



Deauville, Normandy
Royal Barriere Hotel

Built just a year behind the other two hotels on our list, this palatial seven-floor residence looks right onto the beach. At the rear, a sunny terrace has a kidney-shaped pool as a focal point, with plush loungers and parasols. 259 bedrooms – some with sea-facing iron balconies – including a suite named after the screen legend Liz Taylor. All of the interior spaces are lavishly decorated, with the prolific use of royal red, chandeliers and heavy drapes with tiebacks. There are two restaurants, the larger and grander Cote Royal and the cosier, more intimate l’Etriet. Those wishing to get active can hire bikes for free or play tennis, and those wishing to relax can make use of the spa.



Trouville-sur-Mer, Normandy
Cures Marines Hotel & Spa Trouville MGallery Collection

This hotel opened in the same year as Hotel Barrière Le Normandy Deauville – its main restaurant is named 1912 to commemorate this history and holds a Michelin star. Housed in a long, three-storey neo-classical white building, it includes a thalassotherapy spa, specialising in forward-thinking treatments like cryotherapy, with a heated seawater pool. 103 bedrooms are decorated in neutral tones, some featuring century-old frescoes, with fluffy robes and Nespresso machines – book a duplex for a mezzanine bedroom and a downstairs living space with gorgeous views. Cures Marines’ bar is named after painter Eugène Boudin and there’s an excellent bistro.
Cures Marines Hotel & Spa Trouville MGallery Collection



Deauville, Normandy
Hotel Barrière Le Normandy Deauville

Fully renovated in 2016, but originating from 1912, this Barrière group property sits close to the beach, tennis courts and a horse training track, with many rooms affording views of these attractions. A grand dame of Deauville, its picture-postcard exterior has ensured its place as a local landmark. The piano bar is a convivial spot for a cocktail and there’s a glass-roofed pool, a kids’ club, a brasserie, 271 bedrooms and a direct passage linking the casino. Hotel Barrière Le Normandy Deauville’s decor has Anglo-Norman and Belle-Epoque influences, with antique pieces, chandeliers and bucolic wallpapers.
Hotel Barrière Le Normandy Deauville



Honfleur, Normandy
La Ferme Saint Siméon – Relais & Châteaux

A short walk from the beach and town, this peaceful 17th-century inn and apple farm is now a five-star hotel, incorporating the original farmhouse, a pavilion, a tower and a thatched cottage (the latter was painted by Monet and serves as the main restaurant). La Ferme Saint Siméon was once a favourite of impressionist painters who adored the sweeping Seine views; a heritage that is maintained by an artist in residence. Many of the original features remain too, with beamed ceilings, wood-panelled walls, oil paintings and large open fires. The hotel provides watercolour classes, horse-drawn carriage rides and boat trips and has an in-house spa.