EPT Monte Carlo hotels: Where the best poker players in the world rest their heads
One of the very best things about being a PokerStars qualifier on the European Poker Tour (EPT) is that you often get your accommodation paid for. That’s particularly useful in Monte Carlo, where the hotels are spectacular and have prices to match.
It’s fun to live like a high roller for a few days, however. So let’s take a quick look at where the best poker players in the world stay when they come to Monte Carlo and play poker in the Salle des Etoiles.
MONTE CARLO BAY HOTEL
The default choice for players joining the highest buy-in events at EPT Monte Carlo is the Monte Carlo Bay Hotel. Club Sporting, where the EPT takes place, is part of the same complex, at the very eastern edge of Monaco just off Avenue Princesse Grace.
The Monte Carlo Bay is everything you would expect of a five-star hotel in one of the most exclusive locations in the world.
As the name suggests, it occupies an outstanding spot peering over Monte Carlo Bay itself, with stunning views over the Mediterranean. It has an ornamental garden jutting out into the sea, beside which sits Club Sporting and Jimmy’z nightclub. Both have previously played host to the EPT Players Party.
The Monte Carlo Bay Hotel has spectacular views across the sea and the city
BRILLIANCE INSIDE AND OUT
The hotel’s interior is equally spectacular. The sea view rooms and suites are the most sought after, offering the best views across the crisp blue water. The regular rooms are luxurious enough, but the very best of these is the Diamond Suite Eleven, which has two bedrooms, a separate seating area and a terrace, and sleeps up to four people in its 195 square metres.
At around €7,800 per night, you’ll need a very special occasion to make it worthwhile.
Downstairs, the hotel has some sumptuous places to eat, the pick of which is the Michelin-starred Blue Bay Marcel Ravin restaurant. It has two of the most sought-after stars in the culinary world, with the Michelin judges praising Ravin’s “flawless technical prowess”, while the West Indies born chef “recounts his personal history, including his happy youth spent in Martinique” through his food.
It’s a hugely popular restaurant, with a beautiful terrace on which to eat al fresco. But reservations are usually available.
The other popular option is L’Orange Verte, which also comes under the expert gaze of chef Ravin. The menu here is broad — from finger food to full dinner options — and encompasses influences from across the world.
Needless to say, the breakfast and snack options in this hotel are also second-to-none.
For your downtime, Le Blue Gin bar is described as the “Waterfront” of Monaco — a “beachfront space [that] offers breathtaking Mediterranean views all year long from its heated outdoor terrace”.
The hotel also has an excellently-appointed gym and one of the best swimming pool complexes in the Principality, with a linked indoor/outdoor pool.
In short, the Monte Carlo Bay is truly the place to stay.
LE MERIDIEN BEACH PLAZA
If you’re not in the Monte Carlo Bay, the next closest hotel to the EPT tournament room is Le Meridien Beach Plaza, just a short stroll down the road named after Monaco’s most beloved daughter.
Le Meridien is a chain owned by the Marriott Group and is a good deal cheaper than the Monte Carlo Bay. But it’s only fractionally less glamorous, and has something that its neighbour does not: its own private beach.
Yes, although the Med may be on the chilly side in May, there are many poker players who have stayed at the Meridien during EPT time and spent their mornings getting the blood flowing thanks to a lively dip in the ocean. It’s easy to scoot back to the hotel room immediately after — perhaps via the indoor or outdoor pool (or the sauna that sits alongside).
A private beach is the main attraction of Le Meridien Beach Plaza (pictured on the right)
The Meridien has a tremendous breakfast and an excellent daily dinner buffet, with a tremendous bar on the ground floor that often has a happy hour. (The value of this will become quickly apparent the first time you sign a bar cheque.)
The rooms are roomy and luxurious, with some of the sweetest smelling soaps and shampoos on the EPT. Once again, they’re split into sea view or city view, with the former the obvious preference. But even from the latter, you can sit on your terrace and watch the supercars burn past on the Boulevard du Larvotto. Or hear them at least.
Le Meridien is a fine option and is definitely in reach for a dinner break as well.
NOVOTEL AND COLUMBUS
No other hotels in Monte Carlo are quite as close to the EPT venue as those mentioned above, but PokerStars Travel https://pokerstarstravel.com/event-city/3 recommends the Novotel and Hotel Columbus as two other reasonably-priced options for EPT players and their guests.
The Novotel is centrally located for all the traditional Monaco sights, including the dazzling Casino Square. Columbus, meanwhile, sits in the Fontvielle district of the Principality, which is close to the old town, the marina and Stade Louis, where Monaco FC plays.
Both are excellent four-star hotels, with good facilities, bars and restaurants. Most residents will consider them to be around a 10-minute in a taxi from Sporting, but it’s definitely possible to walk to the venue as well. It’s about 45 minutes from the Columbus, but it’s not often you get the chance to walk essentially one end of a country to another. This commute offers precisely the chance.
Monaco also actually has a pretty good bus service, and you can take the No 1 route pretty much door-to-door from the Columbus to the EPT tournament room. The No 5 or 6 work similarly well for the Novotel. You can pay with a bank card as you hop on.
Further reading
EPT Monte Carlo information hub
Monte Carlo activities guide
Official EPT site
EPT photo gallery
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