Société des Bains de Mer’s key projects

Café de Paris reopening, Moods returning, end of year celebrations… Monaco Tribune takes stock. 

After presenting the excellent figures for the period from 1 April to 30 September 2022, and as Stéphane Valéri prepares to take over, Jean-Luc Biamonti, Chairman and CEO of SBM, laid out the group’s current and future projects.

Starting with the 2022 festive season. In line with the Government’s recent recommendations, the planned skating rink in Monte Carlo will be replaced by a roller skate track. The Christmas illuminations will be switched on from 5 pm on Friday evenings.

Another subject raised was the Café de Paris, where building work is in progress. “We remain confident on the completion date,” says Jean-Luc Biamonti. The Café is therefore expected to reopen fully at the end of June, beginning of July. While the timetable appears to be under control, the budget is higher than expected due to increased costs. SBM also revealed that several shops will occupy a larger area, after a complete redesign.

Also on the cards is the reopening of Moods, after a ten-year closure. The venue is expected to be open to the public again at the end of June 2023. As for the signature style of the former bar, Jean-Luc Biamonti says that the place should retain its original spirit, with a lot of live music.

The Blue Bay will be refurbished

The CEO also gave an update on the changes to come, in particular at the Monte-Carlo Beach and Monte-Carlo Bay. “From June 2023, La Vigie will be open all day until 7-8pm and evening catering will be provided by a new establishment,” he said. “We will also be renovating the Blue Bay, to bring the restaurant up to the standard expected of a two-star dining establishment.“

This is a major project, spread over two years, which will coincide with the closure of the hotel’s Petit Casino. The space will then be used as a breakfast room, instead of Marcel Ravin’s restaurant. “It’s not very chic for a two-star restaurant to be serving breakfasts,” commented Jean-Luc Biamonti.

In terms of renovations, the rooms at the Monte-Carlo Bay and Hermitage are due for a facelift over the next few years. Similarly, Jean-Luc Biamonti indicated that discussions were underway about how to attract more people to the patio at the Hôtel de Paris.

Finally, the SBM gave an update on its Gaming School, which aims to train tomorrow’s croupiers. The group says that 28 candidates were selected from  the 64 applicants, and they are currently undergoing entrance tests. About 15 of them will be offered places at the school from January. “They will have finished school in April/May and will be able to start working at the beginning of the season, starting out with the simpler games,” explained Jean-Luc Biamonti, who stressed that the full training course provided by the school will last three years.