Monaco runs on luck and nerve, and nowhere proves it better than the Place du Casino where François Blanc built a casino and then, sensibly, a hotel grand enough to match it. And that hotel was the magnificent Hôtel de Paris, the anchor of the square ever since and an icon of Monaco. Instantly recognisable by its cream Belle Époque front and stained-glass dome (and usually a line of Ferraris and Rolls-Royces outside), it's the only hotel in Monaco to hold Michelin's top rating of Three Keys, and it earns every one of them.
Walking up the front steps, you're met by a stained-glass dome frescoed with naiads and tritons, acres of marble, and gold leaf just about everywhere you look. For eating and drinking, there are several restaurants ranging from legendary, Michelin-starred Le Grill on the top floor to Bar Américain for cocktails and secret corners. Beneath the flower gardens is the cellar, home to 350,000 bottles aged to perfection and worthy of a pre-dinner tour with the Head Sommelier. The spa, the Thermes Marins Monte-Carlo, is connect to the hotel by a tunnel, whilst loungers at the Monte Carlo Beach Club are reserved exclusively for guests.
Rooms and suites come in two moods: sleek and contemporary with polished brass and warm art, or classically dressed in Louis XVI furniture and fabrics that shimmer in the sunlight. 90% have balconies or terraces and it's worth requesting one with a view – preferably the port, the casino square or the sea. Whichever you choose, you'll also find stunning Calacatta marble floors, Murano glass overhead and Guerlain in the bathroom. At the top end, the Diamond Suites are in a league of their own.
Wander across the square to take your chances at Casino de Monte-Carlo, then seek out Thermes Marins for a treatment or two. Drive 20 minutes up the coast to Èze for cobbles and cactus gardens, or watch the Prince's Palace guard change at 11:55am sharp. Two minutes from the door, the Salle Garnier puts on opera, ballet and the Monte-Carlo Jazz Festival every autumn. Come in May and skip all your plans to watch the Grand Prix run right past the front door.
The underground cellar tour that takes you through galleries hacked into the rock in the 1870s. The tasting at the end is exquisite!
If it's a clear night, settle into Le Grill on the eighth floor and marvel at the celestial show above through the retractable ceiling.
Grand Prix week turns the front door into a grandstand, with rates and noise to match. Brilliant if that's why you came, wrong if it isn't...
Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo can be booked with Timbuktu as part of a tailor-made France trip, rather than as a standalone room reservation. Start online, customising one of our recommended France trips featuring Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo or get advice and suggestions from one of our France specialists who will design the trip around your dates, check availability and handle every booking for you.
Stays at Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo start from around $450, or US$450, per person per night as part of a tailor-made trip. The exact price depends on your travel dates, room type and the shape of the rest of your itinerary. A Timbuktu travel specialist can give you an accurate quote for your dates.
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