License to Thrill
Beci Wood and family enjoyed a break at Hôtel Barrière Le Westminster in Le Touquet, Northern France
Location
Hôtel Barrière Le Westminster is an iconic luxury five star hotel situated in the small but vibrant resort of Le Touquet along the Opal Coast of Northern France. Often referred to as Le Touquet Paris-Plage, the town is popular with Parisians looking for a seaside break away from the city. It has the largest beach in Europe with 12km of beautiful white sand, but also majestic pine forests and some of the finest golf courses around.
Le Touquet – and Hôtel Barrière Le Westminster – interestingly also have close links to James Bond. Royale-les-Eaux, the home of 007 in Ian Fleming’s first book Casino Royale in 1953, was inspired by the town after author Ian met his future wife in the hotel’s casino. Sean Connery also signed his contract to appear in the James Bond movies in the hotel’s West Bar.
Located just 40 minutes south of Calais by car, the town is perfect for anyone looking for a mini break. It’s also two hours from Rouen airport and two and a half hours from Paris. Overlooking the enchanting Parc du Pins and also the Le Canche lighthouse, the majestic red brick building, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2024, stands six stories high.
In minutes you can head out into the hustle and bustle of the town’s main street Rue Saint-Jean, which is lined with upmarket shopping, restaurants, lively nightlife and a casino. President Macron also owns a modest apartment on the high street and his security are camped outside when he is in town. The town’s mascot is a golfer – a nod to the thriving sports scene which includes two of the best golf courses in Europe and also large tennis and equestrian centres.
In 2020 the hotel was renovated in art deco elegance and the results are exquisite. While adding a modern vibe, the hotel was careful to keep key parts from its roaring Twenties roots such as the beautiful lobby lifts, wood panelling on the walls, and high ceilings throughout.
A host of celebrities have visited over the years including Queen Elizabeth II, who stayed here as a child, President Emmanuel Macron who got married at Le Westminster, tennis champion Bjorn Borg and movie director Wes Anderson who stayed recently.
Facilities
The hotel is equipped with all the facilities you come to expect from a five-star hotel. There is an exotic basement indoor swimming pool with luxurious palm tree wallpaper and mirrored ceiling. There is also a modern gymnasium, free bike rental and 24-hour room service. There are large meeting rooms and event facilities in the basement and in the summer the hotel offers yoga and running sessions, and live musical entertainment.
The Petit VIP kids club is free of charge to residents of the hotel ages 4-12. It is open at weekends and in the holidays and has a large program of activities. The concierge desk can help you with any requests you may have such as dining reservations and water sports.
The hotel is close to the Pierre de Coubertin Tennis Center which has the most prestigious facilities in France, with 25 clay courts. Less than 1km away you’ll also find a watersports facility, the Equestrian Center of Le Touquet and the Casino Barrière Le Touquet.
Rooms
The hotel has 104 rooms which were elegantly redecorated by interior designer Bruno Borrione in hues of Basque red harmonies, Prussian blue, pale greys and walnut. There are nine Junior Suites and also the ground floor 007 Suite, which has the entire James Bond collection for guests to read and 007 Monopoly. There is also a high-tech – but mind-boggling - Japanese toilet which comes with a vast array of settings for you to choose from if you so wish.
Spa
Le Spa Nuxe is situated in the basement of the hotel, with six modern treatment rooms, including one double facility. The spa’s signature Diane Barrière treatment is an energising massage which helps to detoxify and repair the impacts of daily life. I enjoyed a 45 minute facial and back massage which was divine. The spa also has a sauna, steam room and hammam.
Dining
The hotel has three restaurants – Table Du West brasserie, Pavilion fine-dining and Les Ambassadeurs for breakfast and Sunday brunch.
Headed by Michelin-starred chef William Elliott, The Table Of The West is a bustling space with an open kitchen serving delicious French cuisine such as steak tartare, sole meuniere and vanilla millefeuille. Refreshingly there is a varied children’s menu too.
There is much excitement that Le Pavilion, which has held Michelin status since 2007, will reopen in April 2023 after a lengthy closure.
Les Ambassadeurs, a huge airy dining room with an outside terrace, is adorned with exotic wallpaper and hosts the hotel’s famous West Brunch every Sunday from 12.30pm-2pm.
Afternoon tea is served daily in the reading room while the Bar Du West, which serves an extensive range of cocktails, is popular with locals.
My Experience
Visiting with my husband James and children during October half term we stayed in a Prestige Suite for two nights. The 48 m² room offered a separate living area with a sofa bed, cot, a dressing area and a large bathroom which was ample for us. There were dressing gowns for all of us – and the kids got their own teddies and toiletries.
I am a huge fan of art deco design - and even got married in an art deco theatre – so the hotel’s dazzling décor was just heaven for me. Luxurious palms and animal print adorned the walls of the hotel’s central spiralling staircase – a look I’m desperate to now recreate at home!
We were brilliantly hosted by Romain, who helped us to reserve a local restaurant for my pasta-loving children and also a tennis court for my daughter Ruby who is an avid player. The children absolutely loved the heated swimming pool but we also spent a large part of our stay at the beach because we were very fortunate with the weather. There is a playground on the sand which has bouncy castles, a zip-line and trampolines. We also played mini golf one afternoon, had a tour of the town on Le Petit Train and enjoyed a lovely forest walk in Parc du Pins opposite the hotel.
Away from the hotel we all enjoyed a delicious Croque Monsieur lunch at nearby café Opaline on Avenue du Verger and also dinner at Le Scoop, which despite its name is a busy bistro not an ice-cream shop. Aux Mignardises Saint-Jean served some of the best waffles and crepes we’ve ever tasted.
With three kids we didn’t expect much downtime, but the hotel was a very comfortable and relaxing base for our stay and we hope to return.
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