Fodor's Expert Review Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort

Perched on a 10-acre peninsula, with 75% of its rooms offering sea views, this highly acclaimed luxury resort—which immodestly bills itself as "a natural Eden reinvented"—seeks to evoke the Côte d'Azur's 1920s heyday with its neoclassical columns and arches, exotic gardens, lagoon swimming pool, casino, and concert hall. It might all seem just a little over the top, but there is no denying the spaciousness and comfort of the rooms or the appeal of the sandy-bottomed lagoon stretching out toward the sea. If the helipad and yacht mooring seem superfluous, then you probably don't belong here. There are three restaurants to choose from, the best of which is the two-Michelin-starred Blue Bay, where chef Marcel Ravin serves world cuisine in a hip contemporary setting. Massages are available at the award-winning Cinq Mondes spa.