PARIS, September 24 — The French Riviera has been named the world’s most exclusive vacation destination in a new ultra-luxury travel trends report, topping a ranking of ten destinations that reads less like a holiday guide than a map of where the world’s wealthiest people spend their summers. The report, published in May by the real estate and consulting firm Maui Elite Property, scored destinations on premium travel indicators including private aviation access, five-star hotel and villa density, fine dining, elite leisure options, and average luxury hotel rates.
The French Riviera earned a near-perfect index score, placing it first among the ten. At its heart, the ranking measures scarcity as much as glamour.
Monaco, which placed second, has far fewer luxury hotels than most destinations on the list — and the highest average nightly rate of any destination studied, at around $2,440. The French Riviera’s top hotels average about $1,551 a night.
A coastline built for arrival by air and sea
The Riviera’s appeal, according to the report, lies in movement: the ease of travelling between Cap Ferrat, Cannes, Antibes and St Tropez by yacht, helicopter or chauffeured car. Grand-Hôtel du Cap-Ferrat, A Four Seasons Hotel, is cited as a defining address, with sea views, old-world glamour and a glass-fronted funicular leading toward the Mediterranean. Names associated with the Riviera include Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez, German BMW heir Stefan Quandt, Roman Abramovich and Elton John.
Filming for the fourth season of HBO’s The White Lotus has begun on the Riviera, including Cannes, St Tropez and Monaco, with additional filming in Paris, though the story remains along the Côte d’Azur. Monaco’s prestige rests on scarcity.
Visitors typically land in nearby Nice and transfer by helicopter or car, as the principality has no private jet terminal. Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, on Casino Square, is the classic stay, known for Belle Époque grandeur and one of the world’s most famous hotel wine cellars. Those associated with Monaco include Bezos, British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, Shahid Khan, casino mogul Steve Wynn, art dealer David Nahmad and Ilan Tobianah, known online as “Zeus Monaco.”
American wealth, European summer
Miami placed third and was the top US destination, with an average luxury hotel night of about $1,168. Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg and Larry Page have been linked to the city, with Bezos making major real estate moves around Indian Creek Island, often nicknamed the “Billionaire Bunker.” The Setai, Miami Beach, is cited for its oceanfront location, courtyard and South Beach setting.
The Hamptons placed fourth, where a luxury hotel night averages about $1,201 — similar to Miami — but the report notes the real luxury is access to private golf clubs, beach clubs, tennis courts, charity events, dinner parties and hedged estates. Ken Griffin, Michael Rubin, Barry Rosenstein, Leon Black and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft have been associated with the area.
The Roundtree, Amagansett, is cited as a polished boutique stay on a historic property. The Amalfi Coast rounded out the top five, described as offering dramatic cliffs, deep blue water, old-world hotels and private boat days. The full list runs to ten destinations and also names Courchevel, Capri, Bali and the Maldives, with Courchevel and Capri cited as having higher average luxury hotel rates than Miami.
What to watch next: whether the Riviera’s screen moment — with The White Lotus cameras now rolling across Cannes, St Tropez and Monaco — shifts the seasonal rhythms of a coastline already defined by the people who arrive by sea.
