Hermitage, Monte Carlo, Monaco

Of the three grand luxury hotels in Monte Carlo, the Hotel Hermitage rates as the best. Slightly away from the mad throng and vulgarity that surrounds its more famous neighbour, the Hotel de Paris, these guest rooms are less ornate and more tasteful, in cool blue and white (striped cushions, blue and white floral walls) off pink and white corridors. These are lined with slightly odd Victorian/Edwardian poster-shop reproductions of girls in straw hats on beaches and similar pretty scenes, repeated in some cases floor to floor, giving the whole a contemporary Rococo feel.

The facilities
While the reception area is low and discreet, the public spaces of the Hotel Hermitage hidden behind are suitably grand - the magnificent chandeliered Belle Epoque Eiffel Room, for example, with its coloured glass roof. Sea view rooms have delightful balconies overlooking the harbour, while below, the spa is one of the finest in Europe, its indoor pool with a wall of windows view across the sea. On the dining terrace, guests can eat outside above the twinkling harbour lights below. The closest you can get to magic in this temple to Mammon.