Monte-Carlo · Monaco
Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo
Opened in 1864 by the Société des Bains de Mer a year before its casino, the Hôtel de Paris is the prototype of the European casino hotel: 206 rooms and suites, a three-Michelin-star restaurant, the world’s largest hotel wine cellar and the Casino de Monte-Carlo directly across the square.
Overview
The Hôtel de Paris was built by the Société des Bains de Mer (SBM), the company Prince Charles III created in 1863 to run Monaco’s casino, and opened in 1864 as accommodation for the players the casino hoped to attract. That relationship has never changed: SBM, majority-owned by the Monaco state, still owns and operates both the hotel and the Casino de Monte-Carlo, which face each other across Place du Casino.
A four-year renovation completed in 2019 rebuilt much of the hotel behind its Belle Époque façade, adding a rooftop pool and two rooms named after Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace. The hotel holds Forbes Travel Guide Five Stars (2020-2026) and is the only hotel in Monaco with three Michelin Keys. Note: the casino is not inside the hotel - it is adjacent, on the same square, under the same owner.
Location
Place du Casino, in the heart of Monte-Carlo, with the casino, the Café de Paris and the Opéra de Monte-Carlo within fifty metres. Nice Côte d’Azur airport is about 30 minutes by bus or train and seven minutes by helicopter; Monaco-Monte-Carlo station is a ten-minute walk. From Norway, fly to Nice (direct in summer from Oslo).
- Address
- Place du Casino, 98000 Monaco
- Map
- Open in Google Maps
Rooms & accommodation
206 rooms, junior suites and suites, including seven Diamond Suites. Most rooms face the sea or Place du Casino; the Prince Rainier III suite occupies a rooftop with a private pool. Interiors after the 2019 renovation are contemporary within period proportions. Guests have access to the Thermes Marins spa by covered walkway and to the hotel’s wine cellars for tastings.
Amenities & services
Facilities listed on the hotel’s official channels or in public sources at the time of writing:
- Thermes Marins Monte-Carlo (6,600 m² spa linked to the hotel)
- Wellness Sky Club with rooftop pool
- Historic wine cellars (c. 300,000 bottles)
- Access to Monte-Carlo Beach Club, Country Club and Golf Club
Restaurants & bars
Venues named on the hotel’s official website (opening hours and menus change - check before you travel):
- Le Louis XV - Alain Ducasse à l'Hôtel de Paris
- Le Grill (rooftop)
- Le Bar Américain
- Em Sherif Monte-Carlo
- Cedric Grolet Monte-Carlo
- Les Caves de l'Hôtel de Paris
Entertainment
- Opéra de Monte-Carlo - Salle Garnier inside the casino
- Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo
- Casino heritage visits and gaming rooms
Attractions nearby
- Casino de Monte-Carlo and Place du Casino
- Café de Paris Monte-Carlo
- Port Hercule
- Prince's Palace and Monaco-Ville
- Larvotto Beach
The casino: Casino de Monte-Carlo (opposite the hotel, same operator)
The Casino de Monte-Carlo is operated by SBM and is the principal gaming venue in Monaco. Its named rooms - Salle Europe, Salle Renaissance, Salon Touzet, Salle des Amériques and the private Salle Blanche - offer French roulette, baccarat, blackjack, craps, Ultimate Texas Hold’em and slot machines. The gaming rooms open daily from 14:00; entry costs €20 and includes €10 of credit usable on slots, at the bar or in the restaurant. Heritage visits run 10:00-13:00. The operator does not publish table or slot counts.
- Operator
- Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer (SBM)
- Opened
- 1865
- Casino website
- www.montecarlosbm.com/en/casino-monaco/casino-monte-carlo
Casino history
Monaco turned to gambling in the 1850s to rescue the principality’s finances after losing Menton and Roquebrune. Construction on the Les Spélugues plateau began in 1858 and a temporary casino operated from 1856; in 1863 Prince Charles III founded the Société des Bains de Mer and gave the concession to François Blanc, who had made Bad Homburg famous. The present building opened in 1865, and the district was renamed Monte-Carlo in the prince’s honour.
Charles Garnier, architect of the Paris Opéra, enlarged the casino in 1878-79 and added the opera hall now known as the Salle Garnier; the Salle des Amériques followed in 1881 and the Salle Blanche in 1903. From the beginning Monegasque citizens were forbidden to gamble, a rule still in force. The casino remains the symbol of Monaco and the model every later “casino resort” imitated.
Casino features & facts
- Belle Époque building enlarged by Charles Garnier in 1878-79
- Houses the Opéra de Monte-Carlo (Salle Garnier, 524 seats)
- Monaco residents are barred from gambling by law
- Heritage morning visits before the gaming rooms open
- Named gaming rooms: Salle Europe, Salle Renaissance, Salon Touzet, Salle des Amériques (1881) and Salle Blanche (1903, VIP)
- Games: French roulette, baccarat, blackjack, craps, Ultimate Texas Hold'em and slot machines (operator)
- Total floor area and table counts are not published
Visiting rules
Gaming rooms open from 14:00; €20 entry including €10 credit; valid passport or EU photo ID (no copies or digital ID); Monaco residents, state agents and SBM staff may not gamble
Dress code: Casual accepted 10:00-13:00; from 14:00 no shorts, ripped jeans, sportswear, trainers or beachwear; no T-shirts or sweatshirts after 19:00
Age restrictions
Entry to the gaming rooms is from 18 (you must be at least one day past your 18th birthday). A valid passport or EU national photo ID is required - digital copies and photocopies are refused. Monaco residents, state employees and SBM staff may not gamble. Morning heritage visits admit children from age 6 with an adult.
Responsible gambling
Gambling should remain entertainment. Local support in this jurisdiction: SBM Responsible Gaming (helpline +33 9 74 75 13 13). For travellers from Norway: Hjelpelinjen (800 800 40).
Sources: Wikipedia, operator website, hotel website. Links checked 2026-08-26.
Editor’s summary
This is the reference point for every other hotel on this site. It is not cheap and the casino dress code is real - trainers and shorts are turned away after two in the afternoon - but nowhere else do a grand hotel and a grand casino relate to each other so directly. For a couple of nights and a single evening at the tables, it is the classic European casino trip.
