Two New Suites in Monaco's Most Iconic Hotel Are Fit for—and Designed by—a Prince

When the Monaco Grand Prix, the celebrated Formula One race, returns to the Mediterranean coast later this month, racers will weave past a newly transformed landmark: the iconic Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo. Prince Albert II, for his part, will be surveying the action from a balcony across the street, but his presence will also be felt inside the hotel’s gilded interior—not as Monaco’s monarch, but as a first-time designer. Alongside architect-designers Richard Martinet and Gabriel Viora, the prince has lovingly reconfigured two newly unveiled royal suites to honor his late parents, the late Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace Kelly.

The prince’s foray into decorating began in the middle of a five-year restoration of the Hôtel de Paris, a Belle Epoque treasure designed by Godinot de la Bretonnerie in 1864. In 2017, he opted to transform the hotel’s exclusive Winston Churchill Suite into a penthouse duplex named for Princess Grace.

"Before the prince agreed to give the suite the name of Princess Grace, we had decided to give the suite a feminine atmosphere more accorded with the spirit of the princess," recalls Luc Leroy, the real estate manager for Société des Bains de Mer (SBM), the hotel's ownership group which is controlled by the Monegasque government. Even so, Prince Albert wanted to ensure that the suite—which includes two sitting rooms, living and dining rooms, and an infinity pool—stayed true to his mother’s aesthetic and ethos.

In some places those touches are figurative. For example, the prince swapped out a children’s playroom for a home office in a nod to Princess Grace’s foundation, AMADE. In other areas, the prince ensured her presence was felt more literally. An etched-glass partition in the living room, for instance, is emblazoned with her handwriting, professing her love of books and poetry. The custom carpet in the master bedroom features a pattern made from the shape of her footprints.

"We want something people will remember, [but] it's necessary not to overdo,” says Hôtel de Paris managing director, Ivan Artolli, whose job it is to be mindful of maintaining the hotel's aesthetic while respecting the nostalgia of a man who’s both his employer and sovereign. “But if Prince Albert says to get it done, if he comes back and if he doesn't like something, things get changed."

That was true of the second renewed chamber and, at more than 5,600 square feet, the hotel's largest: the Prince Rainier III suite, which continued to receive new touches and instruction from the palace even after it was officially declared completed in February. The suite has a considerably more masculine feel, reflected in its pared-back palette of black and white marble. Still, it was too sparse for the prince, who was described by those involved with the project as insistent in his desire to provide more. So he incorporated small-scale figural sculptures welded by his father throughout. More than a dozen other sculptures by the late Prince Rainier III occupy a dining room display cabinet, situated diagonally from a vibrant painting of father and son, selected by Prince Albert and loaned by the palace. In an office, a portrait of Prince Rainier III as a young man is framed by a hand-painted glass wall in gold and navy hues.

Though contemporary touches abound, "one requirement of the Prince was to renovate the hotel, but maintain its history," explains Leroy. Both the Princess Grace and Prince Rainier III suites include reproductions of original moldings, featuring angels and a crown, lost over a series of earlier remodels. Another throwback to the hotel's ornate beginnings are sometimes ostentatious gold accents—handcrafted touches that give value to nightly rates that begin at 40,000 euros.

In addition to the Hôtel de Paris, Prince Albert has his sights set on other restoration projects across Monte Carlo. Across the street, within a mixed-use complex designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour, is an ongoing reconstruction of the Salle des Arts, the first ballroom in Monaco where Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace hosted galas. Such projects are crucial for a small principality like Monaco, which, unlike neighboring France, has no laws to protect historical buildings. In the past, razing and rising higher buildings, have paved the way for nation building. It has been the wish of Prince Albert II to make peace with an aging population nostalgic for the Monaco of old.

Ultimately, the Prince’s counterparts at the hotel have been pleased, however late in the game they may have arrived. Leroy recalls the moment the Prince Rainier III suite was completed: "The Prince came to the room once and then he decided which painting will go on this wall, which on this wall," he says. "We can always give advice, but it's hard to say no."

Tour the New Prince Rainier III and Princess Grace Suites in the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest