3 Best Hotels in Monaco

This Belle Époque hotel, set on land that once belonged to Pope Leo XIII, has pulled out all the stops in its decor—famed Paris designer Jacques Garcia has given the rooms his signature hyper-aristocratic look while the late Karl Lagerfield was the architect behind the Odyssey pool and lounge; it's also home to Yoshi, the only Japanese restaurant on the French Rivera to have been awarded a Michelin star. If you don't want a full-blown meal, lighter food is served all day in the lobby bar, which, quite frankly, is the place to be seen. This is one of the few independently owned hotels in Monaco, and it's won numerous awards for best hotel in France and Monaco, while its ultrapampering Spa by Givenchy, is one of three in the world.

The epitome of elegance and discretion, this hotel is where the gold-plated crowd comes not to be seen; even if you don’t stay here, visit the lobby to admire Gustav Eiffel's glass-dome Art Nouveau vestibule. The best rooms, including the Princely Diamond Suite from €22,000-a-night (a housekeeper will unpack your bags), face the sea or angle toward the port. Start with drinks at the Crystal Bar before heading to the Michelin-starred restaurant, Yannick Alléno à l'Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo, with its glamorous terrace offering sweeping views of the port and palace. Ask about the V.I.K. program for kids, which includes in-room Bonpoint natural cosmetics. 

Perched on a 10-acre peninsula, with 75% of its rooms offering sea views, this highly acclaimed luxury resort—which immodestly bills itself as "a natural Eden reinvented"—seeks to evoke the Côte d'Azur's 1920s heyday with its neoclassical columns and arches, exotic gardens, lagoon swimming pool, casino, and concert hall. It might all seem just a little over the top, but there is no denying the spaciousness and comfort of the rooms or the appeal of the sandy-bottomed lagoon stretching out toward the sea. If the helipad and yacht mooring seem superfluous, then you probably don't belong here. There are three restaurants to choose from, the best of which is the two-Michelin-starred Blue Bay, where chef Marcel Ravin serves world cuisine in a hip contemporary setting. Massages are available at the award-winning Cinq Mondes spa.