Fresh from another Monaco Grand Prix weekend that attracted racing enthusiasts, car collectors, entrepreneurs, aristocrats, and billionaires to the Principality’s five-star hotels, marinas, casinos, and waterfront terraces, the legendary Société des Bains de Mer unveiled the world’s most exclusive cigar club. The new members-only Monte-Carlo Cigar Club, located inside Monaco’s iconic Casino, is a temple to the finest cigars, rare spirits, and old-world French Riviera elegance.
The 2,150-square-foot retreat was created within the former office of François Blanc, the visionary who transformed Monaco in the 19th century and helped establish Monte Carlo as Europe’s premier destination for gaming, luxury hospitality, and high society hijinks. With 35,000 cigars, private lockers, cigar sommeliers, Havana Club Iconica rums, and a terrace overlooking Port Hercule, the club was conceived as a destination for serious collectors rather than casual smokers.
In recent years, the Principality has welcomed new ultra-luxury residential developments, expanded its superyacht and marina infrastructure, and reinforced its position as one of Europe’s leading destinations for wealth management, motorsport, fine dining, and exclusive boutiques. The Monte-Carlo Cigar Club is a much-needed addition to the scene. You might even see locals like Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, and Charles Leclerc there alongside financiers, shipping magnates, and entrepreneurs drawn by the Principality’s strong security, idyllic climate, and business-friendly environment.
His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco presided over the opening ceremonies. Developed in partnership with Dominique London, one of Europe’s leading luxury cigar and spirits specialists, the Monte-Carlo Cigar Club’s humidors are stocked with many of the world’s most respected producers across Cuba, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Costa Rica. Of course, Cubans are the top draw, represented by historic marques including Cohiba, Montecristo, Partagás, Romeo y Julieta, and Punch. Among the most coveted are cigars from Montecristo, introduced in 1935 and named for Alexandre Dumas’s The Count of Monte Cristo, the brand remains one of the most widely recognized names in the cigar world. Partagás, meanwhile, traces its roots to Havana in 1845 and is revered for its rich, full-bodied blends.
The non-Cuban side of the humidor is equally impressive, including Arturo Fuente, among the most respected names in the Dominican Republic, and Davidoff, the Swiss-based tobacco icon that has become synonymous with top-notch construction, burn, and draw. Other featured brands include Oliva, Rocky Patel, and Vega-Fina. Membership, nearly impossible to come by, is of course required if you want to light up in this rarified environment. However, guests staying in one of Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer’s exclusive Diamond Suites at the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo, or Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort enjoy the ultimate luxury of dropping in for a smoke.
To complement the tobacco offerings, the club boasts dedicated cigar sommeliers who guide guests through pairings with coffee, tea, chocolate, champagne, cognac, whisky, and rum. Particular emphasis has been placed on Havana Club’s Iconica rum collection, including Selección de Maestros, Gran Reserva Añejo 15 Años, and the flagship Máximo Extra Añejo. Exceptional wines sourced from the legendary cellars of the Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo complete the offering of imbibables.
Paris-based architecture firm Moinard Bétaille designed the space itself, drawing inspiration from both Havana and the historic towns of the French Riviera, and highlighting the beautiful architectural details of one of the Casino’s most exalted spaces. Tobacco-colored walls, rich wood paneling, bronze accents, plush leather chairs, and perfectly-pitched lighting create a distinctly old-world atmosphere, harkening back to a time when gentlemen made time to indulge their vices with maximum aplomb. A library-style smoking lounge is set off by an onyx-topped bar, while private wooden lockers allow members to store cigars and preferred spirits. The club’s walk-in humidor was created by Société DeArt, widely regarded as one of the world’s leading specialists in luxury cigar storage.
Perhaps most memorable is the terrace overlooking Avenue de Monte-Carlo and Monaco Harbor. In a Principality where real estate is among the most expensive on earth, outdoor space with views like this remains a treasure in itself. For Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, the Monte-Carlo Cigar Club represents the next chapter in a history that stretches back to 1863. More than 160 years after François Blanc helped create modern Monte Carlo, the company continues to refine the formula that made the tiny Principality world famous.
This article originally appeared in Maxim’s Summer 2026 issue.