Makeover in Monaco: India Mahdavi's Redesign of the Monte Carlo Beach Hotel

July 15, 2009 By: Mary Winston Nicklin

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"The days of elegance are back," says Paris-based architect-designer India Mahdavi* about her completed renovation of the Monte Carlo Beach Hotel. In fact tongues have been wagging since the hotel unveiled its makeover earlier this summer. A legend since the 1930s, the Monte Carlo Beach Hotel offers just 40 guest rooms and suites, a small enough size to still feel like "a grand villa" by the sea. The rooms have been redesigned with a maritime theme; guests will even find a porthole between the bedroom and the bathroom. Tucked away in a cove between Cap Martin and Monaco, the seaside villa embraces its Mediterranean setting, surrounded by cypresses on the beach. A slew of nautical activities awaits at the hotel's exclusive beach club, plus there's an Olympic size pool.

*Mahdavi was the mastermind behind the Hotel on Rivington in New York, Hotel Condesa DF in Mexico City, and The Connaught in London, including Hélène Darroze's talked-about restaurant.