Normandy Barrière

The half-timbered silhouette alone tells you this is a grand old Norman palace hotel, not some sleek rebranded slab. Nearly three hundred rooms, old-world formal service, a thalassotherapy spa, and a tunnel connecting directly to the Deauville casino. During the film festival, everyone with a reservation here looks quietly smug about it. The sea views are dramatic, the atmosphere unhurried, and proximity to Paris makes the Côte d'Azur feel like a long way to go.