Normandy Barrière

The Côte d’Azur has its devotees, to be sure, but there’s always been a contingent that prefers the coast of Normandy — what it may lack in Mediterranean balm it more than makes up for in proximity to Paris, not to mention London and Brussels. And for close to a century the smart money has been on the Normandy Barrière, a sprawling palace of a hotel, which just happens to lie a stone’s throw (or a quick dash through an underground tunnel) from the Deauville casino.

With just shy of three hundred rooms it’s no boutique, but from the unmistakable silhouette of the building to the classic half-timbered interiors, it’s certainly not short on personality. It’s a luxury hotel in the old mold, which means there’s no end to the opulence, and the services are fairly traditional: pool, sauna, fitness, tennis courts and a thalassotherapy spa.

If you’re thinking of visiting during the film festival, plan well ahead — this is more or less the place to stay. And it’s not hard to see why. The sea views are dramatic, the atmosphere old-world formal, and the service as old-fashioned as it can be.

How to get there:From Le Havre Airport, 47.7 km - approximately 1 hr.