Famous the world over for its annual Grand Prix, palatial hotels and casino, the tiny Principality of Monaco packs a very big punch for a country so small. This intriguing city-state has long been the preferred summer playground for the world’s jet-set. From the glamour of the yachts in the port, to the legendary nightclubs, Monaco has long been the favoured stomping ground of playboys (real and fictional), from James Bond to Aristotle Onassis, to the Russian oligarchs of today. Nowhere else in the world will you find such immense displays of wealth concentrated in such a small area. What qualifies as flashy in other places is just plain normal in Monaco. In Monaco, if you want to stand out from the crowds, you really need to do it in style!
Here’s how!
10am – The night before will no doubt have been a late one, so a relatively late start is the order of the day. There’s only one place to wake up in Monaco, and that’s in the master cabin of your very own superyacht berthed in Monaco Port. No point owning one of these things as they’re far too complicated to manage. It makes much more sense to charter, you can give it back at the end of the week and get to use a different yacht every time you’re in Monaco. Bespoke Yacht Charter have a huge selection of yacht charters in Monaco and throughout the Côte d’Azur. Something like the 50m Mangusta 165 Yacht should do the trick. With her 5 cabins, there’s plenty of space to accommodate the entourage. Breakfast consists of Eggs Benedict and the best Bloody Mary you’ve ever had, taken on your own private deck. The crew of 9 are just so fabulous, you wish you could take them back to London or New York with you!
11am – As you seem to have left all your summer clothes at your villa in Barbados or Porto Cervo, you can’t remember which, a bit of shopping is on the cards! Just ask the crew and one of them will get your favourite supercar and bring it to the back of the yacht. Should it be the La Ferrari or the Veyron? Decisions, decisions! You can rent a supercar in Monaco as easily as picking up a Boris bike in Piccadilly! 20 minutes later and you’re blasting up Beau Rivage trying to beat Senna’s sector times. Drop the car with the valet at The Hermitage and head to Prada. Some rather loud driving shoes, linen trousers, a few shirts and a couple of lightweight summer suits should do the trick. You drop by Chanel and buy a handbag. No idea who it’s for, but you never know, it may well come in useful later on!
12pm – Back to the yacht! The crew welcome you with a glass of champagne and canapés. It’s time to get some sun and get this thing out on the water. Engines are started, lines are brought in, and it’s off to Cap Ferrat to find a nice anchorage for lunch and the afternoon ahead. Mildly annoyed by the fact that the place is full of 100m+ monsters that make your 60m look like a tender, you decide to take it out on the jet skis! Half an hour blasting around the bay should clear the cobwebs and get rid of any remainder of last night’s hangover. Feeling refreshed, you take to one of the many sundecks and catch some rays before lunch, the champagne keeps flowing.
2pm – The crew asked you want you wanted for lunch this morning, and having not received a conclusive answer, they’ve laid on a veritable feast. A huge buffet featuring everything from the finest sushi to salads, cheeses, grilled fish and so much more occupies a table that must be 5 metres long! God, you really could get used to this. Life is just so much fun when you can have everything!
4pm – Your mobile rings and it’s your Mother. Some family friends are staying on Cap Ferrat and “they’d just love to see you”. What a pain! Reluctantly you get in the tender and head to the pool bar at the Grand Hotel du Cap Ferrat. You have no idea who the guy in the white suit is, but he sort of rings a bell. He certainly knows you. The man and his wife invite you to their table where they proceed to bore you to death talking about property in London and their investments. God, you really thought you’d left work at home this week. Fortunately there’s plenty of eye candy around the pool to distract from the dull conversation. One girl in particular, you just can’t take your eyes off, a vision in a black and white print Gucci bikini. And what do you know, 10 minutes later she joins you at the table. Turns out she’s their granddaughter, it was worth coming here after all, thank you Mother! She’s 25 and from New York, first time on the French Riviera and she really needs a guide, someone closer to her own age that can show her the sights! I might know just the person. You make up to collect her from the hotel at 7.30.
6pm – With dinner plans made, it’s time to head back to Monaco. Your yacht slides back into her berth on the Quai des Etats Unis as the sun starts to set and Monaco lights up. Time to get changed and take the Ferrari this time, cruising along the Basse Corniche to Cap Ferrat to collect your date for the evening.
8pm – Your company for the evening safely collected from the beautiful surroundings of the Grand Hotel du Cap Ferrat, you motor back to Monaco. You could take her for drinks at the American Bar in the Hotel du Paris, but decide on the yacht. After all, where she comes from, they think that a 100ft yacht is a large yacht, time to show her yachting Monaco style, which is rather different to summers in Martha’s Vineyard. As requested, the crew have arranged for live band to be playing on the aft deck when you return to the yacht, a cocktail barman has also set up shop and it all looks perfectly setup for some pre-dinner drinks.
9pm – You thought long and hard about the best place for dinner and decided on Cipriani. You were at their restaurant in New York a few weeks ago and you just can’t live without the King Crab Salad and that pasta to die for, the one you just never can remember the name of, the waiter will know what you’re talking about! Cipriano has such an elegance, there’s a theatre to it that you just don’t find anywhere else, truly wonderful staff and such style. Your call to Flavio earlier in the evening managed to get you the perfect table for two in the corner by the window. A great evening is enjoyed by all, superb food, good conversation and the atmosphere… WOW… what a place!
12am – Monaco has quite a few places to head to after dinner. You consider Jimmy’z but decide on Twiga. It’s a cool place right on the water near the tunnel that forms part of the Grand Prix circuit. In fact, it’s very close to Cipriani and also owned by Mr Briatore. Bob Sinclar is in charge of the music tonight. The place is absolutely buzzing… You enjoy champagne on one of the sofas by the water, dancing only as much as you have to, as it’s not really your thing. A great night is had by all. You decide to have a relatively early night as it’s St Tropez tomorrow, and we all know that St Tropez takes some SERIOUS stamina!
Useful Addresses:
Hotel Hermitage – Square Beaumarchais, 98000 Monaco +377 98 06 40 00 www.hotelhermitagemontecarlo.com
Prada – 21 Avenue de Monte-Carlo, 98000 Monaco +377 97 97 94 10 www.prada.com
Chanel – Place du Casino, 98000 Monaco +377 93 50 55 55 www.chanel.com
Grand Hotel du Cap Ferrat – 71 Boulevard du Général de Gaulle, 06230 Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat +33 4 93 76 50 50 www.grand-hotel-cap-ferrat.com
Cipriani Monte-Carlo – 1 Avenue Princesse Grâce, 98000 Monaco +377 93 25 42 50 www.ciprianimontecarlo.com
Twiga Monte-Carlo – 35 Bd Louis II, Rond Point du Portier, 98000 Monaco +377 97984781 www.twigamontecarlo.com
Bespoke Yacht Charter – Luxury Yacht Charters & Boat Rentals www.bespokeyachtcharter.com
Luxury Services & Rent – Supercar Rentals in Monaco and on the French Riviera www.luxury-rent-car.com
