In this article, I invite you to join me for a getaway to the Manoirs des Portes de Deauville hotel, located not far from Deauville, in the Calvados department in Normandy. It’s a region I adore and have traveled through extensively, but I hadn’t yet visited the famous seaside resort of Deauville. This stay was quite short, but it made me want to come back for a bit longer to explore the area and uncover more beautiful spots nearby to share with you.
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Hôtel Les Manoirs des Portes de Deauville
This beautiful 4-star establishment is located at the gates of Deauville, making it an ideal place to recharge while enjoying both Deauville and its surroundings. In the heart of the 2.5-hectare estate, you’ll find a superb listed 16th-century manor that was once the property of Corneille’s sister. The famous playwright actually stayed there for several summers during that era. The Manoir de Prétot (the former name of the residence) was built in 1540 in the Pays d’Auge style, famous for its half-timbering and steep roofs. It has retained a true sense of authenticity to this day, along with its flint stone floor. You can also see old graffiti, carved with a knife into the manor’s walls, depicting sailboats typical of the Normandy coast.
It took several years of work after the site was purchased in 2017 by the Buildinvest Group to restore the property, and the hotel has been open since July 2019. This boutique hotel welcomes those who love peace and quiet, and today it houses 27 rooms & suites (with 70 beds in total) spread across a manor and 9 cottages, each named after its former use (the relay, the guardhouse, the forge, the press) or a location on the estate (the secret field, the pond, the hazel grove, the orchard). The cottages, scattered throughout the park, offer a very bucolic and intimate accommodation, a little rustic bubble in the heart of Normandy.
The interior design is by architect Amélie Buvat and offers a refined aesthetic that blends well with the historical character and family-home spirit of the place. The main room of the manor, with its large fireplace, provides a particularly welcoming setting and is a lovely place to end your evening by the fire with a glass of Calvados in hand.
To get to Les Manoirs des Portes de Deauville from Paris, the easiest way is obviously by car (about a 2-hour drive from Paris), but it is also possible to come by train (the nearest station is Deauville), and then you’ll need to take a taxi to reach the hotel.
Our suite in the Manor
There are 4 rooms and suites in the main manor, and we were personally accommodated in the suite located on the 2nd floor, under the eaves. The decoration in the rooms is minimalist with soft, soothing tones. This suite under the eaves has undeniable charm, and you feel like you’re in a little cocoon out of time.
The cottages
We were also able to visit a few cottages to see what they looked like, and I’ve included some photos of them below to give you an idea. The old bread oven, once restored, was transformed into a summer pavilion. The stables, as well as the caretaker’s house, have given way to cottages.
Relaxation at the pool house
The hotel has a wellness area with a heated outdoor pool, as well as an indoor sauna and jacuzzi. We used the bathrobes provided in our room to go enjoy a moment of relaxation at the pool house, and we didn’t regret it!
The hotel bar
The hotel offers a cozy bar in the manor’s lounge with a mix of velvet, rattan, and black wood, as well as bistro tables rimmed with brass. In the evening, bottles of spirits, wines, and soft drinks are made available to guests in the spirit of an honesty bar. I particularly recommend ending the evening by the fire with an aged Calva… It’s a little pleasure that you shouldn’t deny yourself and that is meant to be savored.
Breakfast in the manor lounge
Breakfast is served buffet-style (from 7:30 AM to 11:00 AM) in the manor lounge (or in your room), and on sunny days, you can also sit outside and enjoy the estate’s beautiful park. The hotel offers a lovely selection of local products, which I particularly appreciate (local cheeses and charcuterie, yogurts from a local farm, Normandy apple juice, etc.).
Hôtel Les Manoirs des Portes de Deauville ****
30 D677, 14800 Canapville
Rates: from 200€ per room in low season / breakfast 18 € per person
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Ideas for visits in Deauville and the surrounding area
During our short stay at Les Manoirs des Portes de Deauville, we took the opportunity to go for a few walks in the vicinity of the hotel. I suggest a few nice ideas for visits to do in the surroundings below. Obviously, a short visit to Deauville is a must; unfortunately, as the weather was bad on the 2nd day when we went there, I have few photos of the city and we weren’t able to walk around much, but I assume it must be very pleasant.
For the record, the city of Deauville was built between 1860 and 1864 on a former marsh that had to be drained. With the arrival of the train and the construction of several leisure facilities, the city developed and became a popular destination for the Parisian bourgeoisie. Later, after the Second World War, Deauville opened up to international and mass tourism in the 60s/70s.
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Calvados Expérience
This venue offers a multisensory and interactive guided tour in the heart of Normandy, from the Viking era to the present day, tracing the history of Calvados. They explain the transformation that takes place from the apples in the orchards to the most Norman of spirits. It was an opportunity for me to discover that Calvados is made from double distillation (to have the Calvados Pays d’Auge designation), exactly like Cognac. This alcohol is made from apples and distilled cider, then aged in oak barrels, which is then blended at the end of the aging process, the moment when the product has reached about 40% alcohol.
The tour ends with a tasting of products from the Père Magloire brand. And then you can stop by the venue’s shop to leave with a little gourmet souvenir of your visit and also perhaps to introduce Calvados to your friends and family…
Calvados Expérience Père Magloire
Route de Trouville / 14130 Pont l’Evêque
Open all year except December 25th and the first two weeks of January
Tour duration: about 40 minutes
Tour prices: 9 € adult / 6 € child / free for children under 6
The good deal: in October, for International Calvados Day, admission is free for everyone!
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Visit to the Villa Strassburger in Deauville
This beautiful villa, listed as a Historic Monument, is an archetype and the flagship of Deauville’s Belle Epoque style. It was built in 1907 on the site of an old farm in a mix of Norman and English architecture. The villa is best known for its last owner who gave it his name, Mr. Strassburger (a press publisher), who bought it in 1924, mainly because it was located right in front of the racetrack. He later donated it to the city of Deauville in 1980, and today you can visit it through guided tours (for dates, see the Deauville tourist office website, which I have linked below) or rent it for events.
The villa also has a very beautiful Norman garden with apple trees, which produce a confidential vintage of cider, served at cocktails organized by the city or which you can buy at the Deauville tourist office.
Villa Strassburger
Av. Strassburger, 14800 Deauville
Guided tour prices: €7.50 / €5 reduced (ages 5 to 17) / free for under 5s
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Discover Les Franciscaines Deauville
This incredible and unique venue opened its doors in May 2021 in the heart of Deauville. Les Franciscaines is a cultural hub that brings together a cultural space, a media library, a museum (which houses the André Hambourg collection), a performance hall, and an exhibition space, all centered around an open and cross-disciplinary project. Above all, it’s a vibrant living space focused on culture; you could easily spend the entire day there because the offerings are so rich and varied (and I won’t hide the fact that if such a place existed in Paris, I would definitely spend a lot of time there).
This project (which began in 2011) is housed in a 19th-century historic building, the former Saint-Joseph orphanage of the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters, covering an area of over 6,000 m2. The renovation of this historic heritage site by the Moatti-Rivière architecture agency is clearly a success, and the scenography and layout of the building really make visitors want to make the space their own. The result is a bright and welcoming atmosphere for the site, which offers numerous spaces (some open, others more intimate) for a variety of experiences. I was particularly charmed by the cloister, covered by a high contemporary glass roof that spans the former interior garden and is illuminated by the prism of a beautiful monumental chandelier.
On the program: shows are offered in the venue’s auditorium, which is set up in the former chapel; the museum, which presents the André Hambourg collection, a 20th-century painter very attached to Deauville; quality temporary exhibitions (until June 5, 2022, you can discover the “You are a tree!” exhibition); a refectory with food available all day; and a beautiful, large media library with plenty of content to consult on-site or borrow.
Les Franciscaines Deauville
145b Av. de la République, 14800 Deauville
Open every day except Monday (outside of school holidays) from 10:30 AM to 6:30 PM
The good deal: access to Les Franciscaines is free and open in the media library areas and the various themed spaces (excluding exhibitions)!
Exhibition prices: €10 full price / €8 reduced / €3 youth and solidarity rate
Friendsciscaines Pass: annual subscription that allows you to borrow from the media library collections, free access to the André Hambourg museum, and reduced rates for shows and temporary exhibitions, €60 individual or €100 family
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My favorite spots in Deauville and the surrounding area
As usual, you will find below my selection of great addresses around the Manoirs des Portes de Deauville (several restaurants) that we had the opportunity to test during our stay with our favorite photographer, as well as a suggestion that we unfortunately couldn’t try due to the weather (the Trouville fish market). These addresses often offer the chance to discover local products and some regional specialties to taste if you come to Normandy.
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Where to eat in Canapville? Auberge Du Vieux Tour
This restaurant, located in Canapville, offers a Room-Service menu in collaboration with the Manoir des Portes de Deauville, which is accessible to hotel guests upon advance order. I recommend it, as we were able to test the quality of this address during a dinner buffet that was prepared for our arrival at the hotel.
Auberge Du Vieux Tour
Closed on Wednesdays during the winter season
36 D677, 14800 Canapville
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Where to eat by the sea in Villers-Sur-Mer? Restaurant la Digue de Villers
This beautiful restaurant is located facing the sea with a modern and comfortable decor. You’ll find fine, inventive, quality cuisine that brings regional classics up to date and offers great, well-prepared local products.
To taste: the 6 Asnelles No. 3 oysters (Calvados production / €15); the Plouguerneau abalone roasted in hazelnut butter (€25); the “Label Rouge” salmon with black sesame and tangy citrus cream (€24); the semi-cooked tuna with curry sauce (€25); for dessert, the apple cooked in caramel with a fleur de sel shortbread and vanilla ice cream (€9); for drinks, I recommend trying a cider from the Pays d’Auge, as I find they are always excellent.
Restaurant la Digue de Villers
Avenue de la République 14640 Villers-sur-Mer
Price: menu with appetizer + main course + cheese or dessert at €42
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Where to eat seafood in Trouville? The Fish Market
Because of the weather, we couldn’t eat there as planned, but the idea of the place is to sit at the tables in front of the Trouville fish market and enjoy the good seafood products found on the stalls.
Trouville Fish Market
Fish Hall / 152 boulevard Fernand Moureaux 14360 Trouville-sur-Mer
Open every day from 9 AM to 7 PM
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Where to eat in Trouville? Restaurant Les Vapeurs
This “Parisian-style” brasserie with Art Deco flair is ideally located across from the Trouville fish market and has been cultivating its simple and friendly atmosphere since 1927. It’s the right place to enjoy a seafood and shellfish platter, fried smelt, or mussels in the Norman style (meaning with cream, obviously).
To taste: the seafood platters (€58 for 1 person, but in reality, I find it’s enough for two); the bouchot mussels with Norman cream (€18); the ice creams and sorbets are from Martine Lambert, an ice cream maker established in Deauville since 1981; for drinks, once again, I recommend trying the farmhouse cider from the Pays d’Auge (€18.50 per bottle).
Restaurant Les Vapeurs
160 quai Fernand Moureaux 14360 Trouville-sur-Mer
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Thanks to the Manoirs des Portes de Deauville and Tiffany from the Fort et Clair agency for this lovely welcome. And also thanks to the In Deauville tourist office!
I hope that with all this, I have made you want to discover Deauville, and if you also have your own favorite spots and tips for this destination, don’t hesitate to share them in the comments!
Find all my articles on the Normandy region below:
⇒ All my articles on Normandy
MY ARTICLES ON THE DEPARTMENTS OF NORMANDY
⇒ L’Orne
⇒ La Seine Maritime
⇒ L’Eure
⇒ Le Calvados
⇒ La Manche
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez Photos are not royalty-free, photographer's authorization required before any use
