Monaco… An independent and sovereign state at the foot of the Southern Alps, bordering the Mediterranean.
Often considered the capital of luxury and excess, the place is enchanting. Between Monte-Carlo, Condamine that surrounds Hercules Port, the recent neighbourhood of Fontvieille or the old city centre where the Prince’s Palace reigns, picture perfect landscapes are everywhere. Today we take you to discover these uniques place that have created Monaco’s reputation. We’ll stay at the Fairmont Hotel, we’ll do some shopping at the Métropole Shopping Center where Swiss brand Tag Heuer has chosen to set up shop. Ladies, you’ll discover Ali Baba’s cave with guaranteed deals at the Dressing boutique, a specialist in second hand luxury clothing and accessories Then we’ll have lunch at Maya Bay before discovering its little brother Maya Jah. Are you looking for real estate? Maybe estate agency Lorenza von Stein has what you need with this splendid apartment with a view and a pool; we’ll let it speak for itself. A quick stop at Nobu, the Japanese restaurant at the Fairmont, before ending the day on the rooftop of the same hotel at Nikki Beach. And speaking of the Fairmont Monte-Carlo… The Fairmont is a seven storey hotel built over the sea; it has four restaurants, a casino, a Spa, and hopping gallery. But above all it has a privileged view across the sea and one of the most mythical places of the Formula 1 Grand Prix. We are here at the famous “Fairmont Hairpin”. Here’s where the real aficiando’s of GP come every year, to see this mythical turn, which is also the slowest in the whole Formula 1 championship. We have 602 rooms and suites, 4 suites that offer a view of the turn but also the entrance to the tunnel, one of which, each year, is taken by the great producer George Lucas from Star Wars, so it is a real symbol of success for us. Built in 1975, the Fairmont is one of the latest additions in Monaco, and remains today one of the biggest on the French Riviera. In Monaco, everything is big. From super yachts to apartments, and hotels to shopping centres. And the Métropole Shopping Center is no exception to the rule. It’s a cosmopolitan and majestic area of 15,000 m2 with 80 boutiques and 5 restaurants. Luxury and more luxury in this shopping gallery located in Monte-Carlo, next to the casino gardens. It is a place with a certain richness, with in addition, some very noble materials, you see the chandeliers behind me, they’re 4 metres tall and 3 metres in diameter. If you look at the floor, that was hand cut during the 80’s out of Carrara Marble. There is something for everyone here. Men, women, and children can all find their happiness. Nail bar, watch and jewellery brands, books and multimedia are also all present. And there will be new boutiques that should join the ship by 2019. Retail changes all the time, and it’s normal that the Métropole Shopping centre evolves as well. For 2018 to 2019 there will be several changes, several new brands will call the Métropole home but there’s also a big renovation project One part has already been recently renovated, since Swiss Watchmaker TAG Heuer has chosen the Métropole to showcase its latest collections but also, of course, its Monaco model, an iconic timepiece. It was obvious for us to open a boutique in Monaco with the emblematic Monaco model of the brand, and with the LVMH Group and the Tag Heuer brand we quickly understood that we had to position ourselves here. The brand is currently being updated, thanks to Jean-Claude Biver who took over the house, today the brand is really strong, and it was the right time to put Tag Heuer in Monaco, it would have been more difficult before because the brand wasn’t as well known, today every effort has been made to ensure the brand really becomes a world leader in watchmaking. With products like our connected models, which are younger, we’re not dealing with the same clients at all, and with the tourbillons that Tag Heuer recently created with prices starting at 15,000 euros for a tourbillon that is revolutionary in the world of watchmaking, so we hope to gain market share with connected watches as well as with tourbillons or more classic pieces. the cherry on the cake…..each year, TAG will offer limited editions exclusively reserved for the Monaco boutique.
A perfect example is with this timepiece limited to 25 pieces. The model I’m wearing is a Heuer 02T, an exclusive model at the Monaco boutique and it’s price is 17,150 euros A carbon case with a tourbillon, pink gold indexes, pink gold hands, pink gold counters and a folding titanium clasp. A limited edition tourbillon at 17,150 euros. It does indeed seem to be a bargain… And speaking of a bargain, there are many in Monaco. Around the Place du Casino great offers are everywhere and the choice is vast. Later, we will take you to a store where it’s all about the good deals.
Dresses and accessories, Hermes, Gucci, Chanel and so on, ladies, you won’t want to miss our visit to Dressing! For the moment, we stop off at the Palace. Everyday at 11:55 am sharp in the Place du Palais is the changing of the Prince's Carabinier's Guard, an immutable ritual that attracts thousands of delighted spectators. After this busy morning, how about a little lunch break? We head to an institution in Monaco that’s a reference for food in Monaco, Maya Bay. One restaurant, but 2 atmospheres.
Japanese first, with this angelic decor and its typical dishes. Then in the back we switch to a Thai atmosphere. In the kitchens: real Asian chefs On the plate: real local flavours
We have an advantage and that is when Mr. Pastor opens a Japanese establishment, there are Japanese experts at the helm, when we open a Thai restaurant, we have Thai cooks, which means you taste the real cuisine, their expertise, they pass this on… As for the decor, it remains traditional.
On one side, the cherry trees are in bloom. On the other, Buddha watches over you. But while the reputation of Maya Bay is already established, its little brother Maya Jah, inaugurated in late 2017, still has everything to prove. It’s only a formality, however, let's be honest, since the first reviews were very positive in regards to the cuisine and decor at this Indian restaurant which is very much in harmony with what can be found in the land of Gandhi. The restaurants in Monaco are very much like the Monegasque population, very heterogeneous. In Monaco they speak French as well as the traditional Monegasque language, monegù, which is always taught in the schools of the principality and used by the old timers.
But the language of the neighbouring country of Italy, as well as English, are also commonly spoken, and for good reason…. in 2016, out of 37,500 registered residents, only 9160 were of Monegasque nationality, the others come from all around the globe. Residents who have to be patient and pull out their cheque books in order to find a home that satisfies their desires.
Real estate agencies are overwhelmed with requests, without being able to respond favourably to everyone; because, in Monaco, only 33 apartments were sold and 520 resold in 2016 for a total transaction amount close to 2.665 billion euros… quite a sum! We’ll let you imagine the average price per square metre! This one for example is almost 1,200 square metres in size! For sale, in the district of Moneghetti, this penthouse offers a beautiful living space, but above all, a breathtaking view. On the rooftop, we lose all sense of time and space. This apartment is completely unusual
it's a top floor it's living like in a villa and it's very very spacious and it
has a private swimming pool so this is something people don't find in Monaco
you live like you would live in La Provence it's not like living in Monaco
so it's a really really special and it's really for a big family because you have
five bedrooms you have a tribal living area it's very cozy you have panoramic
views it's completely unusual to find something like that in Monte Carlo In short, 460 m2 of living space with a living room that already occupies 120 m2.
The exteriors are numerous; the 300 m2 of exterior terraces will delight many, especially with its summer kitchen.
A real villa facing south… We’re only missing a few crickets…
As for the price of this splendid triplex… silence….
It’s all about discretion. Also discreet, but well known to aficionados, the Dressing boutiques should be put on your list of shops with great deals. It is rare not to find the perfect shoes in this real Ali Baba cave, dedicated to second hand luxury ready-to-wear and accessories. he concept is a luxury consignment store. We are lucky to be in Monaco where we have people who constantly update their wardrobes and we make others benefit from that. 10 years after opening a first boutique in the early 2000’s, the brand took another direction with the creation of two new boutiques. From Chanel to Hermes, via Dior, here, happiness is at hand. We took the 2 shops, including the one we are in, with the one next door, and we tried to separate them a little. We created a shop reserved for Chanel and Hermes and then the shop next door, which is a bit more couture, with lots of evening dresses cocktail dresses, and bags by other brands like Lanvin, Céline or Saint-Laurent. We are also lucky to have products that are no longer available in major stores, a few vintage products, we only specialise in vintage for Chanel and Hermes, not for other brands. For the other brands we try to have products from the past five years. At the top of the most sought-after items, Birkin bags by Hermes. Like this client believes, it’s not really about the possible discount, but the availability of the product. So that each year, more than a hundred Hermes and Chanel bags change hands. We are now going to change, at the hotel, and get ready for a festive night on the Monaco rock. Boat is a great way to go from one port to another; convenient when we have shopped till we dropped and are heavy with shopping spoils! We will not go far this evening, the Fairmont has all the necessary places: restaurants, bars, and a club!
On the program, dinner at Nobu, one of Monaco's most IN Asian restaurants, followed by a late night at Nikki Beach. An amazing view from the rooftop of the hotel and an incredible atmosphere. That's how we end this wonderful day spent in the land of Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene.
