Fodor's Expert Review Hotel Metropole Monte Carlo

This Belle Époque hotel, set on land that once belonged to Pope Leo XIII, has pulled out all the stops in its decor—famed Paris designer Jacques Garcia has given the rooms his signature hyper-aristocratic look while the late Karl Lagerfield was the architect behind the Odyssey pool and lounge; it's also home to Yoshi, the only Japanese restaurant on the French Rivera to have been awarded a Michelin star. If you don't want a full-blown meal, lighter food is served all day in the lobby bar, which, quite frankly, is the place to be seen. This is one of the few independently owned hotels in Monaco, and it's won numerous awards for best hotel in France and Monaco, while its ultrapampering Spa by Givenchy, is one of three in the world.