Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort

"The family-friendly Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort feels like more of a Mediterranean island retreat, with seaside sun beds and beach fare from two Michelin-starred chef Marcel Ravin; Balinese-style beds by the sand-bottom lagoon; and water sports like parasailing and tubing available off the hotel’s pontoon."

"This modern 11-story hotel, built on the end of the beachside Larvotto strip, is a chic but unpretentious family-friendly resort that attracts travelers for its prime location and the amicable Mediterranean-style village atmosphere. Guests come for the three restaurants, spa, and two pools (one with an artificial sand-bottom lagoon), plus the Bay Casino, jammed with the latest high-tech slot machines. If guests want to relax, chances are they head to the lounge chairs surrounded by the botanical gardens or head down the road to the Monte-Carlo Beach for water sports. The comfortable, sleek, contemporary-style rooms have dark or blond wood furnishings, duvet-covered beds, plasma-screens TVs, and spacious white bathrooms. Another highlight is the sea-view terraces, with a dreamy vista of the illuminated pool, gardens, and the Sporting d’Eté complex. The highly affordable off-season prices are a deal, considering the Principality’s mild climate is reliably sunny, even during the winter."

"The Hotel Monte-Carlo Bay in Monaco, then, has concocted a slightly more high-touch solution. 'We have changed our way of serving our famous brunch, which will be served by our waiters, instead of going to the buffet,' said Frederic Darnet, the hotel’s general manager. He calls the new approach 'Table Brunch' — how novel — where staff deliver dishes directly to guests tableside. And for those who want to avoid the restaurant altogether, they offer a Floating Breakfast package, an elaborate spin on the traditional French breakfast, served on a floating tray in the lagoon (for roughly $140). 'I’m happy that we can adapt,' he adds." - Nadja Sayej