Facing the sea, the building built in 1903 has been restored to its former splendor. Interior designer Jean-Philippe Nuel has captured the souls of the old buildings chosing as his theme the slightly antiquated atmosphere of the first seaside resorts.
The resort was known as a favorite getaway for authors who needed peace and tranquility to put pen to paper. It was visited by the likes of Flaubert, Stendhal, Proust and Marguerite Duras, who fell in love with this Calvados fishing port when she was 17. It wasn’t until 1963 that she was able to purchase a small apartment tucked away in the former Hôtel des Roches Noires, where she wrote “Le ravissement de Lol V. Stein”, “Émily L” and “L’Amant.” Jean-Philippe Nuel highlights this local literary history and reminds visitors and guests at Les Cures Marines of the presence of authors through quotations inscribed in giant letters on some of the walls. They include this extract from “Écrire” by Marguerite Duras: “C'est à Trouville que j'ai regardé la mer jusqu'au rien. Trouville c'est une solitude de ma vie entière." (“It was in Trouville that I looked at the sea into nothingness. Trouville is the solitude of my entire life.”)

Inspired by early sea-bathing in Trouville, the Les Cures Marines Institute revives the hotel’s tradition of longed-for pleasure, relaxation and well-being. The thalasso & spa areas on two floors are imbued with a sense of tranquility. Here and there the use of stripes is instantly reminiscent of 1920s beach huts. The various areas blend past and present and the design echoes the different eras the building has known. The contemporary reinterpretation of classical architecture creates graceful timelessness. The present interacts with the past in a poetic, light-hearted way through period photos of early sea bathing, words on walls and graphic navy blue stripes. Both swimming pools feature giant wide stripes and seem to emerge at the top of monumental antique thermal bath columns.

The hotel’s 103 rooms, including six suites, are decorated with reconstructed frescoes that were found on the site and repositioned above the beds. Mother of pearl lamps are reminiscent of the 1970s, while the shades of white and grey, highlighted with blue echo the seaside surroundings. Noble fabrics such as wool and glazed linen in mat and satin finishes are used for the curtains, small sofas and armchairs. The curtains can be drawn completely around the room creating a secluded cocoon, sheltered from noise in an intimate acoustic setting. The rooms offer a simple and elegant environment that guests will make entirely theirs for the duration of their stay.