Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort

This vast, modern seaside resort is in a dreamy coastal setting, overlooking the luminous turquoise water off Monte Carlo’s Larvotto Peninsula. Swaying palms and immaculate gardens surround its huge lagoon-style pool; guests slip off to the vast Cinq Mondes spa for pampering sessions. 

Tangerine accents and polished woods brighten the spacious rooms, nearly all of which have spectacular views of the sea or the mini-metropolis that is Monaco.

Marcel Ravin’s Michelin-starred Blue Bay restaurant, serving a deft mix of Caribbean and Mediterranean cuisine, is one of the best in Monaco (in a crowded field).

There’s a casino, of course, and a helipad, so within minutes of flying into Nice you can delve straight into Riviera high life.