Iconic Monte Carlo hotel to get a makeover.

Artist's impression of the garden court.

UPDATE 31 March 2014: Monte Carlo SBM have announced that the Hotel de Paris will close from 6th October 2014 for two months to prepare for renovation work. It re-opens mid-December for Christmas and New Year celebrations, then the first phase of the transformation begins 18th January 2015, and work is expected to be complete in September 2018. Project drawings are currently on show in the Sporting d'Hiver gallery, opposite the SBM boutique.

Monte Carlo SBM has announced that the Hotel de Paris is to be renovated in 2014. Led by architects Richard Martinet and Gabriel Viora, the project involves the whole property, both client and service areas, and will conform to Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) standards.

There are no plans to increase the bed capacity, but room and suite sizes are to be increased, including the addition of ultra-high class suites, and a villa on the roof with private garden and pool. A garden court is to be created at the centre of the hotel, and the upper stories are to house a new spa, fitness and pool area.

Externally, the spirit of the building is to be preserved by retaining the facade overlooking the Cafe de Paris. The lobby, wine cellar, American Bar, Salle Empire, Louis XV and the Grill restaurants will also remain intact.

Work is scheduled to start in January 2015, in parallel with the demolition of the Sporting d'Hiver. The renovation is expected to take 4 years, but the hotel is to remain partially open while the project goes ahead.

Story originally published 24 Oct 2012