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FAIRMONT MONTE CARLO

12 Avenue des Spélugues,

Monte Carlo; (377) 93 50 65 00;

montecarlo@fairmont.com; http://www.fairmont.com/montecarlo

ROOMS AND RATES

The hotel has abandoned the system of fixed rates for high and low seasons; now rates fluctuate according to availability. A city-view chamber costs $288 to $722, and a sea-view room costs $375 to $1,099.

When you book into the Fairmont Monte Carlo, you're not just taking a room, you're embarking on a virtual Mediterranean cruise, according to the hotel's new brochure. The marketing concept capitalizes on a $60-million overhaul that makes the 33-year-old resort look and feel like a luxury cruise ship.

In 2004, the Monaco property became Fairmont's first foray into Europe, where it now has five locations. Partly built on 15 pillars sunk into the Mediterranean, the hotel puts almost half of its guests out to sea - well, at least a few metres out. Guests in the sea-facing rooms have a view of the Riviera's famed azure horizon, occasionally obstructed only by the mega-yachts that sail into the principality.

Ambience Mahogany, marble and mirrors are lavishly laid on to reinforce the idea of a luxury liner. In the cavernous entrance, giant mahogany pillars stand out against the beige marble floor and walls. The wide-open design leads the eye straight to 12-foot floor-to-ceiling windows, which offer up a panorama of the Mediterranean. In the corridors leading to the refurbished rooms, mahogany doors detailed with circular mirrors trick you into believing you are walking down a ship's passageway and can peep into portholes. This a dramatic contrast to the nondescript blue-and-white wallpapered corridors of the two-thirds of the facility yet to undergo refurbishment.

Location If you are a Formula One fan, you know this place. The Monaco Grand Prix is considered one of the most prestigious auto races in the world, and the Fairmont (formerly known as the Monte Carlo Grand Hotel) lays claim to two of the circuit's most famous and taxing points. Just outside the hotel's entrance is the notorious hairpin bend, so challenging that drivers can't do it at more than 50 kilometres an hour, making it the slowest corner in F1 racing. The circuit's curved tunnel, which drivers take at more than 270 km/h, runs right under the Fairmont. During this year's event in May, a plaque honouring the late Ayrton Senna, the race's only six-time winner, was unveiled at the Fairmont's entrance by the principality's ruler, Prince Albert II, and Senna's sister, Viviane.

Clientele You'll see lots of business suits. Monaco - the world's second-smallest state, measuring 0.76 square miles - has been successfully selling itself as a conference centre and the Fairmont benefits from this trade. (In fact, all the hotels and even the entertainment spots in the principality co-ordinate efforts to accommodate conferences, so much so that Monaco sells itself with the pitch "You're looking for a venue? We offer you a country.") The Fairmont is also a weekend getaway for mature couples, as well as some younger folk who have made an early arrival at the four-star luxury accommodation's posh price mark. A few families with young children can be found splashing around in the rooftop pool.

Rooms The sailing theme is echoed in the mahogany captain's chair and a giant round mirror that dominates the room.

Service The staff, most of whom speak English, are polite and very responsive. Almost every time I needed service, not one but two - and on a couple of occasions, even three - staff members responded. In this vast, hexagonal, 619-room hotel, one of Europe's largest, guests can easily get lost. I did twice, and on both occasions the staff left their posts and whatever they were doing to walk me to where I needed to go.

Food and drink Le Pistou restaurant, with its rooftop terrace and breathtaking views, excels in setting, even if its menu may not be remarkable. L'Argentin provides South American-style beef and chicken fare, while Le Café de la Mer specializes in seafood, including in-house smoked salmon. The Saphir Bar, with hazy blue lights within and a lazy blue sea beyond its glass windows, is a sophisticated place to chill out.

Things to do The fitness room is tiny but worth a visit, not so much for the Cybex equipment but for what it looks out onto. While raising your heart rate on the treadmill, you get a bird's-eye view of the Grand Prix's treacherous hairpin bend, plus a panorama of the hilly coasts of both France and Italy, a short distance away.

Take the hotel's rooftop exit and you literally are on the doorstep of the Casino, which provided Ian Fleming with inspiration for the novel Casino Royale and in which Pierce Brosnan's James Bond meets Xenia Onatopp in the 1995 film Goldeneye.

Hotel vitals

TOP DRAW

The Côte d'Azur, which the Fairmont Monte Carlo can serve up to guests like few other properties can.

NEEDS WORK

Actually, work is ongoing. Expect to see "wet paint" signs and workmen in white overalls in the corridors for some time to come. The hotel couldn't give an expected date for the completion of the refurbishment. The pool and fitness centre are to get the Fairmont's Willow Stream spa treatment.

Hopefully this work will include replacing the tiles around the pool, which are alarmingly slippery under wet feet.