Hôtel Hermitage*****, Monte Carlo nr. Casino, Monaco

We have always had a fondness for Belle Époque hotels. There is just something special about the grandeur, the ceilings high above, the columns, the marble, the glittering chandeliers and usually the graciousness they inspire. In Monte-Carlo, the Hotel Hermitage tucked away on a charming small garden square just behind the Hotel de Paris and a few steps from the Casino is a luminous and elegant example. The welcome is genuinely warm and gracious and the lobby radiates light and space with calm, pale earth tone colors.

140 of the 280 rooms, including 15 junior suites, 20 suites and 8 exclusives suites rooms and suites have been completely remodeled and refurbished in the last couple of years. Today, they are spacious and beautifully appointed in an upscale, understated way. While appering stylishly traditional, they are fully equipped with modern telecommunications connections from WiFi to television sets that seem to offer anything on the planet - if you can figure out the control interface. Our room overlooked a charming and beautifully manicured pocket garden beyond which was the entrance to the marina and the glittering horizon in the far distance. If we had stayed a few more days, we would have had a view of the Grand Prix contestants flashing by on the road below.

The public rooms all have a discreet ambiance. Well, she (a grand dame like this has to be a she) has excellent breeding and her roots tucked in polite society so that is only to be expected. This historic Belle Époque Palace, facing the Mediterranean Sea, was built in 1900 immediately attracting an international clientele seeking the ultimate in service and elegance. Today, the hotel, vastly expanded, upholds its legendary status with the finest of amenities. The top floors offer eight Monte-Carlo Diamond Suites including one Duplex that has a private terrace with Jacuzzi and sea-views. Suites and junior suites have harbor view terraces and Jacuzzi.

Spectacular new refurbishment for the Hotel Hermitage seems to be an ongoing process - never resting on their laurels. Following renovation of the Midi and Costa wings, no less than 100 new guest-rooms are now proposed to regulars of this member of the “Leading Hotels of the World”. When we were there in early May, 2010, we were scheduled to cover the new Mezzanine Eiffel (so name after the designer and builder who built the Eiffel Tower in Paris) where breakfast will be served overlooking the Winter Garden Lobby. But like all such ambitious projects, inevitably there will be

some delay so we cannot at this time show you the stunning new "Vistamar" Restaurant and its outdoor terrace that will specialize in delicious fresh seafood consumed as you look out over the very sea that spawned the ingredients. Nor were we able to see the new glories of the "Limun Bar" for morning refreshments, light and relaxed meals, afternoon tea and appetizer snacks that will be enjoyed with vintage champagnes served by the glass, both under the direction of celebrated Chef Joel Garault. We hope to make up for this in 2011 and will update this story then. In the meantime we can fantasize.

Instead we very much enjoyed breakfast in the Grand Salon (that was the favorite salon in all of Monaco of Princess Grace Kelley so we were told) with its royal expanse, robust columns and expanses of wall and ceiling paintings held together with masses of intricate adornments. Here we enjoyed an expansive buffet for breakfast, and, in a secluded section, our lovely evening meal. Dinner was beautifully served and very good. White truffles were the theme throughout and enhanced our fish and risotto for which they are justly famous. But we await the brand new restaurant with its new theme and culinary approach.

When we arrived, we were handed a Carte d'Or, which allows complimentary admissions to the Casino de Monte-Carlo, the Beach Club (Olympic size seawater swimming pool and private beach including mattress and towel - see our story on the Monte-Carlo Beach Hotel), the Aqua-fitness complex at Montecarlospa by Les Thermes Marins (direct access from the hotel) with its huge heated seawater pool, hammam, sauna and cardio training centre with panoramic sea view, a 50% discount at the Monte Carlo Country Club with its 23 tennis courts and a 50% discount on green fees at the Monte Carlo Golf Club. Not on the card but provided anyway, is the shuttle that connects all the numerous hotels, restaurants, night clubs etc. who are all members of the Monte-Carlo S.B.M. (Société des Bains de Mer) who quietly run a large percentage of the great establishments of Monaco.

No hotel worth its salt in this day and age would be caught dead without a spa and Hermitage is no exception. The Montecarlospa by Les Thermes Marins, one of the most beautiful spas in Europe, spans over 66,000 square feet, overlooks the sea, and features a heated indoor sea water pool, fitness facilities, sauna and hammam (see above). Les Thermes Marins represent 6.600 square metres on 4 levels dedicated to well-being. Most of the 37 treatment rooms have a sea view, not that I am inclined to spend much time viewing the sea whilst enjoying a treatment. There are 3 doctors to supervise, 2 dietitians, a large indoor sea water pool, a high tech equipment/cardio fitness room and after all this hair mussing stuff, there is a beauty salon "Le Salon Blue" to put you back together again and "L'Hirondelle" restaurant specializing in light and healthy cuisine where you can put into practice the advice of the dietitians. If their advice is something to ponder over a beverage, the "Atlandide" bar is right next to the pool and terrace.

The hotel makes a perfect base from which to explore this exceptional mini kingdom. With the Casino just around the corner for those with the itch, there are many other activities for those who don't. Quite appart from the in-hotel activities of the spa and fitness facilities, the streets are filled with designer boutiques but also fun and stylish fashions for those with slightly smaller budgets. Theatre, exhibits, events, music and art festivals, boating, sports, golf, tennis, night clubs, small restaurants in nooks and crannies, parks and lots of walking and exploring, all beckon and all are within a stone's throw of the hotel. This special and historic hotel is a perfect place to stay for a true feeling of the glamour and the fun that is Monte Carlo.

Hotel Hermitage
Square Beaumarchais,
98000 Monaco,
Tel : +377 98 06 40 00
Fax :+377 98 06 40 00
Toll Free: 1-800-745-8883 in the US
Web Site: www.hotelhermitagemontecarlo.com
You can make a reservation from the web site.

Member of Monte-Carlo S.B.M. (Société des Bains de Mer)
and a member of the Leading Hotels of the World