The Fairmont buys you central Monte-Carlo on foot and a rooftop pool; the Columbus buys you calm, better value and a nicer room for the money. Grand Prix or a one-night casino trip, Fairmont; everything else, Columbus.
The smart moneyReal Monaco, sensible money. The hotel we recommend when the grand hotels make no sense.
€€From about €180 a night
Choose Columbus Hotel Monte-Carlo if
The catch
Fontvieille is not Monte-Carlo: the casino square is a bus ride or a hilly walk away.
The F1 oneSix hundred rooms on the Grand Prix hairpin. Big, busy and unbeatable for Monaco's central action.
€€€From about €250 a night
Choose Fairmont Monte Carlo if
The catch
Rooms and public areas vary; unrenovated categories feel dated for the price.
Columbus Hotel Monte-CarloFairmont Monte Carlo
Columbus Hotel Monte-Carlo
Fairmont Monte Carlo
The verdict
The Fairmont buys you central Monte-Carlo on foot and a rooftop pool; the Columbus buys you calm, better value and a nicer room for the money. Grand Prix or a one-night casino trip, Fairmont; everything else, Columbus.
Questions people ask
The Fairmont buys you central Monte-Carlo on foot and a rooftop pool; the Columbus buys you calm, better value and a nicer room for the money. Grand Prix or a one-night casino trip, Fairmont; everything else, Columbus.
If the grand hotels make no sense for your trip, book this and spend the difference at dinner. Credible, contemporary and quiet, in Fontvieille rather than Monte-Carlo, at a price that leaves money for the good restaurants. The smart Monaco base, not the glamorous one.
It has an outdoor pool. There is no beach; the nearest is a drive away.
For Grand Prix weekend or a central base with a rooftop pool, book it. For anything romantic, look further along this edit. Big, busy and right on the hairpin, with a rooftop pool over the sea. It runs on energy rather than charm, which is exactly the point in race week.
It has a rooftop pool. A public beach is within walking distance.