Normandy-Barrière

Normandy-Barrière Review

With a facade that is a riot of pastel-green timbering, checkerboard walls, and Anglo-Norman balconies, the Normandy has been one of the town's landmarks since it opened in 1912, and crowds still pack the place, thanks to its recent face lift by Jacques Garcia, France's most aristo decorator. Thanks to this maestro its grand salons now overflow with needlepoint sofas, fin-de-siècle chandeliers, and 19th-century armchairs. The courtyard is its outdoor version, with a grassy patio surrounded by a spectacular panoply of turrets and balconies—and chances are you'll be spending a lot of time out there as guest rooms (even with rates of 300 to 700 euros) have no air-conditioning! The staff (who can rush a fan to your room) state that the sea air used to do the trick; now that global warming has struck the management, however, has promised a/c for the near future. For now, request a room with a sea view. A Normand-influenced menu is served up in La Belle Epoque, the snazzy restaurant set in a grand hall which, on a bright night, after a couple of bottles of Dom Pérignon, glitters like the salons of Versailles.