First taste of Monte Carlo

FMI’s Account Executive, Jessica Lee, talks about her recent Fam trip to Monte Carlo.

Not much beats Monte Carlo. As the administrative area within the principality of Monaco, it is small and compact but has a surprisingly impressive amount to offer with meeting rooms, banquet halls, and hotels to accommodate both small and large groups.

I was in for a real treat when I was invited to stay at the Hotel Hermitage for the weekend. This incredible property has had over 50 million Euros spent on refurbishments over a period of 3 years, so that it is not only an extremely luxurious leisure retreat, but also a strong competitor for meeting venues, incentives and events. The 5-star hotel is operated by SBM, which also holds in its assets the legendary Hotel de Paris, Monte Carlo Bay and Monte Carlo Beach, plus 33 restaurants and bars, and five casinos. They truly are a one-stop shop.

The luxurious destination really speaks for itself, but it is not a hideaway for just the rich and beautiful. It is easily accessible from Nice Airport, either 30 minutes by taxi or 6 minutes by helicopter, and hotel rooms are as affordable as 100-250 Euros a night in the low seasons (January to March; October to December). For 5-star services, stunning balcony view of the yacht-filled harbour, sensational spa, mouth-watering food and mild winter climate (16^oC) it’s hard to reason why you would rather be elsewhere.

There is very little you cannot do in the principality; two hours from the harbour is a ski resort and 30 minutes away is a golf range. The Hotel de Paris entertains groups in their extensive private wine cellar, which holds 600,000 bottles of French wine, and together with the Hotel Hermitage hosts two 1-Michelin starred restaurants. There are great team-building opportunities, one in which I took part through the events agency Ekypage and consisted of running around Monaco in an hour-long activity with the help of a Samsung tablet, exploring the principality’s key landmarks and attractions while completing timed challenges in small groups.

I had a real treat of a weekend in Monte Carlo and I would like to extend my thanks to FMI for nominating me to go on the trip. There are lots that I have ticked off my bucket list: from staying at a 5-star hotel, dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant and receiving a luxury spa treatment, to dancing the night away at an exclusive club and experiencing a helicopter ride back to the airport in Nice. Thank you very much.

E-brochure Hotel Hermitage : http://www.montecarloresort.com/e-brochure/hh/
E-brochure Hotel de Paris: http://www.montecarloresort.com/e-brochure/hp/
E-brochure Monte-Carlo Bay : http://www.montecarloresort.com/e-brochure/bay/
E-brochure Monte-Carlo Beach: http://www.montecarloresort.com/BrochureBeach/

Some interesting facts that I learned during my time there:

1. Even with the expansion of Port Hercules, Monaco is only 2 square-kilometres wide and is the second smallest country in the world
2. Monaco’s citizens are prohibited by constitutional law to gamble in their own casinos
3. Only 2,000 people in Monaco are actual citizens of the principality
4. The Hotel de Paris wine cellar is so extensive that it covers grounds under both the Hotel de Paris and the Hotel Hermitage (400 metres apart); the oldest bottle of wine dates back to the 18^th Century
5. During WWII, Monaco prepared for the German invasion by locking up their most valuable paintings, jewels, and wines behind the heaviest gate in their wine cellar and filling the remaining space with empty/cheap bottles of wine. When the Germans arrived, they removed the first 2 metres of empty/cheap bottles of wine and decided that the room was filled with junk. After the war, the valuables were restored in their respective places, and only the aged wine was left locked up behind the gate. The key has since been lost and it is the hotel’s tradition to leave the gate closed to access. No replacement keys have been made, and no new gates have been fitted.

Many thanks to the Famtrip Hosts:
UGO DELORY, Business Development Director, SBM Monte Carlo
MARIE-LAETITIA LUCCIONI, Project Manager, SBM Monte Carlo