00:02
A paradise on earth that’s a little more than 2 square kilometres, where sun
00:07
yachts and luxury cars abound and where some of the wealthiest people in the
00:11
world choose to call home, welcome to Monaco.
00:28
The Principality of Monaco and its famous Rock have something to dream
00:33
about and it is real. The prestige and reputation of this attractive territory,
00:37
enclosed in the French department of the Alpes Maritimes, extends well beyond its
00:41
borders, so well in fact, that each day, several thousand tourists, both French
00:47
and foreign, engulf the narrow streets of the Princely rock.
00:59
An enchanting site that will no longer be a secret!
01:02
From its most luxurious hotels to its emblematic Monte Carlo Casino, not forgetting its boutiques,
01:09
restaurants, billionaire apartments, and its spots for relaxation and pleasure.
01:35
For the moment, we drop our luggage and enter one of the flagship hotels of the
01:39
Societe Bains des Mer, SBM, the Hotel Hermitage Monte Carlo. It is one of the
01:50
most intimate palaces of the Principality. Overlooking the Port Hercule,
01:54
it offers a very luxurious atmosphere in a perfectly conserved Belle Epoque decor.
02:05
The establishment is home to no less than 278
02:08
rooms, 76 suites and junior suites as well as 12 Monte Carlo Diamond suites.
02:23
And with all self-respecting palaces
02:30
the Vistamar and its chef, offer us an explosive taste of flavours.
02:51
Located in the middle of the Carre d’Or, the Hermitage invites us to visit the
02:55
surrounding on foot, where all the luxury boutiques are located.
03:06
A quick two minute walk is all that’s needed to be face to face with the Monte-Carlo pavilions.
03:12
Here, the most prestigious brands have their showcase,
03:14
whether it’s haute couture, timepieces, or jewellery.
03:23
From the top, the landscape is beautiful, especially with the famous Monaco square.
03:33
Nerve centre of the Principality, the Place du Casino is surrounded by 3
03:37
mythical buildings: the Hotel de Paris, the Cafe de Paris,
03:41
and the Monte-Carlo Casino where you’ll find many powerful engines roaring all day long.
03:57
But while some people find real pleasure in smelling the exhaust fumes of
04:01
supercars, others prefer instead to breathe the sea air. So we head over to the Larvotto district.
04:14
Here, the roaring engines have been replaced by the sound
04:17
of the lapping waves on the beach. Between exploring the sea depths or
04:21
walking along the Champions Promenade, there is always something to do. Unless
04:26
you prefer to wander along Princesse Grace Avenue, where restaurants, car
04:31
showrooms, and boutiques are located.
04:36
On the way, we stop off at Loona. A very young ready-to-wear boutique that wants
04:41
to stand out from the others. Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Gucci, and others have no place here.
04:47
There’s no luxury at Loona, just timeless chic.
04:54
We created a place to represent independent brands, we have even created
05:01
our own brand Loona, which is also available in other boutiques in Los Angeles,
05:05
Tokyo, and Dubai.The clientele come here to find quality at a
05:10
a reasonable price, here you’re not paying for a name, you’re paying for the creation.
05:24
A 200 square metre boutique over 3 floors where leather, silk and cashmere blend
05:29
together, on creations that go from the simple accessory to casual chic clothing,
05:33
and of course, the must have evening dress…
05:42
The most sought after are the dresses for the galas, because Monaco is well known for
05:49
a lot of galas so you need beautiful dresses, long, and a little sexy. I’ve also started making dresses
05:58
for little girls who go with their moms - it's very cute,
06:02
very pretty, and it works very well.
06:09
Among the VIP clients of the brand, model, actress and TV personality Victoria Silvstedt.
06:18
The Swedish beauty spent some time shopping here before heading
06:21
to a photo shoot at the Sporting Monte-Carlo. Curious, we follow along…..
06:41
Bye Bye Victoria… And now we head to lunch… On the way, we stop by the
06:48
Grimaldi Forum, before finding new landscapes in the Japanese garden.
07:00
This surprising 7,000 m2 green space is an authentic work of art
07:05
harmoniously blending stone, water, and vegetation where a zen atmosphere reigns.
07:19
A little higher up, on rue de Portier, we arrive at Sensais for our first
07:24
gourmet pause of the day. Jean-Pierre Escande, the owner, is waiting for us, with
07:29
the idea of having us discover new flavours. After running a hotel restaurant
07:34
for 32 years in the Principality, the idea of Sensais took shape. The concept
07:40
is simple, rediscover the real taste of seasonal products.
07:48
The name was found by my wife, Sensais, the senses and the seasons,
07:58
so it’s a mix between the two
08:02
And it’s a bit of the theme and concept that I wanted to create - that of seasonal Mediterranean cuisine.
08:06
We’ll try to work with producers, fishermen, and winemakers, to
08:11
highlight them and put their products on our menu when the land and the sea give
08:15
us the right moment.
08:26
It’s a restaurant that is in perpetual movement. In order to awaken all the
08:30
senses, music, flavours, and products will change
08:33
over the months and seasons. It’s the same thing for cocktails, wines, and
08:38
champagnes, that will accompany this simple and minimalist menu, in order to
08:42
favour quality over quantity. The menus are scheduled to be changed,
08:51
not necessarily every month but
08:54
during the month, certain dishes will disappear to be replaced by others
08:58
depending on all the products that we have. We’ll have a restaurant menu of
09:02
about 14 dishes, desserts included. But not only that. We also have what we
09:07
call the daily suggestions with 5 or 6 additional dishes. And we’ll also have,
09:11
for the lounge, little sensais, little dishes where we can introduce our cuisine to our clientele.
09:30
To each season its own products, and we must confess that we have done rather well during our visit.
09:35
Between this square sesame bread, Italian cuttlefish
09:38
salad with local citrus fruits, as a starter, and this Piedmontese potato as
09:43
large gnocchi, comte cheese slices, roasted porcini
09:46
mushrooms in Madeira and Catalan Picada, spread over two dishes, all our senses
09:52
were certainly awakened. And what about this Middle Eastern salad with Shawarma
09:57
and its mix of 7 spices…Or this salad adorned with sublime slices of
10:02
of monk fish cooked at low temperature.
10:11
There are, however, no seasons when it comes to real estate.
10:15
In Monaco, in summer or winter, the demand for real estate is incessant and apartments are sold at
10:20
prices that are sometimes... surreal. According to the IMSEE, there were 33
10:26
sales in 2016 for a total amount of 453.5 million euros.
10:36
The one we are about to visit is estimated at several tens of millions of
10:40
euros. Discretion is required, the exact price was not told to us.
10:45
It is on the 42nd floor of the Odeon Tower, the most luxurious and the highest high rise in
10:51
Monaco, that we find Angela Kleiber and 2 members of her team. According to the
10:55
owner of Lorenza von Stein Agency, real estate in Monaco still has many beautiful days ahead…
11:03
Monaco is currently very fashionable, it seems that currently the whole world wants to settle in Monaco
11:14
and thanks to buildings like the Odeon Tower we now have real luxury here with exceptional apartments
11:19
that also represent the demands of real estate, in other words,
11:23
very large spaces with breathtaking views of the principality and of course
11:27
demanding customers who want the most complete luxury.
11:42
There is the extension on the sea which is currently
11:44
being created which will bring us more apartments, also individual houses (..) too
11:48
have sea front villas in Monaco - it’s going to be a little bit of a revolution here.
11:58
A nice little project indeed, but back to our billionaire apartment, which is for sale, in case you were interested.
12:04
Almost 600 m2 of floor space and endless services... enough to meet any demand.
13:06
The future owner will have no problem finding the Prince’s Palace in the distance, a must see attraction when
13:12
you visit Monaco. Erected on a fortress established by the Genoese in 1215,
13:18
the Prince’s Palace houses splendours that retrace seven centuries of uninterrupted sovereignty.
13:27
Open each year between March 31st and October 14th, excluding Formula 1 Grand Prix
13:32
weekend, the Grand Apartments are accessible to the curious visitor.
13:37
From the Palace Square, there is a breathtaking view of Monaco. On the left,
13:43
it’s Port Hercule that dominates. On the right, it’s the district of Fontvieille that reveals all its qualities.
13:52
But let’s look a little further… We cross the Monegasque border, and head to Menton,
13:57
where we have an appointment with Marie-Olga Charriol, who is in the middle of a
14:01
photo shoot for the new campaign of her collection of bracelets called Les Debutants…
14:06
In front of the camera, the models are also making their own debut…
14:28
The ideal is to take several bracelets that we put with each
14:32
other (..) we call it Bangle Mania, it's very trendy.
14:51
The particularity of these bracelets is that
14:55
they are affordable, this is your first pretty bracelet that can be bought when
14:58
you’re 20. Bracelets that contain the DNA of the brand, namely
15:07
these hand braided steel cables.
15:17
Available in several colours, all you need to do is choose!
15:27
We’re not sure what you think, but for us, this sumptuous residence with a
15:31
swimming pool has given us a few ideas…
15:43
We head back for a moment of pure relaxation.... at the Thermes Marins de Monte-Carlo.
15:55
Spread over almost 6,600 m2 on 4 levels, the
16:00
Thermes Marins is in fact a Spa and Wellness and preventive healthcare centre of the
16:04
Hotel de Paris and the Hotel Hermitage. And contrary to popular belief, the
16:09
centre is accessible to all, even non-residents.
16:17
Any client, local, regional, who just wants to spend a moment here, 1 hour or
16:23
to have breakfast, have a coffee or have a treatment, of course is welcome at the Thermes Marins.
16:36
And as for what’s on offer? Like any self-respecting SPA, there are
16:43
all the body and face treatments, which can be cosmetic, aesthetic or massages.
16:46
but we are a little more than a Spa since we also propose a concept (..) of
16:50
health or of overall beauty that offers not just a doctor who will give all their
16:55
advice in nutrition and micronutrition, but also a complementary nutritionist.
17:06
Equipped with, amongst other things, a salt water pool heated to 30 degrees,
17:11
a hamamm, an outdoor jacuzzi, and even a cryotherapy unit, the Thermes Marin Monte-Carlo
17:17
also has a restaurant and a fitness centre…..the perfect place to burn
17:21
a few calories before the poker chips burn a hole in your pocket in the sublime Monte-Carlo Casino.
17:38
A true work of art built in 1863 that we owe to famous architect Charles Garnier.
17:44
A unique place, perfect for adrenaline addicts.
18:19
The game rooms are admirably decorated with stained glass, sculptures, and
18:25
incredible allegoric paintings. An ideal place to try and break the bank!
18:40
From the Europe Room to the White Room and the Medecin Room, the emblematic
18:45
private room of the Monte-Carlo Casino, the atmosphere here is extraordinary
18:49
Built in 1910 by Monegasque Francois Medecin, this private game room houses
18:55
the old elevator cage in cast iron that used to lead directly to the Cabaret.
19:20
Still in perfect working order, today it leads to the Buddha Bar that has turne
19:25
into an institution in Monaco since its opening in 2010.
19:44
At night, many people come to enjoy its cosy atmosphere and cocktails, not to
19:49
mention the finesse of its cuisine and its multi-influenced decor.
19:57
Food and decoration are what counts for many people, but music also plays a lot in the concept
20:02
It was an inspiration with my husband, (...) we traveled
20:05
a lot in Asia, in Thailand, and as for the inspiration for the dishes, it comes from Hawaii.
20:31
It's a "World" concept because you can
20:37
have tiles from Portugal, with furniture from the Empress of China, and next to it
20:41
you have American and Scandinavian influences.
20:58
Doors open at 5pm… And the vibe, that can buzz until 5 in the morning…..
21:06
Understood… It is time for us to return to the hotel after this busy day on the
21:21
Princely Rock… with the hopes that we’ve given you a few good ideas for an upcoming city trip…