Monte Carlo Bay Hotel – Duplex Suite

Monte Carlo Bay view

Arrival at the hotel

Monte Carlo Bay

Located next to the Sporting of Monaco, the Monte Carlo Bay is a modern hotel. The building is nice with Provencal tones. It perfectly integrates within the Monegasque landscape. To reach the hotel entrance, you take a large ramp and then a valet with a sport jacket will take care of your car.

At the lobby desk, the check-in is easy. Even if we arrived around 2:30 PM, our suite was ready. All the Duplex suites are located on the 10th floor of the hotel.

While taking the elevator, you directly understand that the hotel is modern. The elevator is spacious, with a bench and a TV screen. We quickly reach the 10th floor.

Our suite is on the left wing, with a panoramic view over the sea and Monaco.

Panoramic view from the 10th floor

Corridor to the suites

The Duplex Suite

Duplex suite living room

The discovery of the suite is a pure delight. On the first floor, there is a vast living room with a corner sofa that could allow up to 8 guests to meet for a drink. There is also a small table where 2 guests can have a dinner. Then you have a guest powder room. To top it all off, a terrace with a sofa and a table. The view from the terrace is obviously breathtaking.

After climbing the stairs, we reach the second level of the suite. The bed is large and comfortable. There is also a large dressing and a bathroom that includes a shower, a bathtub, toilets and two sinks. The beauty products are from the 5 mondes brand (the brand that also operates the Monte Carlo Bay spa), their quality is very good and they are available in quantity. Honeycomb bathrobes are available, those are light and so not really hugging.

The Duplex Suite is large and modern with comfortable furniture. Nothing was really missing in terms of furniture except a luggage rest.

The Duplex setup gives the feeling to be at home, it is really enjoyable. But the stairs are rather slippery when you are coming down. So be careful.

For the service, there is nothing specific to mention. The suite was pretty clean and well maintained. There was only a bit of dust on the glass table in the bedroom (this is easy to see as it is made of glass). There was also a painting fitting really visible in the stairs. The shower door and the toilets door couldn’t be fully closed. For the bathtub, it was hard to empty it when it was full as the drain has the tendency to remain locked.

For the soundproofing, it is quite good. The only noise that could be heard were those of the air conditioning as it couldn’t be switched off and the sound of footsteps in the stairs of the neighboring suite.

The suite has 3 TV screens : one in the living room, one in the bathroom and one in the bedroom.

The room servicing is really high grade. The staff is very kind and every day, we have received a gift : first day, some macaroons, second day, Champagne and masks for the 31/12 evening and last day, a nice calendar. The maintenance came three times to fix little glitches with equipment with great efficiency :

• once, the minibar was locked, it was unlocked within two hours.
• a second time, a curtain had unhooked. It was fixed in an hour.
• last time, the bedroom television wasn’t working. The problem was sorted out in two hours.

Suite living room

Duplex suite terrace

View from the suite

Catering

The Monte Carlo Bay breakfast allows you to wake up with a panoramic view over the sea and low sun rays illuminating the room. The offer is quite diverse, with a special point for the salmon and the mozzarella tomatoes for gourmets.

We tried the room service twice. Both times, the service was quick, even on the 31/12 evening. In 30 minutes, it was delivered, with a good quality for price ratio. There is no better way to end up the year than with your beloved while enjoying the view over Monaco.

The hotel restaurants are also unique. The Blue Bay offers refined savors and high grade service. For approximately 50 € per guest, you can have a dinner while watching the Chef, Marcel Ravin, and his crew in the opened kitchen. The Orange Verte delivers a simpler menu but the quality remains good. The restaurant staff is really professional and caring.

Then, the bar, the Blue Gin, was very busting on the 31/12 evening with a DJ and a good atmosphere on the dance floor. The music wasn’t deafening.

Activities

If you like swimming, the Monte Carlo Bay will delight you. There is large lagoon with a sand floor, opened from May to September. There is also a swimming pool with indoor and outdoor areas. The swimming pool is available round the year and the water is heated. In December, it was not really hot but it is a matter of individual habit. Then, to warm up, you can use the jacuzzi that you might have the opportunity to enjoy with one of the celebrities regularly staying at the hotel.

The lagoon pool

Indoor pool

To relax, the Monte Carlo Bay 5 mondes spa is perfect. We had there a 2 hours treatment in a couple room. It was a truly relaxing time. It started with a Japanese bath with heady fragrances and a light shoulder massage. Then, we had a tea and start the body scrub. After that, you take a shower and you end up with the massage, very relaxing. You feel really different after this experience, both relaxed and restored. The spa staff is very professional, it is well trained on the treatment protocols. The overall atmosphere of the place is very pleasant with a light decoration.

Cinq Mondes Spa entrance

Cinq Mondes Spa

At the Monte Carlo bay, there is a huge garden with a great diversity of exotic flowers and plants.

If you want to gamble, you can play at the casino inside the hotel. There is a good number of slot plays but less than in the others casinos of the city such as the Casino of Monaco for instance. I went there twice and it wasn’t really busy.

Exotic garden

Conclusion

While checking out, I discovered that my credit card had reached its payment limit. Yes, the Monegasque rates have exhausted it. As the hotel isn’t accepting the French checks, I had to call my bank in emergency to increase the payment limit. Fortunately, everything went fine.

The Monte Carlo Bay is a nice hotel, clearly set for families but also business customers with a good number of meeting rooms.

The quality for price ratio is very good. Yes, it is Monaco and the prices are high but the service is really aligned. Here is the smile isn’t the exception but rather the rule.

Then, I strongly advise you to take a room with a sea view, this is a must. Also, give a try to the spa, it deserves it.

New year fireworks in Monaco

Monaco Sporting