Monte Carlo is most noted as a playground to the rich with a fabled casino and Grand Prix racing made famous in movies. It is a district within the City-State of Monaco, a country on the French Rivera surrounded on three sides by France and opening to Mediterranean Sea on its fourth side. Ruled by a Royal Family, Monaco is only about 2 square miles in area, and has a permanent population of just under 40,000 with almost ten times that number visiting each year as tourists.
The famous Hairpin Curve
Fairmont Monte Carlo welcomes a good share of the visitors to this home of race cars, yachts and the most famous casino in the world. Featuring over 600 rooms and Suites, Fairmont Monte Carlo covers almost a ¼ mile of floor space throughout the 7 floors of one of the largest resorts on the entire Mediterranean coast.
The building was originally built as a resort hotel in 1975 on the footprint of first Monegasque railway station, a foundational wall of which can still be seen in a lower office of the current hotel. Built in part on pillars that place a portion of the building in the Mediterranean Sea, the hotel is totally heated and air conditioned by a sophisticated system that cycles the sea water drawn from a depth of 40 meters below the surface.
A multi-million-dollar renovation in 2005 modernizes the public spaces, restaurants, rooms and suites redecorating in a modern, Mediterranean style complimenting the azure sea and the earthly cliffs of Monte Carlo. The Fairmont Monte Carlo is children friendly and caters to their needs throughout the property, in the room and at the restaurants.
The expansive Fairmont Monte Carlo has meeting rooms that can accommodate private meetings, seminars and conventions from 10 people to 2,000. Famed for its catering, the Fairmont Monte Carlo, also hosts weddings and other receptions in house and offsite, coordinating group reservations for your event, in one of the few resorts on the Mediterranean with the capacity to accommodate group bookings.
Family vacations, romantic honeymoons, gambling junkets, yacht dockings or cultural sightseeing are all good reasons to select the Fairmont Monte Carlo as your destination in Monaco. Within the facility are modern comfortable lobby spaces, a Shopping Arcade with a Casino that overlooks the sea, the award-winning Fairmont Spa, the very popular rooftop Nikki Beach, with views as far as the eye can see, restaurants and bars.
The Fairmont Spa is the winner of the Monaco’s Leading Spa Resort 2016 by the World Travel Award.
The Saphir 24 Bistro Lounge and Bar begins the day with a Continental Breakfast with a ring side seat on the edge of the sea with floor to ceiling windows or enjoy a table for two on the cozy terrace. A relaxed casual atmosphere is maintained throughout the day with a bistro style menu for lunch and dinner. Uniquely French Tea Time is served in the early afternoons with pastries and talk of the day. Also featuring an exclusive wine lounge highlighting wines of the region.
Breakfast at The Horizon Deck, Restaurant and Champagne Bar
If you have ever dreamed of eating with a 360° view of the Legendary Opera House, Prince’s Palace, Casino, distant cliffs and miles of sky and sea, The Horizon Deck, Restaurant and Champagne Bar is here to fulfill your dreams. Located on the 7th floor, indoor seating includes glass walls and ceiling for unobstructed views, while the outdoor terrace seating places you above the luscious sea. Enjoy gourmet cuisine accented by Champagne selections, or an all-inclusive buffet as you enjoy the view of the world from your panoramic seat at The Horizon Deck, Restaurant and Champagne Bar.
Pink Sunday brunch
‘Pink Sunday’ is an exclusive Sunday event at The Horizon Deck, Restaurant and Champagne Bar, featuring fresh salad bar, grilled meats and fish, cheeses of the region and a colorful dessert buffet featuring fresh fruit. Complimenting the Sunday Buffet is of course of pink wine or pink champagne. Children are always welcome at The Horizon Deck, Restaurant and Champagne Bar, and the other dining facilities of the Fairmont Monte Carlo.
Dinner at Nobu
Tempura
Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeno (so delicious)
Mochi Ice Cream
From 7PM through 11:30 PM dinner is served at Nobu, owned and operated by the critically acclaimed chef Nobuyuki "Nobu" Matsuhisa, whose innovative style of cooking artistry combines traditional Japanese dishes with the spices and aromas of South America. Served in an elegant atmosphere featuring an extensive bar, two private lounges and unique terrace seating overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, a dinner at Nobu at the Fairmont Monte Carlo is a special experience. Chef Matsuhisa has settled in Monte Carlo and dedicates himself to artistry at this venue.
Fabled as a fairy tale Monte Carlo is accessible to all as guests of the Fairmont Monte Carlo. You are pampered like Kings and Queens while your children enjoy the perks of Princesses and Princes at the largest resort on the French Rivera.
Thank you Monica Pellegrino for all your help with our lovely stay at the Fairmont Monte Carlo!
Story by Daniel Dachille and Laine Page
Some photos courtesy of Fairmont Monte Carlo