Tucked into the bay of Roquebrune on the French-Monégasque border, with one of the Principality’s few private beaches, Monte-Carlo Beach could easily coast on heritage and location alone, and few would blame it.
The hotel first opened its doors in 1929 with a glamorous launch party hosted by American socialite and writer Elsa Maxwell, setting the tone for its star-studded future. And while there’s still a distinctly nostalgic feel among the hotel walls, a recent revamp and a string of viral pop-ups prove that Monte-Carlo Beach is no relic.
Nearly a century on, Monte-Carlo Beach is still perfectly tuned in to what’s hot among the elite. In 2025, padel courts, an extreme rarity in Monaco, made their debut, with in-house instructors booked solid and discreet security never far behind. The iconic pool area has also had a facelift, now sporting vintage-style sun loungers and terrazzo floors. And, joining the endless parade of fashion house beach club 'collaborations', predictably more about the photo op than actual use, Jacquemus has claimed the infamous pier. So if a viral snap beneath a yellow-and-black parasol is on your summer bucket list, enjoyed at a tasty premium, you're in the right place.
But the real showstoppers are this year’s dining pop-ups. Imported from Mykonos and Ibiza, they serve grilled seafood, piled-high caviar and DJ-fuelled, standing-on-chairs lunches that have guests dancing and waving napkins well into sundown.
Stay
Compared to Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer’s other Monaco properties, Monte-Carlo Beach feels boutique, with just 40 rooms and six suites. While the rooms aren’t overly spacious, every room is sea-facing, and many can be connected to create a more suite-style, family-friendly setup.
The undisputed crown of the property, and perhaps the principality as a whole, is Villa La Vigie. Translating to ‘the watchtower,’ its Belle Époque silhouette rises above the cape of Monte Carlo Beach, offering remarkable views across the bay of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin.
The neoclassical masterpiece was originally built in 1902 for British magnate Sir William James Ingram, and since then has been no stranger to famous faces. The most well-known resident is Karl Lagerfeld, who made the house his summer home and studio from the mid-1980s to the late 1990s, investing heavily in its restoration.
Today, the villa spans three floors with six bedrooms, four bathrooms, two dressing rooms, a billiard room, library room and two offices. Inside, decor is as elegant, with marble floors, oak parquet from Versailles, Murano chandeliers and grand fireplaces. An expansive terrace, wrapped in Mediterranean gardens, houses one of the villa’s most recent additions: a 46-ft heated swimming pool.
Dine
Food is where Monte-Carlo Beach has made its biggest splash in 2025, welcoming not one but two summer additions. Maona brings Mykonos-style festivity into the Riviera, with signature Greek classics done well and served for sharing. Lunches begin leisurely, with live music and blue-and-white fans fluttering in the breeze, before shifting into a full-blown fiesta by the second seating. Think napkin waving and plate smashing until sundown. A word of warning, while mains are vast and delicious, dessert is worth saving room for. Choose between pistachio baklava, Greek yogurt with morello cherry caramel and honey rock, or strawberries with ouzo.
If fresh seafood minus the plate-smashing is more your thing, follow the pine-lined path along the hotel’s clifftop to Ibiza-born Jondal à la Vigie. The cliffside restaurant is accessible by boat, with an adorable dock and a tender on hand for larger yachts. Serving Euro-summer classics done well, food is enjoyed from wooden tables that face back over a views of the beach club and signature Monaco high rises. A separate caviar menu is a welcome touch, with servings piled high on ricotta, layered over cacio e pepe, or even tucked inside a club sandwich.
The hotel’s permanent restaurant fixtures are also making waves. Elsa gained its well-deserved Michelin star in March under the direction of Martinique-born Marcel Ravin. Credited as his ‘marine garden,’ the menu celebrates the sea with langoustine parcels, unexpected caviar pairings (an innovative addition to the restaurant's signature dessert), and seaweed ice cream, paired with thoughtful French wines.
Le Deck, a popular poolside spot with both visitors and Monegasques, has been reimagined by interior architect Dorothée Delaye, who took inspiration from the hotel’s archives, with soft banquettes, circular tables that encourage sharing and lounge corners.
Explore
One of Monte-Carlo Beach’s greatest draws is its closeness to the sea, where the adjoining beach club sets the scene for waterfront dining, cocktails and sun soaked afternoons. For those craving more activity, mornings bring fitness classes such as yoga and pilates, with options to take to the seas via kayaks and jet skis. Families are especially well catered for. The kids’ club, run by Petit VIP, well-regarded for some of Europe’s most imaginative children’s programming, offers everything from diving and pedalos to mini golf and cooking classes.
A free shuttle zips you between Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer’s properties, though in Monaco, arriving without a sports car can feel conspicuously underdressed. Blue Bay Marcel Ravin, just across the beach at sister property Monte-Carlo Bay, is another of Marcel Ravin’s standout Michelin achievements, while the hotel's Blue Bay bar, perched above the Mediterranean, seemed to be the Saturday-night spot for young Monegasques.
With the hotel’s centenary approaching, all eyes are on Monte-Carlo Beach. Seasonal closures have made space for a steady program of renovations, with a fully reimagined property expected to emerge in 2029, just in time for the celebrations.
