Hotel Barriere Le Normandy Deauville

This review is specifically for parents considering a stay at a Barrière hotel in Deauville with young children. Our advice is simple: look elsewhere. We were staying at Hôtel Barrière Le Royal, which shares its kids’ club with Hôtel Barrière Le Normandy. From the very beginning, the experience was disappointing. At the Normandy, the receptionist was unpleasant and did not even know where the kids’ club was located. We were told to return to the Royal, despite the fact that the kids’ club for four-year-olds is located at the Normandy and is shared by both hotels. The real problem, however, was the kids’ club. The staff appeared poorly prepared to deal with young children. We were contacted repeatedly throughout our stay. On the first day, we were called because our four-year-old was crying. On the second day, we were called because he choked on a piece of bread while under their supervision. Then, on Wednesday, we were told that he was being expelled from the kids’ club following an apparent altercation with another child. Yes, a four-year-old was expelled from the kids’ club. We asked for a proper explanation. Where was the supervision? What exactly had happened? Why had the situation not been managed by the staff? Why had nobody intervened to calm the children down and find a constructive solution? Instead, the easiest solution appeared to be to remove our child. And there is another important point: the kids’ club was part of the package we had paid for. Once our child had been expelled, we naturally requested a refund for a service we had paid for but could no longer use. The hotel was not even willing to offer a refund. So we were left having paid for a service that was subsequently withdrawn from us, with no alternative solution and no reimbursement. We also requested the kids’ club rules and policies, which had never been provided to us. The manager at the Normandy told us that there was no alternative solution and that our child was making the kids’ club an unsafe environment for the other children. We found this statement deeply shocking and completely disproportionate. A kids’ club for four-year-olds should have staff capable of supervising young children, managing disagreements and dealing appropriately with situations that inevitably arise between children. Parents should be able to trust that staff will manage these situations professionally, not simply exclude a child when things become difficult. What is particularly concerning is that the incident apparently occurred while the children were under the supervision of the kids’ club. Yet instead of addressing how the situation was allowed to happen and finding a solution, the responsibility was effectively placed on our four-year-old. We have stayed at several Barrière hotels, including in Cannes and Dinard, and this experience was so disappointing that it has completely changed our opinion of the group. For parents travelling with young children, we strongly recommend looking elsewhere in Normandy. Based on our experience, we would not recommend the Barrière hotels in Deauville to families with young children. If you are travelling with a four-year-old and choosing a hotel because you expect a professional, safe and genuinely child-friendly kids’ club, our experience at Le Normandy is a serious reason to reconsider. For us, the conclusion is clear: never again Barrière in Deauville.

I booked this hotel through American Express. The Fine Hotels and Resorts program offers a room upgrade, free breakfast for 2 people, early check in at 12:00 when available, late check-out guaranted at 4PM and a 100 USD credit to use in the hotel's facilities and dining options. I visited this hotel 25 years ago during a professional seminar. I found the common areas beautiful but I was disappointed in the rooms that were really small and old fashioned. So before arriving I was a little bit doubtful. My global analysis and feeling is that Le Normandy is definitely the best hotel in the region. Beautiful lobby, historic level restaurant and lounge, great facilities such as an indoor pool and a top class Guerlain SPA. We have been upgraded from a regular Deluxe room to a Seafront Deluxe room which is something we appreciated. I was amazed at the room. Very large, fresh decoration... The concierge told me that they renovated them in 2017. It had nothing to do with the bad experience I encountered in the room 25 years ago. However, I was disappointed by some people of the personnel (not all of course). Cold welcome at the reception when arriving. Additionally, given the fact Le Normandy is regarded as a palace hotel, you expect a high level of service and attention. It was not always the case, especially among bartenders or servers who had not the appropriate reaction to our simple requests. Some adjustments have to be done to give clients the feeling they are in a palace hotel. Al in all, this hotel is really the best in town. Despite the cold welcome and some minor negative points, we will definitely come back.

Perfect location excellent service and cute and comfortable rooms

Hotel was just ok, nothing special The food was fair I would not recommend this hotel

The building is very nice. Also the room and service was great. However the food was a big let down both dinner and breakfast. They are a long way from being five star. They apologized for the food on check out and gave us a bottle of champagne.