After several months of renovations, the ambitious Cigar Club project, led by Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, is about to open its doors. Designed to be one of the world’s finest clubs for cigar aficionados, the Monte-Carlo Cigar Club will be ready to welcome its first members on May 28, offering them an ultra-exclusive experience in the heart of the iconic Casino de Monte-Carlo. Created in partnership with Dominique London, a leading company in the business of luxury cigars and spirits, the Monte-Carlo Cigar Club fully aligns with the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer’s strategy to enhance its offer of high-end luxury in the Principality of Monaco.
The Most Exclusive Cigars at the Monte-Carlo Cigar Club
Since its creation in 1863, Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer has continuously developed this grand Art de Vivre that has built its reputation abroad. From gaming to hospitality, including gastronomy and entertainment, Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer has always known how to enrich its offerings, and the Group still demonstrates it, under its new Governance, with the creation of the Monte-Carlo Cigar Club.
This new private establishment will be inaugurated on May 19, before opening its doors to its members on May 28.
Thanks to the collaboration between the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer Group and Dominique London, the Monte- Carlo Cigar Club will offer cigars selected from the finest long-filler producers (cigars made with whole leaves) coming from Cuba, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Honduras, and Peru. Among the classic and the most exclusive selections, very prestigious brands will be proposed: Arturo Fuente, Plasencia, Oliva, Cohiba, Davidoff, Montecristo, Partagas, Trinidad… Not to mention Bolivar, Ramon Allones, Rocky Patel, Romeo y Julieta, and Vega Fina.
No fewer than 35,000 luxury cigars will be referenced.
These exclusive references are intended for cigar enthusiasts who will have previously obtained their membership, as well as for clients of the Monte-Carlo Diamond Suites of our hotels.
Perfect Pairings Offered by the Cigar Sommeliers
Tea, coffee, chocolate, champagne, cognac, whisky, rum… The cigar sommeliers of the Monte-Carlo Cigar Club will be tasked with proposing the best drink/cigar pairings to its members, according to their preferences. On the spirits side, special attention is given to the Iconica Havana Club collection, which includes three very high-quality Cuban rums: Havana Club Selección de Maestros, Havana Club Gran Reserva Añejo 15 Años, and Havana Club Máximo Extra Añejo.
The exceptional wines, sourced from the prestigious Cellars of the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, will complete the offer. And for lighter fare, a delicate selection of club sandwiches and finger food will also be available on the menu.
A Venue Designed by Moinard Bétaille
To create this new venue, Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer entrusted the prestigious architectural firm Moinard Bétaille. A major, yet thrilling challenge, as this ultra-exclusive 200 m2 space, complete with a terrace, is located in the heart of the iconic Casino de Monte-Carlo, “Charles Garnier’s home,” as Bruno Moinard and Claire Bétaille remind us. Respectful of the original creative gesture of the Opera House’s designer, and conscious of the harmony needed in every space, the two architect-designers transport cigar aficionados into an atmosphere of absolute refinement.
The reception area, with its stone and fine wood counter, sets the tone: tobacco-colored walls alternate with high windows that reveal the smoking lounge. Special attention was paid to the interplay of colors, materials, and light: pink, blue, red and bronze tones combine to evoke the radiance of the streets of Havana, as well as the ones of the old towns on the Côte d’Azur. The smoking lounge houses a library, whose shimmering hues contrast with the deep brown of the walls, ceilings, and parquet, reminiscent of the entire range of colors through which tobacco passes during the drying process—from green to tawny. Patinated leather armchairs arranged around the tables invite to hushed conversations. The sumptuous bar, with its long onyx counter and comfortable stools, displays an impressive collection of the best whiskies, cognacs and rums in the world on its glass shelves.
Precious wooden “lockers” allow guests to store their cigars and the spirits they enjoy pairing with. The space opens onto a large terrace offering one of the most beautiful views of the Mediterranean Sea and the Avenue de Monte-Carlo.
The walk-in humidor has been entirely designed by Société DeArt, the world leader in this sector.
With this brand-new ultra-exclusive venue, created in the former office of François Blanc, founder of Société des Bains de Mer, the Monte-Carlo Cigar Club resounds more than ever with the motto once proclaimed by its former occupant: “Here, we give dreams, pleasures, and beauty.”
For Albert Manzone, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer: “This new place reinforces, as desired by our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Stéphane Valeri, an ever more exclusive Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer experience, developed around the Grand Art de Vivre. We had to offer, in this club, the best that the world of cigars can offer, and I would like to thank Dominique London for its invaluable support in this new adventure.”
For Dominique Gyselinck, founder of Dominique London: “For the Dominique London Group, this partnership is the consecration of several years of investment in the world of luxury cigars. The Monte-Carlo Cigar Club will be the fruition of our ongoing quest for elegance and refinement, a mission we hold above all: to offer a world of discovery, experience, wonder, and Joie de Vivre on the Riviera. This is exactly what Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer and Dominique London propose through this partnership.”
