in
After a visit to the Thermes Marin, show your newly polished self at lunch the L’Hirondelle restaurant or the all-day L’Atlantide bar on the terrace, which has the same dramatic sea views as my room. On a Sunday night, the in-house Le Crystal Bar didn’t hit its peak until late night, when it was suddenly packed with a lively crowd.
Stepping out
The Prince’s Monaco has a staggering events calendar that draws the international jet set to the principality. There’s the Formula 1 Grand Prix, the Monte-Carlo Masters tennis tournament, and Le Sporting, Monaco’s summer festival season, which runs through July and August. The 2023 season opens with Chris Isaak and includes Sting, Rita Ora, Robbie Williams, Norah Jones and Ricky Martin, with the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra. Year-round, the Casino de Monte-Carlo – which is in the same stable as Hotel Hermitage – is an undoubtable lure for its reputation for glamour, aided by its appearance in several Bond movies and the Clooney-Pitt hit, Oceans Twelve. It’s worth a visit for the interior design alone.
The family factor
I visited Monaco with my tween, who was welcomed as effusively in the Michelin-starred restaurant as she was in the more casual strip of colourful restaurants along Larvotto Beach. Burn off excess energy on the winding walk up the Rock to visit the Prince’s palaces. Walk the cute cobbled streets of Monaco-Ville, the oldest part of the principality, with plenty of ice-cream parlours at the top, as a reward. The Oceanographic Museum is deservedly one of Monaco’s top attractions, fascinating for adults and children.
Before booking
August, when France packs up and goes on holiday, is the peak of Monaco’s long peak season, and hotel rooms triple (and even quadruple) in price. February and October are its lowest months. And with 300 days of sunshine a year, Monaco provides a warm anecdote to the chill of even Paris. Hotel Hermitage is also a member of the Leading Hotels of the World.
Insiders’ tips
The Monapass app lets you buy tickets and passes to its museums and the bus tour, skipping the queues – ideal especially when cruise ships are in town.
Non-gamblers can take a tour or walk onto the casino floor before midday. Monte-Carlo SBM guests can present their room key for access at any time, though unless you’ve intent and the bank balance to match, the high rollers’ room, with its glorious terrace, will remain out of reach.
If only…
…I had time to visit the 150-year-old wine cellar beneath the Hermitage’s sister hotel, Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo. It has a fabulous history, and even more fabulous collection of some of the world’s most lauded wines, including vintages from Château d’Yquem and Château Margaux.
I wish I could take home
…the joi d’vivre of the French Riviera – the principality is a little haven from the world’s troubles. I’ll have to settle for a bottle of locally made limoncello from La Maison du Limoncello, in Monaco-Ville which promises it has bottled the zest of Monaco.
Signature expert rating
9/10
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