Le Domaine d'Ablon

As long-haul jet travel grows ever less attractive, we’re rediscovering places like Normandy; an hour and change from Paris, easy enough to reach from London, it’s a place that never lost its appeal, or its dramatic natural beauty. Just inland from Honfleur, by the mouth of the Seine, Le Domaine d’Ablon offers a high-end, boutique-sized Norman country escape — an estate whose original buildings have been divided into suites or converted into self-contained cottages.

Two suites occupy a converted barn, another a 17th-century dovecote, distinctively rounded; a sel-contained 14th-century cottage comes with its own terrace and garden, as well as a full kitchen. It feels rather more like a luxe little village than an ordinary luxury hotel, which can only be a good thing.

However, it’s anything but a self-service experience. The hotel’s staff is capable of arranging anything from a horseback ride on the beach to a visit to the cliffs at Etretat; restaurant reservations are secured as a matter of course. Save some evenings for dining in, though — chef Jérôme Billochon turns the local produce, including what’s grown on the estate, into long-lasting culinary memories.