Le Bain des Dames : a unique and historic place

Barneville-Carteret

Marc and Francesca Vallée inherited the history of the Bellevue hotel, built in 1926, for a new beginning.

At the foot of the hotel, two beach cabins allowed ladies to change in complete discretion, giving the place its name. While the hotel and its casino did not survive the upheavals of the Second World War, the site was reborn in 1952 with the construction of the current villa. A witness to the golden age of seaside tourism in the Cotentin, the building became anchored in memories before gradually falling, over the decades, into an advanced state of deterioration. Marc and Francesca Vallée fell under the spell of this ruin with magnetic potential in 2015. Four years of titanic work followed, with moments of doubt. They restored the building while also securing the seafront by financing the restoration of the historic sea wall and the rock armouring. The couple transformed this vestige into a haven of modernity respectful of its environment. It is here, in this refuge, that Marc and Francesca chose to seal their union in a timeless setting. Today, the property is an absolute rarity: the only house on Barneville beach offering private and direct access to the sand, without neighbours, alone facing the sea, offering a “disconnected” experience where the tides set the rhythm. On a unique 200 m² terrace, the spectacle is permanent. Here, one does not “go” to the beach — one lives there.

A house open to privileged guests

The house consists of a vast, light-filled living space and three intimate bedrooms. While “Le Bain des Dames” remains above all the private sanctuary of the Vallée couple, Marc and Francesca have decided to open their doors to a few privileged guests during defined periods. An invitation to share their “haven of happiness” and to experience the sea differently.