Monaco - Hot For 2008
Monte Carlo: 93% Luxury - 100% Class
Monte Carlo Rally

Monaco - Hot For 2008   by Henri Boulanger

Among the elegant historic architecture of Monaco, the modern continues to unfold. This combination of old and new contributes to the charm this principality continues to offer visitors.

New structures, such as the Novotel hotel in the city center, contribute to the tourist-friendly destinations available in Monaco. This new hotel has 218 rooms and 18 suites. It provides guests with a wonderful view of the famous harbor of Monte Carlo, as well as the palace. It's conveniently located close to the train station, the casino and the Forum Grimaldi. It has a broad terrace, which contains gardens and a pool for guests to unwind.

The Hotel de Paris Monaco is an example of old-style grace and beauty. Built in 1864, it sits on the Golden Square of the Casino proper and resonates artistry in design. Its detailed and majestic architecture sends a message of luxurious accommodation. It consists of 187 rooms and houses a presidential suite and three fine restaurants.

These and other quality hotels in Monaco are ready and waiting to serve visitors who will flock to Monte Carlo on May 25. That's the date of the Monaco Grand Prix, which will run on the challenging Circuit de Monaco. This race is a premier F1 event with a rich history. Running for 78 laps through narrow winding streets of the city, it tests the mettle of elite drivers every year. This year will be no different. This street course is very unforgiving to drivers who fail to negotiate its intricacies properly.

Complementing a stay at one of Monaco's fine hotels is a visit to the Place du Casino. This world-renowned casino is synonymous with Monaco's jet-set image of sophistication around the world. Built in 1878, the casino complex houses opera, ballet and concerts in addition to its gaming rooms. It's an architectural delight with a marble atrium and artistic sculptures throughout.

A stay in Monaco provides the opportunity to take a tour of the French Riviera. There are guided tours, or, if you choose, you can venture out on your own for an exotic drive. You could end your day with a spa treatment at any number of spas available at the first-class hotels. They offer services such as seawater treatments, heat experience rooms and saunas. Many include applications using olive oil and lavender. These are all part of making your stay in Monaco one to remember.

For the culture-conscious, Monaco has the ballet, opera and a philharmonic orchestra for arts aficionados. The ballet house is its own example of classic architecture within the casino environs. Dance, music, and voice of great talent and professionalism are a constant in Monaco throughout the year. Taking in a performance of any of these is icing on the cake to any visit to the principality.

For something different, there's the Oceanographic Museum. It's another architectural gem, which overlooks the sea proudly. This museum is the repository of great collections of non-living sea life. It also displays model ships and artifacts such as weapons. There's also an aquarium on site with 4000 species of fish.

Whether it's for the Grand Prix, the casino or culture, a visit to Monaco will remain an integral part of many tourists plans.

About the Author - This year's Grand Prix F1 season looks set to be an exciting one, and yourmonaco.com has details of this year's Monaco Grand Prix.  The Grand Prix runs around the streets of Monte Carlo and YourMonaco.com includes details of Monaco hotels and hotels in Monte Carlo

Locally known as the Rallye Automobile Monte Carlo, the Monte Carlo Rally is an annual race that is held along the French Riviera in the Principality of Monaco and Southeast France. It is sponsored by the Automobile Club de Monaco who also organizes the prestigious Formula One Monaco Grand Prix. Every year Auto enthusiasts flock to Monte Carlo to watch this spectacular race.

Being first race of the WRC (World Rally Championship) season, Monte Carlo Rally is also one of the most important rallies around, winning which gives the car and the driver a great deal of credibility and publicity. It also lets competitors to choose their starting points from approximately five venues roughly equidistant from Monaco itself.

This rally, also known for its most famous special stages in the world, which is run from La Bollane to Sospel over a steep and tight mountain road with many hairpin turns. In this stage, racers come across the Col de Turini, which normally has snow sections at that time of the year. The Turini is also driven at night, with thousands of fans watching the "Night of Turini", also known as the "Night of the Long Knives" due to the strong high beam lights cutting through the night.

About the Author - Writing articles is my hobby.

Monaco conjures up an image of sophistication, the world's best street car race, the casino, elegance, celebrities and wealth.

But does the reality live up to the image?

Well, yes it does - at least according to official figures for Monaco's hotels, which include the Hotel de Paris Monaco in Monte Carlo's Casino Square, recognised as one of the top hotels in the world, and the Columbus Hotel in the Fontvieille district of Monaco.

In a recent report on Monaco's tourism, the Director General of the tourist office announced that no less than 93 per cent of the Principality's hotel capacity is in the luxury category - more than any other country in the world, and confirming Monaco's status as haven for the wealthy.

Also in the report figures showed that Monaco increased her tourist numbers by 36 per cent between 2004 and 2007, and last year alone saw a 10 per cent increase over 2006.

But good as the figures are, Monaco wants to further increase her tourists numbers. Unusually it's not just the numbers overall she wants to improve on, impressive though they are already - but one categoty in particular.

And it's a category of tourist that Monaco is particularly well placed to attract compared to almost every other country in the world - URI's.

URI's could almost have been a class of tourist specially designed for Monaco and all that she offers - and it stands for Ultra Rich Individuals.

One URI could spend more in a week in Monaco than several hundred average tourists, with the casino in Monte Square quite capable of taking a few hundred thousand Euros off the ultra rich in an evening or two. One URI from Italy was recently reported in a British newspaper as cashing up 700,000 Euros for one evening on the tables!

As well as the Monte Carlo casino Monaco has a lot more luxury that the ultra rich can spend their money on.

The Principality has an awful lot of luxury hotels, something even the hotels in Paris can't compete with, and they seldom come cheap. A suite could cost nearly 50,000 Euros a week. And outside of the casino and hotels there are always the car showrooms, estate agents and yacht brokers where a billionaire could happily while away a few hours on buying the very best of everything.

And evidence of the ultra rich's spending is everywhere to be seen in Monaco - Aston Martin and Ferraris abound - the best clothes and fashion boutiques - and in the harbour yachts custom designed for billionaires.

With spending power like that, it won't take many extra tourists for Monaco to improve the amount of money coming into the country!

About the Author - If you're ultra wealthy and want to spend time in Monaco - or fed up with online poker and want the real thing - yourmonaco.com includes Monte Carlo hotel reviews.