As travellers return to their favorite properties, or seek out new ones, Forbes Travel Guide has announced its 2022 Star Awards for the world’s most outstanding hotels, restaurants and spas. Among them are the Hôtel de Paris and the Hôtel Hermitage.
For the 64th annual list, Forbes Travel Guide ventured into new destinations, such as the Canary Islands, Greece, Ibiza and Malta. The winners include 323 Five-Star hotels, 558 Four-Star properties and 401 Recommended hotels. There are also 74 Five-Star restaurants this year, 112 Four-Star eateries and 67 Recommended restaurants, as well as 102 Five-Star and 193 Four-Star spas worldwide.
To find the best of the best, Forbes Travel Guide’s incognito inspectors stay at each hotel for three days and two nights, posing as ordinary guests. They test up to 900 objective, rigorous standards, from modern-day luxuries, such as whether a room is set up to enhance sleep or whether the food-and-beverage choices are health-conscious, to more traditional amenities, such as the quality of the décor and the courtesy of the staff. Seventy-five percent of a hotel’s rating relies on service, while the remaining 25 percent is determined by the quality of its facilities.
The Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo was awarded a Five-Star Hotel, while the Hôtel Hermitage was the Star Award Winner for 2022.
See the full list of 2022 Star Awards winners here.
The party room at Princess Antoinette Park has reopened after being shuttered during the worst of the Covid crisis, offering a great spot to celebrate a birthday or other event for kids.
After a long absence, the party room at Princess Antoinette Park is open again on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays for birthdays and other events for children aged one to 12.
The Mairie, in conjunction with the Animation Service, has furnished the site with a preparation area and furniture for up to 19 guests. There is a terrace adjoining the party room that is accessible, giving extra space on nice days for children to run and play in a safe environment under parental supervision. Additionally, use of the playground facilities, which include swings, slides and roundabouts, is also on offer.
The park itself is an attraction, with a mini farm, home to sheep, goats, ducks, chickens and rabbits, as well as the “Zen Space” and beautifully maintained gardens. For bigger kids, an 18-hole mini golf course is a draw.
The iMason Climate Accord was formally unveiled at the Datacloud Global Congress at the Grimaldi Forum this week, uniting digital giants like Meta, Google and Microsoft in reducing carbon emissions from their digital infrastructure.
The largest cloud computing providers will join a new data centre industry initiative to slash the carbon output of the infrastructure powering the internet via the iMason Climate Accord (ICA).
In all, over 70 companies have agreed to be part of the agreement, which will include taking additional steps to track and reduce the less eco-friendly aspects of data centres and create accountability for carbon levels emitted.
Amongst some of the heavy hitters who have joined the cause are Amazon Web Services, Google, Meta and Microsoft. In addition to top cloud platforms, more than 40 major data centre space providers have come on board, led by Equinix, Digital Realty, NTT Global Data Centers and CyrusOne. Also joining in are Schneider Electric and Vertiv, the largest supplies of power and cooling equipment for data centres.
“We established iMasons to unite the builders of the digital age,” said Dean Nelson, Chairman and Founder of Infrastructure Masons. “The ICA represents an unprecedented collaboration between leading digital infrastructure companies to accelerate our journey to carbon neutrality. Today, we are combining forces to compound the efforts of these firms to make meaningful and sustained progress toward that goal.”
The iMasons Advisory Council met on 2nd February 2022 to decide what they could do as an industry to battle climate change. The ICA was the brainchild of that meeting.
“AWS is committed to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040, and we are on a path to power our operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025 – five years ahead of our original target,” said Eric Wilcox, Vice President of Data Centre Design Engineering at Amazon Web Services. “We cannot do this alone and look forward to working with other forward-thinking companies to decarbonise. We are excited to join iMasons to reduce carbon emissions from digital infrastructure.”
In 2021, digital infrastructure included seven million data centres worldwide representing 105GW of power capacity consuming 594TWhs of energy. This equates to 2.4% of global energy consumption.
Until now, there has been no industry standard in relation to carbon data reporting, so this accord is a big step in the right direction. The next step is to create a governing body to oversee the adoption of methodologies to standardise carbon measuring in digital infrastructure as well as to ensure transparency amongst the accord’s adherents.
The ICA hopes to become a major influencer in market-based buying decisions to drive the industry to a carbon neutral status as an initial step to achieving global net zero.
“One of the biggest topics of discussion at COP26 was how a lack of reliable and consistent measurement hampers progress on the path to net zero. We also know that while many companies are making valiant efforts to improve their carbon footprints, Scope 3 emissions continue to be the most difficult to control and reduce,” said Christian Belady, Vice President and Distinguished Engineer of Datacentre Advanced Development at Microsoft. “We’re delighted to support such a valuable initiative to help bring both measurement and transparency to the datacentre industry.”
Euroleague play-off match 3: Revenge of the Greeks
A valiant Roca Team comeback wasn’t enough to prevent them trailing in their Euroleague playoff tie against Olympiacos (83-87) on Wednesday, leaving Sasa Obradovic’s men with an uphill struggle to reverse the deficit.
AS Monaco Basketball must now win both legs, starting with Friday’s match at the Salle Gaston Medecin, if they are to avoid a premature end to a series that Olympiacos manager Georgios Bartzokas described as “a difficult series, maybe the most difficult in Euroleague right now.”
Having blown Olympiacos away in the last leg at the Peace and Friendship Stadium, Monaco could have expected a reaction from historically one of the most prolific European sides. Defences reigned supreme in the opening quarter, with Monaco only managing one, unsuccessful attempt from outside the key.
Indiscipline from Olympiacos allowed Monaco to stay within touch, as Mike James’ 100% accuracy from eight free-throws gave the home side a slender lead. Experience began to count in the second-quarter. The much-decorated Kostas Sloukas took the reins and began to orchestrate the match as Olympiacos went into the break with a slender lead (41-45).
The game looked to have definitively got away from the Roca Team in the third-quarter. Having managed to reign in their opponents throughout the night, Olympiacos’ 15-point advantage looked impossible to overcome. Experience, but also defensive solidity looked amiss, and Obradovic told Monaco Life, “For a lot of guys, this is the first time experiencing this, the first time they are playing such an important game in such pressure…Second thing, what who missed a lot today from my side is Alpha Diallo, a defensive stopper, who we needed in some moments.”
But the Roca Team can never be written off. An 11-2 streak at the beginning of the fourth-quarter ignited the Salle Gaston Medecin, who once again believed in the exploit. Back from the brink, Paris Lee restored parity with a magnificent three-pointer, before another just moments later handed his side a slender lead (80-79).
However, in moments of hardship, Olympiacos managed to find that extra gear, and they did so again in the dying stages here. Far from a flashy performance, a clinical Olympiacos prevailed on the night (83-87), leaving Obradoivc’s men with plenty of work to do.
Post-match, Olympiacos manager Bartzokas complimented Monaco’s fighting spirit. “I respect Monaco who deserve to be here, who never give up,” he said. Those words will be of little consolation to Obradovic, who told Monaco Life that he is already moving past this defeat. “Everything is secondary now. Let’s think about how to regenerate now and take the next match.”
It may be an uphill battle, but Monaco’s astonishing run to the play-offs is indicative of a team capable of climbing the highest peaks, and they will have to do so again if they are to prolong their European adventure.
Photo by Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life
Venice Racing Team first to join new electric powerboat challenge
Following the RaceBird’s unveiling in Monaco last September and its first successful speed tests in Italy, the UIM E1 World Championship has announced the first team entry set to race in the inaugural season in 2023.
It was announced on Wednesday that the Venice Racing Team, which has been created specially to compete in E1, is the first to join the E1 Championship.
The new racing entity is the brainchild of entrepreneur Francesco Pannoli, who will run the operation, while the team is expected to announce their pilot line-up at the Salone Nautico in Venice next month.
According to a statement, the team was established to provide a platform for the many companies in Venice that share a common philosophy and commitment to building a sustainable future.
Known around the world as the ‘City of Water’, Venice is seeking to be an innovative leader in sustainability, while the Venice Racing Team aims to drive action to protect the city’s unique lagoon environment, residential ecosystem, and artistic heritage.
“I’m very proud to announce an Italian team as the first entry set to compete in our burgeoning global electric raceboat championship,” said Rodi Basso, Co-Founder and CEO of E1. “Having a team who represents the City of Venice is perfect for E1 and our shared vision of accelerating electric mobility in urban waters. Venice itself has a special connection to the water and is one of the most iconic cities to have an association with a racing team given its sustainability credentials and recognition as one of the eco-capitals of the world.”
The Venice RaceBird prototype, image supplied
Some of the founding members of the Venice Racing Team are also involved in a new start-up operated together with the city’s Chamber of Commerce, called E-Concept SRL. They have been tasked with developing new renewable energy projects, with a particular focus on promoting the electrification of marine mobility. From this initiative the E-Dock project was created to provide electric charging points for the busy waterways in Venice.
“This project is selecting new green technologies, which are key to the future of our planet and are common for many different industries and applications,” said Eugenio Razelli, CEO and Chairman of Venice Racing Team.
E1’s Rodi Basso says they are currently speaking to dozens of other prospective teams across a broad spectrum of sports, from traditional powerboating, to sailing and the automotive world.
“We’re also progressing discussions with a number of brands, corporations and organisations seeking to compete as teams in the UIM E1 World Championship. I’m sure this is just the start of an exciting line-up of RaceBirds for our first racing season in 2023.”
The RaceBird uses innovative hydrofoil technology to rise above the water’s surface, allowing for minimum drag and maximum energy efficiency.
A model of the RaceBird was unveiled at the Monaco Yacht Club in September, where it was also revealed that the Principality will host a race in the inaugural season of the UIM E1 Series. The innovative championship will eventually be taken to 10 global race locations for a knock-out style race format involving short races close to shore.
The E1 raceboat series is the latest venture by Alejandro Agag, who is also behind the Formula E and the Extreme E series.
Nearly a hundred beautifully crafted Roses des Vents pinwheels will be up for grabs from the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, with proceeds going to Monaco Red Cross’s Ukrainian relief efforts.
Ma Vie en Rose Monte-Carlo is one of the highlights of the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer’s (SBM) event schedule this year, and it is made up of a myriad of pop-up and temporary installations around the resort that are on display to delight guests and reawaken senses to the beauty and pleasures of spring in the Principality.
To keep the spirit of the occasion going long past the blooms of spring are past, SBM is offering guests a chance to take a piece of the event home with them, whilst contributing to a worthy cause.
Close to a hundred Roses des Vents pinwheels are scattered throughout the Principality, created by Eva Dmitrenko and Céline Pagés from the Pavillion Bosio Art School, as a tribute to joie de vivre, movement, and fun. They are for sale from now until 8th May.
Every Roses des Vents is different in size and detail, making each unique and exclusive. Pink is of course the primary colour, but vibrant shades of yellow, orange and red are also on the block.
The ones up for sale are located in the gardens of the Place du Casino to, and buyers can select as many of them as they’d like.
Prices range from €100 to €1,000, with smaller posies available for pick up from the Salle des Palmiers on 10th May. Larger pieces can be delivered for an extra fee.
