Firstly..... This hotel is not in Monte Carlo, as wrongly advertised by Thomas Cook via Cresta Holidays.... It is in Cap Martin

Room was nice, but bed was 2 single beds pushed together and created a hump in the middle that either gave me or my wife a terrible night sleep (if we fancied a cuddle ;-) ).

Food was not to my liking so decided to eat out every night in restaurants such as Buddha, Maya Bay or Hotel de Paris.

Staff were very attentive and always pleasant.

Location for us was not good, as we wanted a hotel within Monte Carlo (to which this is not), although walked everywhere most of the time as the shuttle bus finishes around 5pm in the evening and we were charged €50 for taxis from the Beach Hotel to de Paris Hotel (one way).

Mini bar fridge in room with everything being charged and no room to put even a bottle of water.

Think the price paid for the vacation was way over the top for what we actually got, but would come back to Monte Carlo/Monaco/France but would not come back to this hotel but it is very nice with very nice staff but just not for us, sorry..

Hope this review helps and please visit here if you are looking for somewhere luxurious but extremely quiet..

Alan McIntee

We stayed at this hotel for three nights - it was a special deal and included breakfast, champagne and strawberries etc. Accommodation was in a junior suite overlooking the bay with a superb view. As others have mentioned the hotel is part of the group including the Hotel Paris (very ole worlde) The Hermitage (modern old style - very swish) , Monte Carlo Bay(big and modern) and last but not least the Monte Carlo Beach (ultra modern and stylish). Whilst the Beach and Bay Hotels are slightly further away, seconding the other reviewer about the shuttle (last one 7pm) and taxis being less than reliable due to being so very busy, this makes these hotels that bit further from the action. The Hopper bus does however stop at the MC Bay Hotel every 20 minutes or so which does help, though there is a charge for this.

We enjoyed our stay at the MC Beach very much but have marked it down for the service. We arrived on an early flight and waited three hours for our room. Not really a problem except we were left to our own devices somewhat. Had they given us a map of the resort, explained the shuttle services, pointed us in the direction of the restaurant etc - all this would have been helpful and made the time pass quicker. Non of the above information was given to us at any point during our stay, nor where to have breakfast any hotel details. One evening we were greeting walking back to the hotel as though we were strangers and not guests. This I would expect from one of the bigger hotels but not of 5* hotel with only 40 rooms. On the morning we left there was no one to carry our bags or locate our taxis - we did it ourselves with not a concierge person in sight.

Overall the value for money for the stay was good all considered. The room was very well appointed and modern which suited us. We had a very good evening meal in the main restaurant (le vigie was closed) which was one of the better meals of our stay. Once you get out and about the value for money is not so good. It's the location, location' location and supply out weighs demand in MC. However, it's great place, we would go back for another weekend break, perhaps next time we would try one of the other hotels and stay closer to the centre of town.

My husband and I have stayed here twice this year (for the Rolex Masters and then the Grand Prix) and hope to go back many more times. It is a great hotel, most notably:

• We love the refurbishment! The hotel has retained its elegant 1930s feel but with modern design elements that make it a very comfortable place to stay.
• We enjoyed that the hotel was outside the centre of Monaco; particularly when the Grand Prix was on, it felt like an oasis from the madness (particularly the pool) when we wanted to relax!
• We were made to feel most welcome; we were given flowers and champagne on our arrival for both our stays at the hotel. There were great La Prairie products in the bathroom too.
• Due to it being fairly small, we got to know the friendly staff and they went out of their way to provide good service.
• They have an excellent restaurant.

We have stayed at many of the world’s best hotels and it is rare that we have no criticisms. If we were really pushed, we would suggest that the shuttle bus could be run later (taxis are hard to come by after a night out). If you are hesitating about staying at this hotel then don’t. It has loads to offer, bags of charm and I would rather stay here any day than one of the larger, more central hotels of Monaco.

Most people don't realize that the Hermitage, Hotel de Paris, Monte Carlo Beach and Bay Hotels are owned by the same company. The company is quite savvy and has designed each property to suit different customer tastes...or so it was explained to me.

I had a standard sea view room (which, for a standard room) was fantastic- the view of the bay and principality was great. The room was very comfortable although a little dark.
At the front desk, the French-speaking staff was well-trained and extremely polite. The Italian-speaking staff was arrogant and off-putting.
The hotel is really a destination...they are booked 6 months in advance and they know it.
Good for a night or two to experience Monaco's nightlife...the adjacent outdoor club/bar is exquisite. Then again, Monaco is small!
One downside... the shuttle service between properties is unreliable and taxis can be impossible to get in Monaco...plan accordingly if you aren't willing to walk... and walk vigorously!