Le Méridien Beach Plaza, Monaco's hotel with its feet in the sand

Most Monaco hotels sell you Casino Square, the harbour or a view of the Rock. Le Méridien Beach Plaza sells you sand, and in a country with so little open coastline that counts for a lot. It stands in Larvotto, on the eastern edge of the Principality, with the beach in front and open sea beyond. For me it’s the clearest answer to a question I get often, where to stay in Monaco if what you actually want is a swim.

A beach resort inside the Principality

The Marriott hotel sits at 22 avenue Princesse Grace. It has 398 rooms and suites, far more than the palaces in the centre, with floor-to-ceiling windows and some balconies facing the sea. Marriott calls it a 4-star resort, and that’s the only category information I’ve found on its site.

The private beach opens from April to September, and the hotel claims to be the only one in Monaco with direct access to its own beach. That seems fair once you remember that the Monte-Carlo Beach, which also has one, is in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, over the border in France. Out in front is Larvotto’s protected marine reserve, and the hotel has held the Green Key label every year since 2011. What the public side of that beach is like is covered in Larvotto beach.

Pools, a pontoon and a Kids Club you don’t pay for

Beyond the beach there are outdoor pools from April to October and a heated indoor pool with a children’s section, plus a sauna, a steam room and a sea-view gym open 07:00 to 20:00. From the pontoon you can water-ski or hire a boat, and Studio 22 runs yoga and Pilates classes at €35.

The Kids Club is what wins me over. It’s free for guests aged 4 to 12 in July and August, daily between 10:00 and 18:00. From October to April it moves to the Sunday brunch, with baking sessions for children. If you’re travelling as a family, set it against the options in Monaco with kids, because few hotels sort out an entire day this well without leaving the grounds.

Four restaurants that follow the seasons

Le Café Lacoste, with a menu by Riccardo Giraudi, is the one open all year, from 09:00 to 02:00, and it’s where breakfast is served, which Marriott lists as charged. Sen, an intimate Japanese restaurant, opened in April and serves lunch and dinner Tuesday to Saturday. The other two are summer only. The Balinese-style Alang Bar, with tables on the sand, runs April to September, and Muse, Mediterranean under the pines, opens May to September at lunchtime only.

To me this is a hotel where you can eat well without moving, which matters on this side of Monaco, some distance from the Michelin-starred kitchens of Monte-Carlo. If you’d rather go out, my picks by budget are in where to eat in Monaco.

What costs extra on top of the room?

I won’t quote a nightly rate, because Marriott prices by date and there’s no “from” figure worth comparing. What it does publish are the extras, and they’re worth adding up. Parking is €65 a day, with seasonal valet between €45 and €65. A dog up to 12 kg costs €25 a night and isn’t allowed on the beach or at the pools. The limousine to Nice Airport, 33 km away, is €180 each way, and there’s no shuttle.

One extra works in your favour. Your room key gets you into the New National Museum of Monaco free through the Unlock Art scheme. Its open site right now is the Villa Paloma, which is free for everyone on Sundays, so I’d save that visit for a weekday.

Larvotto, great for swimming and a long way from the Rock

The location cuts both ways. Next door you have the free Japanese Garden and the new Mareterra district, built on reclaimed land, for an evening stroll. But the Palace sits up on the Rock, right across the Principality from here. I’d use the bus, €1.50 when you tap a card, and the public lifts for the hills.

Arriving by train, Monaco-Monte-Carlo is the station to use, and from there I’d take a bus or taxi with luggage. Routes and tips are in getting around Monaco.

Who I’d send to Le Méridien

Families in summer, without hesitation. A lifeguarded beach, pools, a free Kids Club and family or connecting rooms make the trip work without a daily train to the seaside. It also suits anyone attending a conference at the Sea Club, the 3,000 m² centre next door that holds up to 2,000 people.

I wouldn’t choose it for an autumn or winter break built around the Casino, the opera and dinner. Without the beach and the outdoor pools it loses its main argument, and the hotels in the centre take over. Every option, sorted by district and category, is in where to stay in Monaco.