Le Meridien Beach Plaza - Monte Carlo, Monaco

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Le Meridien Beach Plaza 22 Avenue Princesse Grace Monte Carlo, Monaco

By Dave Grossman, HotelMagician.com, October 2006

In our opinion, there are three hotels you stay in when in Monte Carlo: Hotel De Paris – right next to the famed Casino, the Fairmont Monte Carlo just down the hill from the Casino, or the Le Meridien Beach Plaza.

Who should choose the Beach Plaza above all else? Beach lovers. During the warmer months, the outdoor amenities of this resort will not go unnoticed. Complimentary beach access and loungers (it’s the only hotel in Monte Carlo with private beach access). Not one but two swimming pools (In French, “deux piscines”) – one outdoors with salt water and one indoors, heated.

Want to truly pamper yourself? Stay on the rooftop 11^th Floor and get access to a personal concierge, nightly apertifs brought to your room, plush oversized rooms with Hermes bath products, and most with balconies overlooking the sea. The Jr Suite we stayed in also included complimentary valet parking, buffet breakfast, and internet access. Rates are not for the small-of-wallet but nor is Monte Carlo as a whole – if there’s a place to splurge, this is it.

The hotel offers high speed internet access and a business center for those traveling without a computer but needing to check-in online.

There is also a very nice restaurant in the hotel offering breakfast (buffet), lunch and dinner. The dining area is open 24 hours for hungry casino-goers.

The entire hotel has a very upscale and hip feel to it. Almost all of the rooms have been recently been renovated. You may want to call or write before check-in or confirm at check-in that you’ve been assigned a renovated room.

Hot Tip from the Hotel Magician: If you are a Starwood Preferred Guest member and have a sizable bank of points, you can book a Junior Suite as described above for a relative steal. At the time of this article, it would set you back between 14,750 and 18,750 Starpoints, depending on the season. Upgraded Starpoint reservations can only be made by using the Starwood phone number on the back of your Starwood membership card. You can also combine paid nights and award nights for a complete trip. First, make the reservation for your paid nights through Hotel Magician. Then, call Starwood to make the award booking and ask them to “tie the reservations together” using your Hotel Magician confirmation number.

Hot Tip from the Hotel Magician #2: If you’re a casino fan, you will no doubt visit “The Casino”. Of course it’s worth a visit as the building is awe inspiring, but be aware you will pay E10 to enter and the tables number about 6 along with a small room of slots. We advise you to pay and enter anyway, but save most of your gambling for the casino on the left side of the Café De Paris restaurant. The tables have lower limits and the slots outnumber the ones in the main casino by at least five-fold. From the Le Meridien Monte Carlo, expect to pay 10-15 Euros for a taxi – or enjoy the walk which is about 20 minutes.

-DG