Review of Port Palace, by Jamie Dunford Wood

Port Palace luxury hotel in Monte Carlo is built in a modern office block, with a lobby revealing its sleek modern minimalism. The design scheme is continued with the small bar at one end of the luxury hotel and a library at the other, sporting a scattering of books on design, art etc.

The facilities

When guests travel downstairs in the Port Palace, they will find a spa and massage/treatment centre with the latest spa treatments. There's also the "Styling" hairdressing salon. Upstairs, the restaurant serves superb food with views of the port, and a terrace for eating out in fine weather.

Still, all this would be for naught if the luxury hotel did not have excellent service. This is where the owner of the Port Palace luxury hotel has clearly done his homework - the result is a hotel where service is a high priority, both amongst the reception, restaurant and housekeeping staff.

The rooms

The Port Palace is right on the port, which is its greatest asset. All the rooms at this luxury hotel gaze out at the world's most luxurious and expensive yachts.

In many luxury hotels this promising start is all too often abandoned upstairs in the guest rooms. In other luxury hotels, the rooms are given the hastiest of makeovers the money having all been spent. This is not the case at the Port Palace luxury hotel, whose owners have spared nothing to get it right throughout. This is Monte Carlo, and people expect power showers, plasma, broadband and effortless luxury. With Port Palace's neighbouring hotels still relying on tradition and chintz, this luxury hotel has leapt ahead with the first truly state of the art deluxe offering in Monte Carlo.

The best rooms to have from this point of view of the Port Palace are the fourth and fifth floor rooms - the lower ones are at tree level, so views are through foliage. However, this advantage is reversed at the time of the grand prix, as the lower rooms are right on top of the track. Corner suites and executive corner suites are the best to book.

The large baths at the Port Palace luxury hotel have jacuzzi jets, and many rooms have separate showers. Colour schemes change on each floor - sea colours, blue and yellow, on the first floor, beige (shell) colours on the second, slate and grey (rock) on the third and orange (sun) colours on the fourth and air on the fifth. Rooms are toned accordingly with the judicious use of high quality design details and exceptional lighting. One of the most impressive additions is an extensive room bar, with some really fine wine.

What's the final verdict? An exceptionally run luxury hotel with state-of-the-art facilities in an enviable position - it is a breath of discreet fresh air amongst its stuffy, older rivals.