Le Méridien Beach Plaza

Le Méridien Beach Plaza—the only hotel in Monaco with a private beach—makes much of its advantage. Tidy rows of umbrellas are set out early in the morning but not unfurled, lest they block the view of the brilliant Mediterranean until after guests finish breakfast on the breezy terrace. Enjoying a cup of coffee and gazing out over the blue water to the three or four mega-yachts moored beyond the buoys launches the day with a bit of glamour. The hotel’s art-filled lobby enjoys generous views of the water, as does the sunny Longitude 7° 26' bar, an airy space off the lobby that operates 24 hours a day, serving light meals, cappuccino, as well as wine and cocktails. The hotel’s main restaurant, L’Intempo, offers a generous breakfast buffet during the week (and a brunch menu on the weekends), and serves lunch and dinner, both indoors and at tables on the beach-view terrace. Upstairs, the guestrooms are clean and well-appointed, and the marble bathrooms are kitted out with Malin + Goetz products. Most rooms have balconies that face the water or the town climbing up the craggy hills. In addition to beach activities and the pleasures of exploring this tiny kingdom, the concierge can arrange drives up into the hills in vintage sports cars, or wine-tastings at local vineyards, or cooking or mixology classes at the hotel. You’ll find your fellow guests a pretty international mix—Russians, Italians, Chinese, Emiratis, French, Germans, English—mostly couples and families with well-behaved children wearing expensive resort wear, adding to the fairy-tale vibe of this small colorful country on the edge of the sea.

Le Méridien hotels, founded in France in the 1960s, want to recapture the legendary magic of the sixties jet set, those tanned and glamorous travelers who followed the sun and social scene from beach to beach. The hotel brand’s 2018 program, Summer Soirées, will be rolled out to all their 140+ properties in celebration of the iconic Mediterranean summer traditions like bossa nova music, glasses of chilled rosé wine, small-plate grazing menus, and beachside backgammon matches. Le Méridien hired style icon Garance Doré to curate the program and lend her breezy chic aesthetic to the evenings. Expect sexy soundtracks played throughout the hotels, bars showcasing the sunny wines of the Cote d’Azur, beach games, and playful summer-y touches.