Built at the dawn of the 20^th century by Monacan architect Jean Marquet, this majestic neoclassical hotel has continued to develop into a veritable palace. Its history blends respect for tradition with bold modernity. Today, the Hôtel Hermitage is an elegant example of the art of living in Monte Carlo.

The Hôtel Hermitage was almost entirely renovated between 2003 and 2011, with an extraordinary attention to detail that smoothly marries classical authenticity and technological progress. For instance, the Salle Belle Époque restaurant, one of the hotel’s treasures, and the winter garden, built by disciples of Gustave Eiffel, are emblematic of its elegance. The rooms were renovated in a classical style with contemporary touches. Louis XVI shepherdesses keep elegant company with graceful furnishings made of mahogany and ivory stained wood to create a refined décor.

A number of suites were enlarged and now include spacious private terraces. The Diamond Suite Penthouse on the fifth floor is particularly impressive. It has three bedrooms, three sitting rooms and three baths and opens onto two magnificent terraces with a panoramic view of the port of Monaco. The hotel also added two storeys, strengthening its position as a palace.

A Palace that Welcomes Families

With its 278 rooms and suites, the Hôtel Hermitage offers incomparable comfort and leading-edge technology. Sea and light are welcome guests in all five wings of the hotel, where they create a feeling of space and an atmosphere that is both light and warm.

The romantic Hôtel Hermitage defines prestige with privacy and discretion that suits both business travelers and tourists. Families are also welcome. Game and projection room, reserved pool, children’s club on the private beach: the hotel has everything to make children feel as much at home as if they were at the family cottage.

The hotel is directly connected to the mythic Thermes marins Monte-Carlo and invites guests to use the spa, seawater pool, fitness room, aquacize classes led by a coach, solarium, hammam and Jacuzzi, and to take advantage of the many health and beauty treatments offered. The cherry on the sundae is the Vistamar Restaurant (one star in the Guide Michelin), located right in the hotel, which offers Mediterranean cuisine in an exceptional setting.

www.hotelhermitagemontecarlo.com

Text: Diane Stehle
Photos: Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer

It’s so small, and yet its influence is felt around the world. Monaco is a synonym for prestige, magnificence and dreams. Boutiques, hotels, cars, yachts, casinos: in Monaco, luxury comes in infinite forms. Every year, the jet set gathers, especially around Monte Carlo. The princely House of Grimaldi is responsible for this incredible development. Over the years, the Princes have reclaimed land from the sea to enlarge their minuscule territory and make it into the bustling country we know today. Naturally the F1 Grand Prix is one of the year’s most anticipated events. However, all year round Monaco offers a multitude of tourist and cultural attractions. Here is LUXE’s overview of what the Rock has in store for us.

TO SEE

Monte Carlo Casino

Before your first game of blackjack or roulette, visit this Belle Époque gem, designed in 1863 by Charles Garnier, architect of the Paris Opera. The gaming rooms lead into each other and are marvelously decorated with stained glass, sculptures and allegorical paintings. The terrace has a splendid view of the port and the Rock.

Prince’s Palace

The Palace of Monaco has been the official residence of the Princes of Monaco since 1297. Yes, Albert and Charlène of Monaco and their twins live in a wing of the Palace! The major apartments are open to the public in summer. The Palace is on a spectacular site, a rock over 60 metres high that marks where the Genoans built a fortress in 1215. The Throne Room, Hercules Gallery, Mazarin Room and Palatine Chapel are all astonishingly beautiful. At the same time you can admire the collection of no fewer than 100 antique autos.

Oceanographic Museum

For many years, this internationally renowned museum featuring all the ocean sciences was under the direction of Commandant Jacques Cousteau. From aquariums to historical collections, from the shark lagoon to the turtle island on the panoramic terrace, it offers visitors a unique possibility to learn to know, love and protect the oceans. It’s a grandiose spectacle.

Jardin exotique

Marvelously sited along a rocky cliff overlooking the sea, this site gives a panoramic view of Monaco and introduces visitors to nearly a thousand specimens of semi-desert flora, including cactus and other succulents over a hundred years old.

LODGING

Hôtel Hermitage

Right in the heart of bustling Monte Carlo, this five-star palace is an enchanting example of Belle Époque styling. It’s the perfect spot for the discerning business or pleasure traveler, with its 278 super-comfortable and technologically advanced rooms and suites. Families are welcome and will find services designed for children.

RESTAURANTS

Louis XV – Alain Ducasse

Three stars in the Guide Michelin. Its exceptional wine-list, menu and cellar combine to provide an unforgettable treat.

Joël Robuchon Monte Carlo

Two stars in the Guide Michelin. Located inside the Hôtel Métropole, this restaurant is worth it as a culinary experience, of course, but also for the visual experience of the magnificent view of Monaco from the terrace.

WELLNESS

Monte Carlo Beach

Any visit to Monaco demands a stop at Monte Carlo Beach, a mythical palace from the 1930s and member of the Relais & Châteaux network. You’ll enjoy gourmet cuisine and take advantage of its Olympic saltwater pool, its view over the sea and various water activities (water skiing, parasailing, personal watercraft…). The cherry on the top is that the club will provide you with GoPro cameras to film all your fun…

Thermes marins Monte-Carlo

The Société des Bains de Mer’s Monaco treasure offers you 75,000 square feet of happiness. Try out the cryotherapy cabin for a technique used by performance athletes to treat the most stubborn muscle aches and inflammation. Under professional supervision and wearing a swimsuit, you enter a first airlock where the temperature is around -60 °C, then a booth where it is… -110 °C. If you can hold on for three minutes, you’ll come out in great shape with glowing skin! Of course all the traditional treatments, whether to fight aging or fat, or just to relax, are provided as well, by the day or for stays of several days.

SHOPPING

Monaco is hands-down the luxury capital of the world. You’ll find the biggest names in haute couture, fashion, perfumes and jewelry. From Pavillons Monte Carlo (the venue for prestigious brands like Louis Vuitton, Dior or Cartier) to the Métropole shopping mall and the Fontvieille Centre commercial, shopping on foot in Monaco is extremely pleasant. Even better, there is ample parking for visitors throughout the Principality.

THINGS TO DO

• Walk along the port and admire the yachts.
• Take a delicious break at the Café de Paris.
• Lose yourself in the narrow, winding lanes of the old city.
• Stroll through the local market in Condamine.
• Visit an exhibit at the Grimaldi Forum Monaco.
• Take a themed tour following in the footsteps of Princess Grace.

Text: Diane Stehle

We want to thank the Société des Bains de Mer for its valuable collaboration.

Founded by Canadian Senator Pietro Rizzuto, Marival Group® started with its pioneer project named Rinoval de Mexico, which undertook the construction of a Condo Hotel, a novelty concept with 354 beach front rooms on a 35,000sq m land plot. A unique hotel, located in the heart of Nuevo Vallarta, is what set the foundations of today’s Marival Group®. The operation of the first All-Inclusive concept began under the name of Jack Tar Village. Later, the Senator and his son Alfonso took over the operation of the hotel under the name of Marival Resort & Suites®. Their great vision and strong business relationship with important industry partners was key for setting the grounds for the first charter flight from Montreal to Puerto Vallarta.

In 2010, Alfonso opened Marival Residences Luxury Resort®, his second All-Inclusive resort, located in the exclusive area of Nuevo Vallarta, Riviera Nayarit, standing out by its beauty, world-class cuisine and amazing quality service.

This resort was created to satisfy high-end travelers from all over the world seeking for luxury and comfort at its best. The 4 Diamond resort offers 169 outstanding residences, ranging from 1 up to 4 rooms, not to mention its 7 Villas that provide privacy and great space for family and friends.

Inspired by the concept of Condo Hotel, Marival Residences decides to take it to the highest level of exclusivity with an ample a la carte gourmet All-Inclusive hotel program and a very interesting Real estate managing system that combines the full ownership concept along with its regular hotel operation. The architect Paulo Rojo, the designer Mauricio Lara and Studio 3.14 are responsable for the modern design that you can sense all over the place, with elements related to the ocean, sand, lush vegetation and wide range of sea creatures that blend perfectly in to the elegance and modern facilities. Don’t be surprised to see a school of rays floating above you at the sky lounge!

Marival Residences Luxury Resort® is an authority when speaking of dining, with its 4 different restaurants that offer signature cuisine with exquisite dishes, all the way from fresh, casual and healthy options, up to an international tapas menu and minimalistic delights. Each restaurant is unique and you can be sure that day after day, Chef José Alfredo Jimenez raises the bar and goes the extra mile to please the distinguished guest. The resort has received many awards, being the most recent ones Expedia’s Insiders Select, Four Diamond award given by AAA, the Trip Advisor’s Excellence and Travel’s Choice award, Golden Apple by Apple Vacations and Excellence in Service by RCI.

Your visit to this stunning property is not complete, unless you live the ultimate experience that its spa has to offer; Melange World Spa is a unique, themed spa that has collected the best that holistic experience has to offer from 9 different countries. Winner of the Destination Spa Of The Year in 2010 by Repêchage Spa de Beauté and awarded by Les Nouvelles Esthétiques & Spa in 2012, Melange displays in each of its cabins original designs and representative materials from 8 different countries,
in order to resemble these regions accordingly (Mexico, Bali, India, Thailand, Turkey, Russia, Italy and Japan), and the best of all is that you will find that the signature treatments in each one exactly represent the treatment for which the region is well known. Once you are there, the most difficult part will be to select your choice.

Besides the signature treatments and amazing spa products, Melange’s original architecture and design, lead by Studio 3.14, has been recognized around the globe, receiving the Honorable Mention by the Best Interiors of Latin America, International Interior Design Association and Gold Medal on the V Bienal of Iberoamerican Council of Interior Designers in 2010.

When traveling to Nuevo Vallarta, Riviera Nayarit, you must keep in mind that the domestic and international flights arrive to Puerto Vallarta’s International Airport and it is only 25 minutes away. This destination is great for family vacations.

Alfonso Rizzuto, President and CEO of Marival Group, has printed his great vision and innovative ideas all over his projects. He began the leadership of the Group along with his father 33 years ago and has been a key asset in local and international associations, leading Riviera Nayarit to a fast growing pace. At this moment, the Group’s portfolio includes Marival Resort & Suites®, Marival Residences Luxury Resort®,Rancho Banderas®, Marina La Cruz, Trafictours®, which is one of the biggest DMC’s and a very successful Vacation Club® program.

Av. Paseo Cocoteros Lt 53 Villa 8, 63732 Nuevo Vallarta, Nay., Mexique
+52 322 226 9740
1 (877) 769-7376

www.marivalresidences.com

In 2009, lawyer Josée Noiseux moved to Paris for a year with her family. Back in Montréal, she left her profession to devote herself to writing and sharing her tips on life in Paris in a very successful travel guide, Humeurs de Paris. The book is now available throughout Québec and in Paris at Colette, the famous boutique on Rue Saint-Honoré. LUXE met this “Montréaler by Birth and Parisienne by Adoption”.

How did you get the idea for this book?

I’d been working as a lawyer in a private firm for over twenty years. In 2009, my husband had to go to Paris on business. I’d always dreamed of living in another country. When the opportunity arose, I dove in. Once I got there I was convinced that I wouldn’t need to adapt. I was already familiar with the city and with Parisians. But after a month, I realized that we were very different. To keep in contact with my family and friends, I started a blog. I told stories inspired by people I met. I also gave a few tips. When I got back to Montréal, I published my columns. Then I met members from the publishing world who suggested that I make a book out of them.

The book is divided by theme – Paris Mode, Sexy, Branché (trendy), Gourmand, Luxe, Budget, Arty – and each section contains addresses of hotels, restaurants, wine bars, boutiques and even pastry shops and bakeries. Why did you choose this angle?

I wanted to produce a guide that readers could travel with based on their passions and moods, and to transport them to the Paris of the Parisians that I have been privileged to visit and revisit many times.

One section is reserved for luxe, but you don’t mention the luxury boutiques that are emblematic of the City of Light. Is this a deliberate choice?

Paris is the ultimate capital of luxury. Its very name evokes the great names of haute couture, like Chanel or Dior, palaces and many-starred restaurants. But everyone knows them, and there is more to Paris. I decided to introduce the great emerging French artisans. I’m thinking of designer Barbara Bui, the Royal Monceau Hotel or Corthay’s shoes, all extraordinary.

You took almost all the photos in the guide. Is photography a passion?

Yes! I’d taken lots of photos during my sabbatical year in Paris, before I even signed the book contract. This guide is very personal, and I reveal a lot about myself through the texts and photos and my personal notes.

You were a lawyer with an excellent position. What drove you to leave it all to prepare this travel guide?

I was very successful in my field, but I decided to make the leap because I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. It’s both very refreshing and very destabilizing to find yourself in a milieu where you have to learn everything. It’s a good lesson in humility, too. Fortunately, my publishers trusted me. I have always told my daughters to not be afraid to risk and to dare, but they pointed out, with truth, that I had never done so myself! It was time!

Who is your book for?

For all travellers, epicureans, art lovers, lovers of Paris, fashionistas, browsers. And also for everyone who would like to explore somewhere besides the tourist spots.

If one of your friends was going to spend a day in Paris, where would you advise her to go?

I’d tell her start at a market, in particular the President Wilson where all the great chefs go. It’s fascinating! Then, Rue du Nil, to Frenchie’s, an incredible restaurant destination. Finally, I’d suggest she take a stroll in the Luxembourg Gardens. It’s a very special place, where tourists, Parisians and regulars rub elbows. You get the impression that time has stopped there.

Is this guide the first in a series?

I hope so! For the moment, I’m working on the English version. I’m also continuing to add to it on my blog, humeursdeparis.com. Recently I prepared a series of playlists, Moods of Paris, that have been quite popular. For the rest, we’ll see!

Text: Diane Stehle