France

For more than a century, Hotel Barrière Le Normandy has attracted cinematic legends, from Kirk Douglas to Claude Lelouch. And it’s easy to see why. The recently renovated Anglo Norman style hotel consists of 271 rooms and suites with elegant details like chandeliers and Toile de Jouy fabrics. Plus, chic brasseries and cozy bars that radiate Belle Epoque charm. There’s also the renowned Diane Barrière Spa to help you get red carpet ready, whether you’re going out on the town or attending the American Film Festival, held each year in September.

Once a refuge for impressionist painters, La Ferme Saint-Siméon is celebrated for its bucolic surroundings and beautiful Seine estuary light. Monet and Courbet would come here and work on their colours, and Baudelaire would flee the melancholy of Paris in search of inspiration. The farm, close to the old harbour of Honfleur and the Eugène Boudin Museum, has now been restored throughout and provides relaxing treatments based on organic ingredients such as milk and Normandy apples. “Oh, Saint-Siméon”, exclaimed the painter Eugène Boudin in one of his journals. Indeed it is hard not to love the place, and even harder to leave it behind.

Just two hours from Paris in the seaside town of Deauville, the Hôtel Barrière Le Royal Deauville is open from March to October. Built in 1913, with a sumptuous 1900s architecture, it dominates the coastline with a majestic seafront presence. Located in the center of Deauville, just a stone's throw from major French fashion designer boutiques, the Barrière Le Royal is also an ideal starting point to explore Normandy's rich architectural and historic heritage like the Landing Beaches or the Mont Saint Michel. During the day, guests can also claim a sun lounger by the heated swimming pool or a cabana on the beach, or tour the area on one of the complimentary bicycles.