Staying chic around the world

JADED jet-setters can add a few stops to their itineraries: fancy new and refurbished hotels in chic destinations. Among recent openings:

Monaco: This Riviera magnet for high rollers is betting on what developers say is its first big newly built hotel in 75 years. The price tag: $260 million.

The Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort opened last month on the Larvotto Peninsula, northeast on the coast from Casino Square, the gambling magnet for glitterati. A shuttle, free to hotel guests, makes 10-minute runs between the two sites, said spokeswoman Jennifer Greene. The convention center, the Grimaldi Forum Monaco, is about a 10-minute walk away. Reminiscent of the Venetian resort in Las Vegas, the 334-room hotel features a 320-foot-long lagoon flanked by gardens, solariums and hooded cabanas. The sandy-bottomed lagoon serves as a swimming pool. (The rocky beach by the hotel is not swimmable; guests have access to a swimming beach at the nearby Monte-Carlo Beach Hotel, Greene said.) There is a spa and four restaurants. All rooms have private terraces; many have ocean views.

The hotel’s builder is the Societe des Bains de Mer, a Monte Carlo company whose holdings include the 1864-vintage Hotel de Paris near the casino. Introductory rates, through the end of March, start at $174 per night. Summer rates start at $526. www.montecarlobay.com.

Hong Kong: East meets West at the Four Seasons Hong Kong, where guests can choose rooms furnished in contemporary Western or traditional Chinese decor, with brocades and sculpted furniture. The glass-sheathed 45-story high-rise is in the International Financial Centre complex, near the Star Ferry landing in central Hong Kong. The 399 rooms start at 484 square feet, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Victoria Harbour. The hotel, opened in September, includes rooftop swimming pools and a spa with 18 treatment rooms. There are a French restaurant, Caprice, and a Cantonese restaurant, Lung King Heen. Rates begin at $490 per night. (800) 819-5053; www.fourseasons.com.

Hong Kong visitors, take note: The 541-room Mandarin Oriental will be closed Dec. 28 until late August 2006 while undergoing $140 million in renovations.

Paris: The InterContinental Hotel Paris has been sold and renamed the Westin Paris. The 438-room landmark near the Place de la Concorde is managed by Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, and is owned by the Singapore government through its real estate arm. It is undergoing a $14-million renovation to furnish rooms with exercise equipment, special bedding and other Westin features. Introductory rates, through Feb. 28, start at $298 per night. (800) 368-7764, www.starwoodhotels.com.