Le Domaine d'Ablon

Le Domaine d’Ablon is a luxury farm stay rural retreat near to Le Harve and the artistic coastal town of Honfleur, in rural Pays d’Auge, Lower Normandy. Accommodation is offered in classically Norman half timbered farmhouses, and the design, both interior and exterior is impeccable.

You’ll find the interiors comfortable and plush but with a very pleasant rustic feel while the farm itself has organic orchards and vegetable gardens which offer some of the ingredients for the very highly regarded food on offer. Cooking and horticulture classes, amongst others, can be arranged on site too.

THE ACCOMMODATION:

There is a choice of double suites, in order of size; the Standard Suite, the Queen Suite and the King Suite, with The King being the largest. Even the standard suite though, if it was in most other hotels it would be considered a top choice, being around 40 sqm in size and the epitome of comfort and style.

There is also a self catering cottage on site which has a huge amount of space, with two bedrooms (one double, one twin), a large lounge with an open fireplace, a kitchen and a private patio and garden area outside.

The bathrooms are particular highlight in all of the accommodation choices, spacious and rather opulent, they come with a nice old style standing bathtub and a range of Bvulgari bath products.

Le Domaine d’Ablon is a luxury hotel but also an agritourism farm stay; it prides itself on offering up some of the best local, seasonal food in Normandy and the owners take great care in producing much of the ingredients themselves. They grow a range of organic vegetables and fruits on site as well as various herbs some of which are medicinal herbs, and the owners and staff are a great source of knowledge about all things horticulture and food.

The food is truly excellent and if you would like to try and recreate it yourself at home you arrange a cooking class with the head chef, Jérôme Billochon, which also includes an educational tour of the kitchen gardens.

There are other courses at the farm too; photography, flower arranging, gardening, origami and even beekeeping. You can also organize horse riding or pony rides for children, have yourself a massage, take some of the farm’s mountain bikes (They also have electric bikes) out for a cycling tour of rural Normandy, visit a local racehorse breeding farm or go horse and trap racing on the beach at Deauville.

There is a concierge service at Le Domaine d’Ablon that can arrange any of the above and plenty more,  and they can organize practical things like laundry, child minding etc. and shuttle service to different parts of the Normandy coast like the beaches at Honfleur and Deauville for example.

THE LOCATION:

Less than 20 minutes from Le Harve and an hour and a half from Paris, Le Domaine d’Ablon is in the heart of some gorgeous Lower Normandy countryside. The region is called Auge or Pays d’Auge and is known for its hearty traditional food and rich agricultural heritage. It’s a lovely place to tour around and can also be a good base for exploring the coast; artistic Honfleur is less than ten minutes up the road while the chic resort town of Deauville is about 15. The capital of the Calvados and Pays d’Auge region is Lisieux, less than a half an hour to the south, while the city of Caen can be reached in around an hour.

If you so wish, the concierge at the hotel can arrange all sorts of guided tours and excursions around the region, to the above mentioned Honfleur and Deauville but also to places like the iconic Mont Saint Michel, or maybe to the villages of Camembert, Pont-Lévêque or Livarot where the famous cheeses of the same name have their origins. A bit farther away too you could perhaps also visit the cliffs of Etretat, or the Normandy landing beaches.

WHAT OTHER GUESTS SAY:

“Totally outstanding service and comfort of room was probably the best we have enjoyed anywhere in the world….”

“Our stay at Le Domaine d’Ablon was absolutely perfect. The property is beautiful, the host a delight….”

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