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; 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 their high-end rates) 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, however, the management 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.