Arriving off a long-haul flight, dressed in jeans, polo, a jumper and sneakers, I immediately feel somewhat out of place walking into the enormous anteroom of the fabled Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo.
As the doorman welcomes and guides me through the revolving doors, I encounter businessmen and women, huddled together standing or assembled chatting around small tables, dressed in tailored three-piece suits, jackets, ties, crisp collared shirts and women dressed in their finery, jewels and high heels.
Fifteen paces in this landmark ultra-luxury property I’m greeted by a bronze equestrian horse and rider statue of Louise XIV. A reproduction of the work of Giradon which was to rise on Paris’ Place de la Concorde, in 1983. The filly’s raised and bent right knee and leg is shining compared to the rest of the effigy, viewed by generations of guests as a sign of good luck.
Offsetting the predominately white lobby is an abundant and glorious pink, purple and white floral centerpiece display on a mahogany topped table with a gold inlay, sitting beneath a high-roofed glass domed ceiling with ornate carvings and a stunning bejewelled chandelier.
Rising from the marble floor are gold coated columns that dissolve to white as they meet extravagant crown moulding on curved architraves and decorative cornices, themselves revealing artistic and ornamental carvings and sculptures of multitudes of shapes, patterns, shells, mythical sea life and more.
Walking across this classy welcoming zone to reception, slightly hidden in an alcove towards the rear left, I’m greeted by numerous other hotel staff holding various ranks – “Bonjour, Bienvenue à Hôtel de Paris” they say with a genuine smile.
I am promptly checked in and personally guided to my accommodation on the 2nd floor (Room 291): an Exclusive Room with a Sea View. The antique white of the lobby and hallways is replicated in the room, accentuated by decorative wainscoting on every wall, a baby chandelier, and amber-framed prints of mostly white, cream, gold, grey and blue patterns hanging from three of the four walls (the fourth wall has a flatscreen TV hanging from it).
The herringbone pattern wooden floorboards lead from the entryway down a small hallway. On one side is an overly spacious floor to ceiling marble clad bathroom with a double vanity, deep standalone bath and separate rain-head shower (with a full width, built-in seat). On the other is a separate washroom with an electric bidet, a small handbasin and mirror, and a separate walk-in closet with ample storage for a three- to four-night stay for two people.At 42 sqm, my sanctuary for the next 18 hours has a copious amount of space. The king bed is donned with four sleeping pillows of different weights and five smaller and colourful scatter pillows. Bedside table lamps resemble historic multi-storey houses, or perhaps it’s the facade of the hotel itself. A red velvet chaise lounge sits at the foot of the bed, opposite which is a slipper chair in matching material.
The room also has a small two-seat writing desk, a coffee table adorned with a seasonal (late winter) bouquet of orange, yellow and white roses, beside which is a shallow bowl stacked with fresh oranges, mandarins and cumquats and greenery, and a welcome chocolate with my name etched. Fancy.
A six-draw walnut coloured chest of drawers beside the bed offers additional storage space, while the unit beneath the wall-mounted TV has a coffee machine, kettle and a wine bottle holder on display, and behind the mirror finished doors is a hidden fully stocked mini-bar and slide-out draws with wine, champagne, port and gin glasses, spirits, chocolates, lollies, nuts and cookies.
On the dresser is a small bottle of the hotel’s parfum (available to purchase for 125 euros), a dramatically shrunk down version of the perfume bottle that greets guests in the elevator lobby when exiting the hotel lift.
My room’s oversized picture window, flanked by heavy drapes that run from the floor to the ceiling, looks over Avenue de Monte-Carlo, down onto Port Hercule where luxury cruise ships dock, and Le Rocher (The Rock) – the headland that offers panoramic views over the Principality.
Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo’s location in Monaco, adjacent to Casino de Monte-Carlo and the Opera De Monte-Carlo, cannot be matched. This is the place to be in the world’s second smallest country. There is a constant ebb and flow of the classiest supercars in Europe pulling up outside on the spectacular Casino Square.
Verdict
There simply aren’t enough superlatives that will capture the prestige, the charm and the elegance of Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo.
The view from the window was superb, looking across the famed marina towards the Oceanographic Museum.
The property is impeccable, every surface pristine, and I struggled to leave the warm embrace of my home away from home for dinner and breakfast the following day.
The volume of staff who were on-hand, intuitive and alert, keen to serve, sets a new benchmark for me in terms of luxury hotel customer service.Why send your clients here
Exquisite, bucket list hotel
Location, location, location
Exceptional service
Where to get a drink
American Bar, lobby of Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo
Try a Signature Cocktail, the Passion Fruit Julep
Where to dine
Cafê de Paris
Try the Sole with thyme off the Grill
Crêpes Suzette
LATTE experienced Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo as a guest of Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer.
