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Month: July 2026

Interview: Scenic Designer Rachel Hauck on ‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball’ and the enduring magic of live performance

by: Kelli Acciardo
10/07/2026

In partnership with the Princess Grace Foundation-USA, Monaco Life proudly presents a monthly series spotlighting the lives and artistic contributions of the Foundation’s remarkable Award winners.

For Tony Award-winning scenic designer Rachel Hauck, theater is about more than creating beautiful spaces—it’s about shaping the way audiences experience a story. From the industrial mythology of Hadestown to the immersive spectacle of the Tony-nominated Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Hauck has built a career transforming stages into dynamic worlds that invite audiences to see familiar stories in entirely new ways.

Since receiving a Princess Grace Award in Theater in 1998, Rachel Hauck has become one of the most acclaimed scenic designers of her generation. Her Broadway credits include Hadestown, Swept Away, Good Night, Oscar, and What the Constitution Means to Me, and her dedication to fostering new work and mentoring the next generation of artists has extended her impact far beyond the stage.

In this conversation, Hauck reflects on the impact of the Princess Grace Foundation, the collaborative nature of theater, the creative risks behind Cats: The Jellicle Ball, and why live performance continues to offer audiences something no other art form can.

On the Princess Grace Foundation-USA

You received the Princess Grace Award in 1998, early in your career. What did that recognition mean to you at the time?

To be recognised with this award – to be seen as worthy of it – foundationally changed my self confidence. I was struggling, trying to find my voice, and in an absolutely perilous financial situation. 

Honestly, I was a bit shocked. I had been working so intensely, making work I was passionate about. The gift of being recognised with such an incredible honor made me feel like my voice artistically had value, and the financial support made it possible for me to continue.

Photo credit: Brianne Stewart

What has being part of the Princess Grace Foundation artistic community meant throughout your career?

This community is a broad network and shared family, it is a community that I cherish. 

I have always had a great desire to give back to the PGF because of the significant impact the recognition had for me. I have been honored to be a part of a few of the grant panels, searching for the next generation of artists. And of course, it’s always fun to discover that artists with whom I have worked were also supported by the Foundation. 

Do you feel Princess Grace’s legacy still resonates within today’s theater world?

Absolutely. This support fuels and supports the next generation in a moment when there is even less of that support out in the world. I am fortunate to have two recent grantees currently working with me: Sim Carpenter (Theater, 2024) and Diggle (Theater, 2023) who were recognised a year apart. 

Diggle has been working with me for a long time, most recently on ‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball’. And I met Sim at the PGF gala when they were both recognised. Sim is an incredible artist and presence, and I immediately invited him to come work with me when he graduated from NYU, which he did. 

Sim and Diggle are both powerful designers in their own right. I’m excited to have them in the studio for as long as they would like to stay and help them in any way that I can, and of course I am most excited to see what brilliant work they make .

Photo credit: Tess Meyer

On Mentorship

What advice would you give emerging scenic designers trying to find their artistic voice?

I am proud to have been a mentor to many young designers who have worked with me in my studio as Diggle and Sim are currently. You get to see so much when you are working with someone, and what you learn is never quite what you expected to learn. I hope that being here has been a help to the folks who have been with me.

Young people write to me often seeking advice, I’m incredibly moved by that. My feedback varies based where people are in their lives and careers, but one thing is constant. I always suggest that people see as much theater as they can, and discover artists whose work inspires them or provokes them, scares them or moves them to tears. To continue to look for the new work that excites them. And then to go to work.

Jump into the deep end of the pool and start swimming. Immerse yourself in what’s happing around you and make as much work as you can. That’s the best way to find your voice.

On What’s Next

What projects or creative ideas are inspiring you most right now?

I’m working on a number of things that I’m excited about. I’m working on a new musical called ‘Galileo’ which will open on Broadway in the fall. It’s a fantastic new rock musical by Zoe Sarnak, Michael Weiner and Danny Strong, directed by Michael Mayer. I’m excited by what they see in Galileo’s story, and how much it resonates with the current political climate.

Today, I’m in rehearsals for a new musical adaptation of ‘Eugene Onegin’ by the great Sarah Gancher, directed by my dear friend Rachel Chavkin. It’s terrific, a bluegrass musical with an impossible amount of talent on stage, and it’s changing every second as we discover it with the audience. We are currently in previews, and we just turned the third act upside down this afternoon. We’ll see what happens tonight!

Photo credit: Rico Lebron

On Theater Today

What do you think audiences are craving from live theater right now?

I think people are always craving the human experience. Something happens when you’re in a room hearing a story with a thousand other people, or 200 other people, or 10 other people. You share a story and an experience with a roomful of strangers, and you become a community. 

There’s something absolutely profound about hearing a story that is so different than any of your lived experience. You have a chance to intimately experience someone elses world – or at least corner of their world – and maybe understand something you’ve never understood before.

There’s also something profound about seeing yourself represented on stage in some way. I think that’s part of the reason why ‘Cats: The Jellicle Ball’ has meant so much to so many.

Many, many people in the queer community are seeing themselves on stage for the first time, in some form. And many people outside the queer community are being invited into a joy that they have not known, and sharing that experience with in the community of 1,200 people. That is deeply powerful. 

There’s no other art form like this one. It is ancient, it is human, like listening to someone telling you a story in the dark. There’s just nothing else like it.

On Monaco

Have you spent much time in Monaco? What would your ideal day in the Principality look like?

I was in Monaco once, when I was quite young. I was traveling around Europe by myself with a backpack. I got off the train in Monaco, chained my backpack to a tree, and for an afternoon, I walked everywhere in Monaco I could go, and stayed until the last train left for the Youth Hostel in the next town.

I just really loved being there, it is a city of dreams. I loved getting a glimpse of the Casino and a sense of the city. This was years before I had the incredible honor of receiving the Princess Grace Award which has meant so much to me. Maybe someday I’ll get to go back.

Follow Rachel Hauck on Instagram @rhwuzhere.

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Main photo credit: Tess Meyer

 

La Vigie Zanoni: Monaco’s most romantic restaurant has a new Italian soul

by: Cassandra Tanti
10/07/2026

La Vigie sits in one of the most remarkable locations in Monaco. Hidden among the pine trees at the end of the Monte-Carlo Beach peninsula, with the Mediterranean wrapping around the rocks below, it feels less like dining in Monaco and more like stumbling across a restaurant on a quiet stretch of the Italian coast. Which is why this year’s take-over by renowned Italian chef Simone Zinone is such a natural fit. 

For the 2026 season, Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer has transformed the historic La Vigie into La Vigie Zanoni Monte-Carlo, inviting the Lombard-born chef behind Paris’ Michelin-starred Le George to spend the summer overlooking the Mediterranean.

In true Zanoni style, the menu is a celebration of Italian cuisine – fresh pasta, crudos, seafood, grilled meats and vegetables that are built around seasonal ingredients; classics including Tortellini Carbonara, Milanese veal cutlet and braised veal agnolotti sit alongside pizzas, risottos and generous antipasti.

Among the dishes created exclusively for La Vigie is Tagliolini with Caviar and Champagne — a subtle nod to the restaurant’s Monaco address.

But what impresses me most about this restaurant is the simplicity. The ingredients speak for themselves, the cooking is not overly complicated, and the menu encourages exactly the kind of relaxed dining that Italian cuisine is famous for.

The terrace of La Vigie Zanoni Monte-Carlo. Photo source: Monte-Carlo SBM

Order for the table

If there’s one piece of advice I’d give anyone visiting La Vigie Zanoni, it’s this: don’t order your own meal.

Order for the table instead.

Choose several dishes, open a good bottle of wine and share everything. It transforms luch or dinner into a much more convivial experience, reminiscent of a long family meal at an Italian nonna’s house, where conversation flows as naturally as the food arriving at the table.

It’s a menu designed to be enjoyed together.

Chef Simone Zanoni at La Vigie Zanoni. Photo source: Monte-Carlo SBM

Don’t skip the cocktails

Before dinner, spend a little time with the cocktail menu.

The Italian-inspired signature creations are among the strongest I’ve tried in Monaco this summer. The Bellini Reale, made with homemade white peach purée and Champagne, is beautifully balanced, while the Monte-Carlo Negroni brings together Prince Explorer Gin, Monte-Carlo Vermouth Rosso and Campari in a refined take on the classic.

The cocktails suit the setting — elegant, relaxed and best enjoyed before the first plate arrives.

Keep room for dessert

Whatever you do, save room for dessert. The tiramisu is everything you hope it will be – light, indulgent and beautifully balanced – while the passionfruit and mango panna cotta offers a fresher, more summery finish. But perhaps the most enjoyable way to end the meal is with the restaurant’s generous vanilla gelato, served for sharing with bowls of chocolate sauce, fresh strawberries, hazelnuts and, naturally, Nutella. Like much of the menu, it’s designed to be passed around the table.

Nestled in a protected bird forest and overlooking the rocky shores of the Mediterranean, La Vigie is unlike anything else in Monaco. Photo by Cassandra Tanti 

Getting there

Reaching La Vigie is part of the experience. Guests can arrive through Monte-Carlo Beach or take the complimentary boat shuttle from Port Hercule, which crosses the bay in around 15 minutes during the summer season. Approaching from the water only reinforces the sense that you’ve escaped the city for the evening.

It’s a short journey, but it feels much further.

For anyone looking for one of Monaco’s most memorable dinner settings this summer, La Vigie Zanoni is difficult to overlook. Not because it’s the newest restaurant in the Principality, or because a Michelin-starred chef is in the kitchen.

Because few places in Monaco feel quite like this.

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Main photo source: Monte-Carlo SBM

Two remanded without bail over murder of Monaco bombing suspect

by: Cassandra Tanti
10/07/2026

Two men have been remanded in custody without bail over the murder of Anastasia Berezovska, the Ukrainian woman named as the chief suspect in the 29th June bomb attack in Monaco, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General’s Office has said. At the request of prosecutors, a court ordered both men detained on Thursday, with no bail set, as suspects in what investigators describe as the intentional murder of Berezovska by a group acting in prior conspiracy.

According to a statement by Ukraine’s Prosecutor General, released Thursday 9th July, the two are accused of premeditated murder committed by a group of people in a preliminary conspiracy, an offence under Article 115 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code. They had been formally notified of suspicion in Berezovska’s killing on 7th July, in a crime that prosecutors say was carried out after her return to Ukraine.

How the case unfolded

Anastasia Berezovska arrived in Ukraine on 1st July, two days after the 29th June attack on a family in Monaco that injured three people, including a child. On 3rd July, Monaco named her as the chief suspect and placed her on Interpol’s international wanted list on suspicion of involvement in the bombing.

Ukrainian investigators say that, after her return, they traced her contacts and movements and examined two men now charged with her murder — a former law enforcement officer and a serving officer of the Main Directorate of Intelligence (HUR) of the Ministry of Defence — who, according to prosecutors, had repeatedly transferred cryptocurrency and money to her accounts. Prosecutors say one of the suspects then admitted the killing and named the other as taking part, and that his testimony led investigators to her body.

Cooperation with Monaco

All the information gathered has been passed to the investigative authorities in Monaco, the Prosecutor General’s Office said, and Ukrainian law enforcement is continuing to identify those who ordered the attack and others who may have been involved in the attempted murder of the family in Monaco. The pre-trial investigation is ongoing.

See also: 

Anastasiia Berezovska: Ukrainian woman wanted over Monaco parcel bomb disguised herself as man

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Enhanced photo: Suspects appear in Ukraine court, source: Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s office

 

Football: Filipe Luis’ arrival signals new chapter at AS Monaco

by: Luke Entwistle
09/07/2026
Scuro alongside Luís smiling and holding up an AS Monaco shirt

After a gruelling campaign that saw AS Monaco miss out on Champions League qualification, the Principality club have turned the page thanks to the appointment of Filipe Luís.

Adi Hutter began last season as Monaco manager, but following his exit in October, it was Sébastien Pocognoli who saw out the rest of the campaign. Despite a strong run through February and March, five points from a possible 18 in the final six games of the Ligue 1 season saw them slip down the top, out of UCL contention and into the Europa Conference League qualification spot. It is a run that cost Pocognoli his job.

As Les Monégasques’ CEO, Thiago Scuro, took questions from the press on Wednesday, he did so alongside a new face, that of Luís. Scuro was not interested in retracing last season’s failures. “We don’t want to be here spending time discussing what happened behind us. We are here today to present the future,” said the Brazilian.

“There are a lot of new faces in different positions. It’s needed to bring new energy, to bring more positivity. The club is facing a transformation in terms of investments, standards, processes, and procedures, and sometimes you have people who, instead of facing the challenge and finding solutions, prefer to complain. They prefer to be negative. This is what we don’t want here. We want good energy. We want positivity. We want hard-working people,” added Scuro, whose own position came under question, at least from fans, but not from the club’s hierarchy.

Monaco already active in the transfer market

“I’m here, aren’t I? There were never talks [with the hierarchy] on the topic of my future,” said Scuro. Reassured, he has spent the past weeks preparing the upcoming season. There have already been incomings and outgoings. Nazinho, Mathys Detourbet, Sadibou Sané, and Aymen Assab have arrived; Ansu Fati’s loan has been made permanent; whilst Caio Henrique and Kassoum Ouattara have completed departures. The new faces were present in training as the squad, or at least the players not competing in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, returned for pre-season training.

Luís was getting stuck in, too, sliding into challenges during the drills. With Monaco in the market for another left-back, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the former Atletico Madrid and Chelsea full-back could still do a job in the position. “Why do I get involved in training? Well, I think I have a lot of energy,” joked Monaco’s new manager.

Filipe Luis in Monaco training. Photo credit: Luke Entwistle / Monaco Life

He continued, “I think when I’m together with them on those training concepts, they can understand better and more easily. It’s the way I always feel comfortable training my players. I think it’s easy for them to understand when I’m there with them and doing the concepts with
them and stopping and correcting all the time. And, of course, this is a process now. We have to train because there are a lot of things to teach.”

Having only retired from professional football in 2024, the Brazilian’s time in management to date has been brief, but he has already garnered quite a reputation, having won the Copa Libertadores with Flamengo. At Wednesday’s presentation, Luís admitted that there were calls from other clubs (reports had suggested he was close to taking charge at Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen), but he was tempted to join the Principality club following talks with Scuro, Carlos Avina, and president Dmitry Rybolovlev.

“Our ideas matched,” said Luís. “I’m a person with really, really high ambitions. And they understood that. But above all, I think the process is to see the team play the way I want to play, and I think our ideas are similar. Every time we speak, we have similar ideas. So everything was easy because we created this connection really easily […] it is really a pleasure to be here.”

Luís receives pointers from Fabregas, Carrasco, and Lemar

He is in a period of acquainting himself with Monaco, a club that he revealed he almost joined as a player. He has already spoken about the club with friends and former Monégasques such as Cesc Fabregas, Yannick Carrasco, and Thomas Lemar, he added. Luís revealed that he had already watched plenty of Monaco’s games from last season and has identified what can be improved upon.

“There were a lot of good things. Of course, some things are going to change, but not many huge changes,” said Luís, who emphasised the importance of a more solid and resilient defence. “We can attack really well, but if we concede goals every game, it’s not going to be good. I always say that attack wins games and defence wins championships. We need to be solid,” added the Brazilian.

Filipe Luís speaking in his presentation as Monaco manager. Photo credit: Luke Entwistle / Monaco Life

Winning the Ligue 1 title isn’t quite on the menu, however. Luís said that “everyone knows the distance” between PSG and the rest of the competition. Improving on last season is the objective, although the new manager is under no illusions as to the difficulty of the task. “We know that it will be a season with some changes,” began the new manager, who would like to work with the likes of Folarin Balogun, Maghnes Akliouche, and Lamine Camara, but is accepting of the fact that he may not get the chance. “Every coach wants to work with the best players, but we know that the market is really strong and pushing for those talents,” he said.

Regardless, Luís says Monaco “want to be as high as possible.” Scuro added that the objective is to return to the Champions League for the following season. After last season’s struggles, the club also want to reconnect with their fans, and that is also on the agenda for the new manager. “I want the supporters to see the team playing and feel connected, feel represented,” he says. There is plenty for Luís to get stuck into and, in training, he is already doing just that.

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Photo credit: Luke Entwistle / Monaco Life

Monaco Pride 2026: Advocates gather at Stars of Monaco for future legislative reform

by: Virginia D’Umas
09/07/2026

Organised by the association Mon Arc-en-Ciel at Stars of Monaco on Wednesday 8th July, this year’s Monaco Pride served as a major turning point for the Principality’s LGBTQIA+ community. While organisers and guests celebrated the gathering, the primary focus remained on securing fundamental rights for workers and families. 

Advocates at the event stressed that the push for equality, specifically for social security and legal protections, is not a request for special treatment, but a demand for non-negotiable rights. Annette Anderson, a key figure behind the iconic Stars of Monaco, called on the Principality to ensure that every resident and worker is included and treated as an equal to any other citizen. In an interview with Monaco Life she described the event as follows: “It’s a call to the Principality to make sure that every person who works and lives here is included and is equal to every other citizen and worker in Monaco”. 

Legislative and judicial developments

The push for reform involves a coalition of voices, including those within the legal and political spheres. Monegasque politician Béatrice Fresko-Rolfo highlighted a government announcement, which was made on 29th June, regarding the introduction of a new legal mechanism for same-sex civil unions. While advocates see this as a necessary first step, they remain cautious, with Fresko-Rolfo noting that “the devil is always in the details” when it comes to the forthcoming legislative bills.

Monegasque politician Béatrice Fresko-Rolfo (far left) with Annette Anderson (centre) and Marina Ceyssac, High Commissioner for the Protection of Rights, Liberties and Mediation (second from the right). Photo by Monaco Life

Sarah Filippi, a lawyer at the Monaco Bar, explained that the judicial system has supported their cause despite some institutional resistance. She hopes that local interpretations of ‘public order’—often used to block change—will evolve to match European standards that guarantee rights for foreign nationals. Reflecting on her involvement, Filippi said to the audience: “It was very complicated for me to take the floor in a fight that I did not think I would one day lead by your side”. 

In addition, future laws will prioritise the ‘best interests of the child’, a move to give same-sex families protections similar to traditional households.

Co-founders of Mon Arc-en-Ciel, from left to right: Laure Bernardi, Cynthia Salvanhac and Anaïs Berruti. Photo by Monaco Life

Community visibility and continued optimism

Performers and charity volunteers also showed their support. Drag queen Manel Dalgo, a professional performer and long-time volunteer for Fight Aids Monaco (FAM), highlighted the importance of staying visible. Dalgo, who is appearing in a charity cabaret show called ‘FAM’ this December, encouraged the community to keep working toward these goals.

Drag queen Manel Dalgo performing at Monaco Pride 2026. Photo by Monaco Life

As the Principality moves forward with these reforms, activists remain optimistic, with Filippi concluding, “What I hope is that this subject will quickly no longer be one, and that we will finally be in total equality because I believe that is what each of us deserves”.

See also: 

Monaco moves toward same-sex civil unions, government confirms

Stay updated with Monaco Life: sign up for our free newsletter, listen to our podcasts on Spotify, and follow us across Facebook,  Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tik Tok.

Main photo: Lorenzo Turco and Annette Anderson. Photo by Monaco Life

 

Inside Hôtel Hermitage’s spectacular new Diamond Suites

by: Cassandra Tanti
09/07/2026

After 125 years of welcoming royalty, celebrities and discerning travellers, Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo has unveiled the latest chapter in its history: a collection of reimagined Diamond Suites that blend Belle Époque grandeur with contemporary luxury, while preserving the character that has made the palace one of Monaco’s most enduring landmarks.

There are luxury hotels, and then there are hotels whose walls tell the story of a destination.

For more than a century, Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo has quietly occupied that latter category. Standing above Port Hercule, in the heart of Monte-Carlo, with its unmistakable Belle Époque façade and Gustave Eiffel-designed glass cupola, it has long offered a more intimate expression of Monaco luxury than many of its grander neighbours.

Now, following a major renovation programme launched in 2024 by Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, the hotel has unveiled the latest phase of its transformation: 40 redesigned rooms and suites, including seven spectacular Diamond Suites that reinterpret Belle Époque elegance for a new generation of travellers.

Speaking during a tour of the renovated property, General Manager Guillaume Ranvier said the project has never been about reinventing the Hermitage, but revealing more of what has always made it exceptional.

“We often say that you can buy anything except history,” said Guillaume Ranvier. “What we have here is the history of a truly iconic place — not only in Monaco, but in the world of luxury hospitality.”

A hotel built on history

The Hermitage’s story stretches back to the dawn of the 20th century. The hotel was acquired in 1897, opened its doors in 1901, and was taken over by the Société des Bains de Mer in 1920. Throughout its 125-year history, it has continued to grow. “Additional buildings were gradually connected, creating the network of corridors that is now one of the hotel’s defining characteristics,” explained Ranvier.

Those interconnected wings can surprise first-time guests.

“I calculated that it takes between three-and-a-half and four minutes to walk between some of the different areas of the hotel,” he laughed. “But that is also part of what makes this place so unique.”

Rather than seeing those winding corridors as a challenge, the hotel now embraces them as part of its identity.

“There is an incredible story behind the architecture,” Ranvier said. “Through this renovation programme, we want to preserve that heritage and, in some places, make it even more visible.”

One of his favourite details dates back to the Belle Époque itself.

“Women would stroll through these corridors, and because their dresses were so wide, the hallways themselves were designed to be unusually spacious so that their gowns wouldn’t brush against one another.”

It is these seemingly small details, he believes, that give the Hermitage a personality that cannot be recreated.

From left to right: Head of the design department of the Bureau d’Études et de Design Stephanie Rainaut, Architect Pierre-Yves Rochon, and Interior Architect Karine Bouaziz

Reimagining the Diamond Suites

The centrepiece of the renovation is undoubtedly the hotel’s new Diamond Suite collection.

Originally created in 2004 during an extension of the property, the apartments have now been completely reimagined by internationally acclaimed French architect Pierre-Yves Rochon in collaboration with Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer’s Bureau d’Études et de Design.

Flooded with Mediterranean light and overlooking the sea, the redesigned suites combine the refinement of Belle Époque interiors with contemporary comfort. Versailles parquet flooring, Calacatta marble bathrooms, handcrafted mouldings by Auberlet & Laurent, bespoke carpets and rich natural fabrics create an atmosphere that is both grand and understated, finished in soft palettes of water green, pale blue and warm beige.

“The suites are entirely new in the way they’re presented,” Ranvier explained. “These are signature suites that didn’t exist before. They are connected, meaning they can be sold individually or combined to create one exceptional residence.”

The dining room in the ‘Prince’s Diamond Suite’ at the Hôtel Hermitage.

The most impressive is the Diamond Princely Suite, a 283-square-metre residence overlooking the Mediterranean. Three private terraces frame panoramic views across Port Hercule towards the Prince’s Palace, while generous reception rooms, a library, private office and dining room create the atmosphere of an elegant Monaco apartment rather than a hotel suite.

Its principal bathroom is almost a destination in itself. Clad in white onyx and flooded with natural light, it features a freestanding hydrotherapy bath with chromotherapy, a private sauna, hammam shower, Baccarat crystal fittings and bespoke Lalique lighting designed by Pierre-Yves Rochon.

Alongside it sits the Diamond Presidential Suite, offering 151 square metres of luxurious living space across two terraces overlooking Monaco’s harbour. Organised around a spacious central salon, it includes two bedrooms and exceptional marble bathrooms featuring sea-facing whirlpool baths, Calacatta Oro marble showers and intricate mosaic flooring inspired by flower petals.

When combined, the two residences create a remarkable 434-square-metre private apartment with four bedrooms, four bathrooms, two reception rooms, office, dining room and expansive terraces — one of the most prestigious accommodation offerings in the Principality.

The bathroom is a sensory overload in itself

Designed by one of hospitality’s leading names

For Ranvier, the choice of Pierre-Yves Rochon was never in doubt.

“Pierre-Yves Rochon is one of the greatest interior designers in the world,” he said. “I worked with him previously at the Martinez and the George V, where he oversaw major renovations, and his portfolio also includes La Mamounia and outstanding properties in Florence.”

The Hermitage’s renovation, he says, reflects Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer’s commitment to working with internationally recognised leaders across every discipline.

“We are incredibly proud to have worked with him. He is one of our own experts, and just as our employees create the guest experience, we also collaborate with masters of their craft.”

Luxury through the senses

Although the architecture is striking, Ranvier insists that luxury is ultimately about something far less tangible.

“In a palace hotel of this calibre, wellness is increasingly important,” he said. “Gastronomy is fundamental, accommodation is essential, but it is the combination of all these elements, together with the service delivered by our teams, that creates the experience.”

He believes that philosophy extends beyond design into every aspect of the hotel. Even sound has become part of the luxury experience, with bespoke playlists created specifically for the property, while a signature fragrance is now being developed in collaboration with a master perfumer.

The view from the Diamond Suites is breathtaking

Looking ahead without losing the past

The Diamond Suites form just one part of a wider transformation that will continue over the coming years, with expanded wellness facilities and upgraded event spaces also planned. Yet throughout the redevelopment, preserving the hotel’s character has remained central to every decision.

“We’ve spoken a lot about history, and we are committed to preserving it, showcasing it and treating it as an exclusive heritage,” Ranvier said. “At the same time, we are focused on the present — creating exceptional guest experiences — while also preparing for the future.”

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All photos provided by Monte-Carlo SBM