THE FACTS ABOUT MONTE CARLO BAY HOTEL & RESORT

France Cote_d_Azur

Thanks to its relaxed and surprisingly chic atmosphere, the long-awaited, 334-room Monte Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort, a 50-million euro extravaganza, is already proving popular with families and young professionals alike. A self-contained, Mediterranean-style village, it is packed with recreational and gastronomic choices: a casino; souvenir and sportswear boutiques; a Cinq Mondes spa; a small gym; five restaurants in season; a private dock and helipad; and two swimming pools, one an artificial sand-bottom lagoon surrounded by palms and botanical gardens. There are 11 floors of near-identical bedrooms decorated in a contemporary style with dark-wood furnishings, giant plasma-screen TVs and spacious white bathrooms; nearly all have private sea-view terraces. Come sunset, a glamorous crowd gathers in the Blue Gin bar to sip melon Martinis and blue Mojitos, while serious foodies head straight for the superb (and affordable) Blue Bay gastronomic restaurant, where Martinique-born Marcel Ravin dishes up his fusion-inspired cuisine (foie gras with spun sugar; spicy shrimp with tropical fruit Dim Sum; iced pear soufflé with green tea) from his open-plan kitchen. WHEN TO GO May for the Grand Prix; autumn for Indian-summer temperatures and fewer tourists; winter for the heated indoor-outdoor pool and the spa. ROOM TO BOOK Suite 1001, a duplex with stupendous views, or the corner suite 302. CONTACT 40 avenue Princess Grace, Monaco (00 377 98 06 25 25; www.montecarlobay.com). COST Doubles from 300 euros; suites from 750 euros