Exploring the coastal town with the icon in mind …
I have Coco Chanel to thank for sparking my interest in Deauville, the glossy seaside resort on the Côte Fleurie, which spurred her sartorial dream. She was inspired by the colour of the Normandy skies, men’s boating jackets, and nautical sailor stripes, opening up shop there in 1913. I made a beeline to the boutique on my first morning in the photogenic town, often called the 21st arrondissement of Paris, such is its allure as a weekend getaway for Parisians. The fastest train can have you there in two hours.
Chanel stayed at Hôtel Barrière Le Normandy which is still the place to be. Rooms are a toile du jouy dream and walls document the celebrities, polo players and high rollers who have stayed there. Its sister hotel, Le Royal Deauville, is a Belle Epoque gem overlooking the beach where you can see horses galloping along the shoreline in the early morning. @leroyaldeauville.barriere
A must-do is to stroll Les Planches where (450) Art Deco beach huts are adorned with the names of actors and directors who have frequented the Deauville American Film Festival. For a culture fix, I visited Les Franciscaines museum and Villa Strassburger, the former holiday home of Baron Henri de Rothschild.
To replicate this idyll, stay at Les Manoirs des Portes de Deauville where, in addition to hotel rooms, there are three cottages to rent on the picturesque grounds. @manoirsportesdeauville
More bohemian is neighbouring Trouville-sur-Mer, just a ten-minute walk from Deauville and a favourite haunt of artists and authors such as Claude Monet and Alexandre Dumas. I enjoyed exploring its arty alleyways and restaurants; try Les Vapeurs and Chez Marinette. Check out Hôtel Flaubert, on the boardwalk, where the decor plays on its literary ties to Flaubert, who spent summers in the seaside town. Oozing style, it’s where I’ll stay on a return visit. @hotelflaubert
