History

At the dawn of the Roaring ’Twenties, René Léon, Administrator of the Société des Bains de Mer, wanted to offer its clientèle new distractions and decided to build an hotel right at the water’s edge : the Monte Carlo Beach Hotel. He entrusted the building’s construction to the architect Roger Seassal (winner of the Rome Prize in 1913). In 1929, Elsa Maxwell, then in charge of external relations, invited members of high society and carried off a resounding success as from the very first year ! A real queen on the society scene, Elsa Maxwell began to look for an extravagant project : a palatial hotel with a beach of artificial sand “as lovely as those of the Lido in Venice or Palm Beach”. The SBM preferred to build an Olympic-sized swimming pool, just a few meters from the sea.

70 years later, the Monte Carlo Beach Hotel was completely renovated. It involved a great deal of effort, as the hotel stands on a listed site. No more floors could be added, so the rock had to be hollowed out in order to enlarge the rooms, which required an investment of 51 million francs. The façade remained intact to respect the beauty of the scenery. This establishment with its Californian atmosphere continued to draw people from all over the world, politicians, businessmen, artists and personalities from the world of sport who came in search of an ambiance rather like an eternal Garden of Eden, known by Italians as “La Dolce Vita”.

THE ROARING ‘TWENTIES
The ’twenties were definitely crazy. It so happened that high society, which had installed its winter quarters on the Riviera for almost an entire century, suddenly discovered a passion for the summer sun. Bye-bye umbrellas, here come parasols ! From one summer to the next, this euphoria continued to grow.

As soon as it opened in 1929, the Monte Carlo Beach Hôtel, whose style recalled that of palatial hotels in Florida, represented a new venue of real prestige for Monte-Carlo. The famous American journalist Elsa Maxwell tried to impose the creation of a beach of golden sand, then gave preference to the plan for a sumptuous swimming pool just above sea-level. The Beach Hôtel ensured the renown of the summer resort through the quality of its amenities and the appeal of its memorable parties in fancy dress. Monte-Carlo then offered summer vacationers its new seafront, and the Larvotto Beach welcomed its first bathers. Tennis was given a special place of honor in 1928, with the creation of the Monte-Carlo Country Club.