The Princely Government is set to host the fifth edition of the PropTech Symposia on 19th March, bringing together investors, entrepreneurs, researchers and policymakers to explore the latest developments in property technology.
Set to take place at the Yacht Club de Monaco from 5pm, the annual conference will focus on the theme ‘PropTech: Accelerator of Innovation & Growth in Real Estate,’ examining how technology is reshaping the property and construction sectors worldwide.
Organised in partnership with the Monaco Economic Board, the event forms part of the Monaco International Investment Forum, (MIIF) and is linked to the ‘Real Estate Tech’ academic chair established in 2019 between the Principality and the École Supérieure de Commerce de Paris.
The conference will be held in English and moderated by the Government’s Communications head Geneviève Berti, and will feature speakers of international standing including a presentation of the PropTech Barometer 2025, an annual benchmark tracking major shifts in the global property market.
The ceremony held in Monaco on Monday 16th March was a landmark moment not just for the Principality, which hosted the Michelin Guide France & Monaco Awards for the first time, but for the surrounding region. Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur emerged as one of the night’s strongest performers, with 10 restaurants earning their first Michelin star — a distinction that brings with it not only global recognition but a demonstrable and immediate economic boost, from increased bookings to higher average spend and a surge in international attention.
For the restaurants concerned, a first star is transformative. It signals to the wider world that a table is worth a journey, and for those on the French Riviera, that message reaches an international audience of considerable spending power.
The Alpes-Maritimes — a strong showing
The Alpes-Maritimes department produced four new stars. La Table du Cap Estel in Èze-Bord-de-Mer joins an already illustrious stretch of coastline that includes the two-starred La Chèvre d’Or just above it. In Nice, Épicentre earned its first star, adding to a city that already holds six other starred addresses. La Table de Pierre in Saint-Paul-de-Vence and Auberge de la Roche in Valdeblore — a mountain village in the arrière-pays — complete the département’s new entries.
The Var and the coast
In the Var, two coastal restaurants earned their first stars. Les Oliviers in Bandol and L’Oursin at the Hôtel Les Roches in Lavandou both join a department whose dining scene already includes the three-starred La Vague d’Or and La Table du Castellet. Shanael in Toulon also earned recognition for the first time.
Bouches-du-Rhône
In the Bouches-du-Rhône, two new stars were awarded. Auffo in Marseille becomes the latest addition to a city that has steadily built its gastronomic reputation over the past decade and already holds two three-starred restaurants. Further west along the coast, L’Oursin in Carry-le-Rouet earned its first star, bringing Michelin recognition to a small fishing port that few international visitors would previously have had reason to seek out.
Vaucluse
In the Vaucluse, Garrigue in Ansouis — a hilltop village in the Luberon — rounded out the region’s new entries, adding to a department that already counts several starred tables among Provence’s most sought-after dining destinations.
What a Michelin star means in practice
The economic impact of a first star should not be underestimated. For many restaurants, the night of the ceremony marks a before and after: reservations fill within hours, press attention arrives from across Europe, and the address enters the itineraries of food-focused travellers who plan trips specifically around Michelin-recognised tables.
On the French Riviera, where gastronomy is already woven into the region’s identity and tourist offer, a new star strengthens the collective proposition and draws visitors who might otherwise have passed through.
Main photo: Épicentre Chef Sélim M’Nasri (in the hat) was among those to win their coveted first Michelin star during Monday’s ceremony. Photo credit: Cedric Le Dantec
Monaco scores one star for Robuchon and Michelin Service Award on a landmark night for the Principality
Monaco emerged from the 2026 Michelin Guide France & Monaco ceremony with two significant distinctions — a first star for Robuchon Monaco and a prestigious Service Award for Marco Tognon, head of the Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac team — on a night that was already historic for the Principality simply by virtue of hosting the event for the first time.
Robuchon Monaco, the restaurant paying tribute to the late and great Joël Robuchon on rue du Portier in the beachside district of Larvotto, and its Chef Jonathan Larrieu have been awarded its first Michelin star.
The guide described the setting as a “swanky black façade” leading to a rattan-furnished terrace and a cosy dining area with green-upholstered banquettes and a marble floor.
Michelin’s inspectors noted that while the famous Robuchon mashed potato is served with each main course, “the master’s influence remains discreet”. The à la carte menu centres on what the guide called “pedigree Gallic classics with a scattering of Mediterranean notes”.
“This star crowns a strong ambition: to make the Robuchon name shine in Monaco,” Chef Jonathan Larrieu told Monaco Life. “It rewards a project carried out with rigour and passion every day. I would like to warmly thank all those who contributed to this success.”
The guide also highlighted the adjacent Petit Café Robuchon, open continuously throughout the day, where the same culinary DNA runs through dishes.
Marco Tognon, manager of Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac at the Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo, receiving the Michelin Service Award. Photo credit: Cedric Le Dantec
Marco Tognon wins Michelin Service Award
The ceremony also brought individual recognition to Marco Tognon, manager of Les Ambassadeurs by Christophe Cussac at the Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo, who received the Michelin Service Award. Michelin described Tognon as personifying “meticulous, elegant and deeply human service”, with an international career shaped by tenures at prestigious establishments in Paris, London and Rome.
In a statement, Tognon said the recognition moved him deeply after 25 years in starred restaurants. “This distinction rewards above all the collective work of an entire team,” he said. “Service is like a couturier: each service is a bespoke costume, designed so that every client experiences a unique and memorable dinner.”
It was a full house at the Grimaldi Forum Monday night for the Michelin Guide France & Monaco Ceremony. Photo credit: Cedric Le Dantec
Prince Albert on gastronomy’s wider responsibility
Speaking at the opening of the ceremony, Prince Albert II used the occasion to frame gastronomy as something far greater than fine dining. “Cuisine stands among the highest expressions of human culture,” he said. “We carry a responsibility, like artists, to imagine a better world.”
The Prince called on the industry, and particularly younger generations, to recognise the breadth of what gastronomy encompasses. “It must not remain a pleasure reserved for a few or tied to certain habits,” he said. “It encompasses some of the greatest challenges of our time: education, openness to others, the blending of cultures, nutrition, agriculture, and human health — but also the health of our planet, its resources, and its biodiversity.”
Newly awarded Les Morainières Chef Michaël Arnoult was celebrated by his peers on stage of the Grimaldi Forum Monaco. Photo credit: Cedric Le Dantec
His words set the tone for what proved to be a landmark evening for the Principality. Hosting the Michelin Guide France & Monaco ceremony for the first time in the guide’s 126-year history, Monaco welcomed more than 1,200 guests to the Grimaldi Forum, drawing the country’s most celebrated chefs and gastronomic figures to a stage that has long recognised the Principality as one of the world’s most exceptional culinary destinations.
The night’s biggest honour went to Les Morainières in Jongieux, Savoie, where chef Michaël Arnoult and his wife Ingrid were awarded a third Michelin star — recognition, in the guide’s words, of more than two decades of cooking deeply rooted in the Savoyard terroir and a network of loyal local producers. Seven restaurants received their second star: Bulle d’Osier in Langres, Hakuba and Alliance and Virtus in Paris, Arbane in Reims, Frédéric Doucet in Charolles and Le Corot in Ville-d’Avray.
In total, 62 new stars were awarded across France and Monaco, including 54 first-time one-star recipients — confirming a gastronomic scene defined by audacity, regional rootedness and a new generation of deeply personal cooking.
Monaco has formally received five new ambassadors representing the Philippines, Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Malta, in a diplomatic luncheon held at the Hôtel Hermitage on Thursday.
The gathering was hosted by Isabelle Berro-Amadeï, Monaco’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, who met with the newly accredited envoys to mark the strengthening of ties between the Principality and their countries.
The five ambassadors welcomed were Eduardo José A. De Vega of the Philippines, Kirsikka Lehto-Asikainen of Finland, María Mjöll Jónsdóttir of Iceland, Caroline Vicini of Sweden, and Daniela Memmo d’Amelio of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.
Also present at the event were the Honorary Consul General of the Philippines, honorary consuls from Finland and Sweden, and representatives from the Monaco Economic Board and the Strategic Council for Attractiveness
The Bal de la Rose will take place on Saturday 21st March at the Salle des Étoiles, Sporting Monte-Carlo, marking its 70th edition with a space-themed night designed by Christian Louboutin and held in aid of the Princess Grace Foundation.
The ball is held under the High Patronage of Prince Albert II and under the presidency and in the presence of Princess Caroline of Hanover, President of the Princess Grace Foundation, who has chosen ‘Galaxy Rose Ball’ as this year’s theme. As in previous years, she has given her friend Louboutin carte blanche over the creative direction. Visionary designer Benoît Miniou, whose work sits at the intersection of research and imagination, has joined the collaboration for this edition.
The setting
The Sporting Monte-Carlo will be transformed into a monochrome space shuttle for the evening, with the Salle des Étoiles fitted with portholes that change colour according to the planets encountered during the night’s journey. Sound and light effects and immersive laser shows will complete the setting.
The performers
Seven acts are scheduled to perform across the evening. Rondò Veneziano will open the ball with a performance blending Venetian Baroque elegance and contemporary music, followed by the Crazy Horse cabaret from Paris, whose dancers will perform against kaleidoscopic lighting and graphic projections.
Ballet Kalinka will bring the Russian tradition of character dance to the stage, in the lineage of the Moiseyev Ensemble, before Berlin-based Dulce Compania performs on stilts in custom-made costumes. Choreographers and artistic directors Céline and Cain Kitsaïs will combine dance with theatrical stage effects.
Leee John and his band Imagination — known for their blend of British soul, jazz and funk — will close the live programme before DJ Josh Quinton takes over until the early hours. Television presenter Stéphane Bern will also participate in the evening.
Charles Leclerc finished fourth at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai on Sunday, one place behind Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton, as the pair produced one of the race’s defining moments — a wheel-to-wheel duel that had them swapping positions almost a dozen times across the middle third of the race.
Victory went to 19-year-old Kimi Antonelli, who became the second youngest grand prix winner in Formula 1 history with a composed drive for Mercedes. The Italian, who had taken pole position the previous day — itself a record as the youngest ever pole-sitter — led team-mate George Russell home in a Mercedes one-two, with Hamilton third and Leclerc fourth. Antonelli, who fought back tears in his post-race interview, trails Russell by four points in the championship.
Leclerc and Hamilton’s race
Ferrari’s race began brightly. Both drivers made strong starts, with Hamilton briefly taking the lead ahead of Antonelli and Leclerc slotting into third ahead of Russell. A safety car on lap 10, triggered by Lance Stroll stopping on track, brought all four leading drivers into the pits for hard tyres. At the restart, Hamilton passed Russell aggressively to reclaim second, with Leclerc following suit — but Mercedes’ superior pace allowed Russell to reassert himself, leaving Hamilton and Leclerc to contest the final podium position.
What followed was one of the race’s highlights. The two Ferrari drivers traded position repeatedly in a battle that Leclerc described as a genuine product of the new technical regulations. “These new cars are really fun to race — it’s all about tactics and energy deployment, and you can really play with that to get ahead of your competitors,” he said. Hamilton ultimately came out on top, crossing the line three and a half seconds ahead of his team-mate. “Today was one of the most enjoyable races I’ve had in years,” Hamilton said. “Hard but fair battles, especially with Charles.”
Team principal Fred Vasseur admitted he had needed to check his heart rate during the duel but said he had no intention of ordering his drivers to hold position. “That would have been unfair. They are professionals and today’s battle was good for the team and good for the sport.”
Lewis Hamilton took 3rd at the Chinese Grand Prix. Photo source: Ferrari Media Centre
The new cars divide opinion
The Chinese Grand Prix also threw the 2026 regulations into sharp relief, generating a debate that cut straight to the heart of what Formula 1 is. The new hybrid engines, with their 50-50 split between internal combustion and electrical power, introduce boost and overtake modes that allow drivers to surge past rivals — but leave them temporarily short of battery charge and vulnerable to being re-passed. The result is a style of racing that has polarised the paddock.
Hamilton called it “awesome” and likened it to go-karting. Max Verstappen, who retired with an energy recovery system failure after a frustrating afternoon in the lower half of the field, was considerably less charitable, describing the new formula as “terrible” and comparing it unfavourably to Mario Kart. “This has nothing to do with racing,” he said. “I would say the same if I was winning races.”
Fernando Alonso, who retired with 23 laps remaining after suffering severe vibrations from his Honda engine — television cameras showed him removing his hands from the wheel on the straight to relieve the discomfort — called it simply “the battery world championship.”
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff took a different view, pointing to fan engagement data. “All the indicators say people love it,” he said. McLaren’s Andrea Stella acknowledged the philosophical tension. “Do we want to be faithful to the DNA of racing in a traditional sense? Do we accept that this counterintuitive situation belongs to the business or not? This is a high-level philosophical question.”
Retirements and results
Among the notable absentees, both McLarens failed to start — Lando Norris with an electrical problem before reaching the grid, Oscar Piastri with a separate issue that left his car unable to be started. Williams’ Alex Albon and Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto also failed to make the race.
The result consolidates Ferrari’s second place in the constructors’ standings on 40 points, though Vasseur acknowledged the gap to Mercedes remains significant. “We still have a long way to go,” he said. “We need to make progress in different areas.”
Next up: Japan
The championship resumes in a fortnight at Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix — a circuit that, under the new regulations, has itself become a talking point after drivers noted that some of its most demanding corners are no longer being attacked at the limit of grip, with energy recovery taking priority over outright speed.
