Its population was unhappy with their poverty. Things were not going well for the Principality. In 1856, a new prince, Charles III, came to reign over Monaco. Prior to 1863: desperate survival attempts But let’s go back in history to remember how it all started for Monaco’s, perhaps, most legendary company. Nowadays, the SBM group owns casinos, luxury hotels, more than three dozen cafes and restaurants, nightclubs, spas, beaches, event venues, golf clubs and boutiques. Its main shareholder was a man who changed the course of the Principality’s life once and for all. In the spring of 1863, the Société des Bains de Mer (the Sea Bathing Society) was created by a princely decree. The transformation happened precisely 160 years ago. Would it be even possible to imagine Monaco without its legendary Casino or Café de Paris? Or without its unique luxury hotels and gastronomic restaurants? Or its nightclubs and boutiques? There were times, however, when nothing of what Monaco is famous for today was there.
