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Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo Vs. Hôtel Hermitage Vs. Metropole Vs. Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, which is best? This review explains why you should go to Monaco and the best hotel to stay in.
The tiny principality of Monaco is one of our favorite destinations. Monte Carlo is glamorous, lively, and bathed in the sunshine of the French Riviera. We have already reviewed the best luxury hotels in Monte-Carlo. Now we compare Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo Vs. Hôtel Hermitage Vs. Metropole Vs. Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort to enable you to choose your hotel wisely.
Monaco is only a short flight from London. BA flies from London to Nice in less than 2 hours (as does Easyjet). Once in Monaco, hop in a helicopter from the airport for €230 EUR o/w, the nearest taxi for €100 EUR, transfer time is usually less than 40 minutes. Alternatively, the 110 bus will shuttle you directly there for around €20 EUR per person and will drop you at your hotel. You can also train it, and the station in Monaco is a feat of engineering, being a huge tunnel exploded out of solid rock and accessed by numerous small tunnels, but the initial shuttle from Nice airport to the nearest station Saint-Augustin, is irregular and a pain, its too far to walk, and when you arrive you still need to get to your hotel from the station.
Life does not get more glamorous. Monaco is one of the few places in the world where you can glam up in the latest dress or fur, handbag, and Louboutins and not look overdressed. Everybody does it. In fact, once the day-trippers have left in the evening, you will stand out if you haven’t made an effort. Women are beautiful. Men are dapper (if a little older in many cases). Monaco is also statistically one of the safest places in the world. As local resident Shirley Bassey said, “It’s the only place I know in the world where you can wear jewelry and feel safe.”
Proximity to everything is a huge plus here. You can literally walk everywhere in Monte Carlo, and with the help of a warren of escalators and a network of underground lifts, you don’t even need to break into a sweat traversing up and down to the Casino.
There is an almost unlimited choice of restaurants, from the cheap pizzas down by the marinas and up in the old town to the formal 3-starred Le Louis XV-Alain Ducasse – a favorite of Prince Albert of Monaco.
Whatever time of year, Monaco is lively. There is always a billionaire’s superyacht or cruise ship docking, a fortunate tax-avoiding celebrity having a beer in a bar, and numerous fairs, exhibitions, shows, motor races, sports events, and even circuses going on. You can’t get bored. If you like designer goods, this is the cheapest place I have found to buy my Louboutins and other designer gear, as Monaco is tax-free, and there is a great range of designer shops.
Considering the weather, July and August are hot and sweaty, and the town is jam-packed with tourists during the day. This is the time of year to enjoy lazing by the pool at the Monte Carlo Bay hotel. May, June, and September are the best time to visit, as it is still warm enough to laze by outdoor pools but not sweltering. Monaco loses the touristy feeling in October-April, and you get to live more like a “local.” Even in the winter, when the sun comes out, you can sit outside Cafe de Paris in a T-shirt with a beer and sit outside under a heater lamp in the evening. The bar at the Hotel Metropole is THE place to drink this time of year, and Christmas is my absolute favorite time to visit out of season. The decorations are magical.
What Monaco doesn’t have is a nice beach. The local beach is poor, and the “sand” resembles cat litter and is nasty and dusty. The beautiful sandy-bottomed lagoon at the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel and Resort is your best option, Followed by the Beach Club at the Monte Carlo Beach hotel.
1. Best Location
Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo, Hôtel Hermitage, and Hotel Metropole are all right by Casino Square in the center of Monte-Carlo. Their location cannot be beaten. Hotel Metropole is marginally more inland, which means it doesn’t offer the wonderful harbor views of Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo and Hôtel Hermitage.
Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort is around a 25-minute walk from Casino Square and is on the water’s edge. It has a lovely location but is not quite as convenient. The Hotel does provide a shuttle to the center if you don’t want to walk.
2. Best Views
Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo, Hôtel Hermitage, and Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort all offer great views. All the rooms at the Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort have a view. We prefer the view overlooking Monaco and the pools Vs. the view looking towards Italy. The rooms with Monaco views also enjoy more sunshine.
At Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo and Hôtel Hermitage, you must select the exclusive sea view rooms to get a view over the harbor. It is worth paying extra for a room with a view at these hotels.
3. Best Balcony
The balconies on the new Sea View rooms at the Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo and all the balconies at Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort are brilliant. You only get a Romeo and Juliette balcony unless you book a suite at Hotel Metropole. Hotel Hermitage has rooms with balconies, terraces, and Romeo and Juliette balconies. Select the specific room type for specific views and balconies here.
4. Best Pool
Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort probably has some of the best pools in Europe. It offers a large and tropical indoor outdoor pool with fountains and a jacuzzi. It also offers a Lagion pool with a sandy bottom and waterfalls. All the pools sit on a headland jutting into the Mediterranean. You can even swim in the sea from the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel.
The pool at the Metropole is very stylish. In the summer, it is an outdoor pool. In the winter, it is an indoor pool. The winter version of this pool is particularly good as this area offers an immaculate and ultra-stylish pool area and surrounds. This spa pool is also quiet and warm and long enough to swim up and down in. I love this pool in the winter, but in the summer, it can be surrounded by people lunching, so you can feel very self-conscious.
Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo and Hôtel Hermitage share access to the impressive Thermes Marins in Monaco, a luxurious spa and wellness center offering a wide variety of treatments, from massage and beauty treatments to medical treatments. The spa also features an indoor seawater pool with a breathtaking view of the Mediterranean Sea, perfect for relaxing and enjoying the sunshine. The pool is heated, with a temperature of 28-32°C (82-90°F). The facilities also include several saunas and steam rooms, a jacuzzi, fitness classes, and a restaurant.
Sounds good, yes? Unfortunately, some of us react with the saltwater in this pool. They mix it with a chemical or minerals that reacts badly with some people’s skin. After using this pool, I come out with bright red burning skin. My son also suffers from the same issue. My husband is fine. I have noticed other women leave the pool with skin the same angry red as mine. The redness goes after a few hours, but the reaction is unpleasant and means I can’t use this pool which is a shame.
5. Best Rooms
The rooms at Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo, Hôtel Hermitage and Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort are great. The more you pay, the larger the balcony or terrace, but none of these hotels have a bad room. The rooms in Hotel Metropole are tired and in need of new carpets.
6. Best Hotel For Families
Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort because of the amazing pool.
7. Best Hotel For Couples
Hotel de Paris Monte-Carlo and Hôtel Hermitage, as they are gorgeous and right in the center of the action.
If you book any luxury hotel in Monte Carlo, including the Hôtel Hermitage, Hôtel De Paris, Monte Carlo Bay, or even the Fairmont or Meridien, use our luxury travel concierge, to get two free breakfasts along with other fantastic benefits such as a delicious welcome gift, a prioritized room upgrade (subject to availability) and $100 resort credit.
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