Audacious, ambitious, with the desire to shake up the hotel codes of the Principality of Monaco, which is only a few hundred meters away as the crow flies, and to attract summer visitors as well as business clientele, the new five -stars takes off with superb.

The concept. Perched high, dominating the bay of Monaco, the “Vista Palace”, closed for many years, was sinking. Until its acquisition in 2016 by the luxury hotel group Maybourne, wishing to replace it with a five-star design, arty, epicurean. A unique hotel like its London palaces, “Claridge’s”, “Connaught” and “Berkeley”. A successful bet, the “Maybourne” just opened for the new season, sits majestically on the edge of the ledge.

The decor. Signed Jean-Michel Wilmotte, the airy exterior architecture, immaculate white, in vertiginous balance above the Mediterranean, immediately calls out. In the lobby, a masterful work by Louise Bourgeois stands next to a movable glass wall by Le Corbusier. The tone is set, artistic, with more than 1,000 works scattered throughout the “Maybourne Riviera”, rooms and gardens (designed by Jean Mus) included. To personalize each space, in addition to the team of in-house designers who worked under the leadership of Michelle Wu, follow André Fu, Bryan O’Sullivan Studio, Marcelo Joulia and Pierre Yovanovitch. Their clashing styles nevertheless blend harmoniously. They punctuate the spaces, the animations.

Taste. Four tables including one Japanese, of excellence, but the one that captivates is none other than “Ceto”, orchestrated by the three-starred chef Mauro Colagreco. A fan of the preservation of endangered species and of the supply, as closely as possible, from organic producers, he named the kitchens of two of his disciples: the young Andréa Moscardino and Julieta Canavate, pastry chef. A matching duo. You have to fall for the moray eel skin crisps, the matured tuna belly, the large grilled langoustine with lemon sauce and the tender vegetables, picked as soon as they sprout, then succumb to the marine millefeuille with nori seaweed, Bourdon vanilla, to reach epicurean nirvana.

The rooms : 70 huge rooms and suites, between 45 m² and 220m²some with a private pool.

How much : in mid-season, from 850 euros for two, 900 euros with breakfast, up to 4,550 euros for a Grande Riviera suite. Prices certainly high but within the range of those practiced by the five stars of Monaco.

Where is it : 1.551 route de la Turbie, 06190 Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. www.maybourneriviera.com