What It’s Like to Stay at Maybourne Riviera, an Architectural Jewel-Box on the Outskirts of Monaco
Welcome to Checking In, a new review series in which our editors and contributors rate the best new (and revamped) luxury hotels based on a rigorous—and occasionally tongue-in-cheek—10-point system: Each question answered “yes” gets one point. Will room service bring you caviar? Does your suite have its own butler? Does the bathroom have a bidet? Find out below.
Maybourne Riviera
Describe the hotel in 3 words:
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Chic. Sleek. Gastronomique.
What’s the deal?
A dramatic ‘homage’ to Le Corbusier, this fabulous stack of angular white boxes towering over Monaco is the latest five-star pleasure palace from the Maybourne Group, of Claridge’s fame (see also: the Connaught, the Berkeley and the Maybourne Beverly Hills). The 69-room hotel, which opened in 2021, perches high above picturesque Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, on a sliver of France between Monaco and Italy.
But if the exterior is all rugged rock and sharp Moderne shapes, the interior is a soft undulation of smooth curves, pale pastels and playful artworks, including sculptures by Louise Bourgeois and Annie Morris, moody photos by Rieko Tamura and bright wall art in the style of Matisse and Chagall.
The Best Room
The Maybourne Suite, one of four “troglodyte” (say it in a French accent) rooms cut into the cliff, has a staggering view of Monaco from its egg-shaped bath. For the peak season rate of $12,918 a night you could catch a glimpse of the Grand Prix or the Monte Carlo Tennis Masters from its elliptical depths.
The Rundown
Does the resort have a standout perk?
The infinity pool jutting out over the Belle Epoque Villa La Vigie (former home of Karl Lagerfeld, now rentable), surrounded by Hermes-orange loungers, is a knock-out. The hotel spa, which does a mean facial (and is the place to shop should you find yourself in need of a broderie anglaise kaftan), overlooks the pool, as does the excellent La Piscine restaurant.
Did they greet you by name at check-in?
Yes, the charming chauffeur from Nice airport and multiple staff members knew my name, as did both the TVs in my room (why do hotels do this?).
Welcome drink ready and waiting when you arrived? Bonus point if it wasn’t just fruit juice.
Chilling invitingly on the lower level of my duplex was a bottle of Provencal rosé, three picture-perfect satsumas with bright green leaves and a miniature bundt cake under a glass dome.
Private butler for every room?
No, though staff say the expectations of some guests (my guess is Middle Eastern royalty) means that this is under consideration for high season next year. As it is, the service is the perfect balance of attentive, friendly and relaxed—no Parisian hauteur or New York “let me explain the concept” pomposity.
Is the sheet thread count higher than 300?
Bed linen is by Portuguese textile company Texteis, and sheets are 500-thread count satin cotton. On request, Sabine will bring you tiny, squishy pillow samples, with options including feather, wool, dried lavender, buckwheat and orthopedic.
Is there a heated floor in the bathroom? What about a bidet?
Yes, through underfloor heating is hardly necessary given the climate and the new-build hotel’s excellent insulation. The French hotel bidet of yore, used mainly for washing feet and entertaining toddlers, was thankfully absent—replaced by a marvelous Japanese Toto toilet, which solemnly raised its lid in decorous automatic greeting. Bowing seemed the only appropriate response.
Are the toiletries full sized?
Yes, Bamford’s finest, with heady notes of geranium.
Is there a private pool for the room’s exclusive use?
Yes, in four suites overlooking the Med. Rates start at $2,375 during low season and $5,937 in high season.
Is the restaurant worth its salt?
There are three, of which Ceto, the Michelin-starred penthouse seafood restaurant, was closed on my visit. I wouldn’t mind returning to try out the chef’s table, though I might skip the experimental “fish maturation room,” where tuna are hung over Himalayan salt to make home-made bonito. La Piscine by Jean-Georges Vongerichten serves divine salads, pizza and calamari by the pool. Head to Rivieria, overseen by chef Mauro Colagreco, for classic Southern French cuisine: my stuffed zucchini flowers and confit veal followed by dark chocolate crumble was superb, as was the breakfast Eggs Benedict – future iterations of which will now disappoint me forever more.
Is there caviar on the room service menu?
Mais bien-sur—choose between Sturia, at roughly $800 for 250g, or Volzhenka, at $161 for 30g.
Do you want to spend Friday night in the lobby bar?
I surveyed the scene on a wet Monday in late October, expecting tumbleweed, and found it pleasantly half-full of couples quaffing the signature Lemon Pie tequila cocktail, featuring local citrus fruits and herbs. In the spirit of investigative journalism, I sampled the Halloween special (Le Spooky Spritz), which featured pumpkin puree and a floating eyeball.
Would you buy the hotel if you could?
Lovers of priapic yachts, tax avoidance and other Monagesque pursuits would certainly be tempted, as views of the principality from the hotel’s perch above the Monte Carlo crush are second to none.
The verdict
To nitpick, the hotel grounds are not as ravishing, nor is the restaurant as stylish, nor the activities as enticing, as at Lily of the Valley, further along the Cote d’Azur near Saint Tropez. However, the Maybourne triumphs on quality of cuisine, dramatic architecture and charmingly attentive staff. It makes the most of its extremely tight vertical site, and the word on the corniche is that the spa and wellness program will soon undergo a major revamp. For a Monaco hotel, which the Maybourne Riviera essentially is, it’s a haven of contemporary chic and ésprit de vacances amid the area’s formal, frowsy Belle Epoque resort scene.
Rates:
Low season rates range from roughly $645 to $6,460; high season from $2,153 to $12,918 per room per night
Score: 8 out of 10
What Our Score Means:
1-3: Fire your travel agent if they suggest you stay here.
4-6: Solid if you’re in a pinch—but only if you’re in a pinch.
7-8: Very good. We’d stay here again and recommend it without qualms.
9-10: Forget booking a week. When can we move in permanently?
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