La Ferme Saint-Siméon

The ancient port of Honfleur, on the banks of the Seine estuary, has long been a magnet for artists, drawn to the spectacular waters and skies of the English Channel. The Ferme Saint Siméon itself was a gathering place for artists like Monet, Courbet, and Honfleur native Eugene Boudin. Today the hotel is something of a throwback to those days around the birth of Impressionism, an elegant farmhouse with half-timbered ceilings and slate roofs, decorated in chintz and antiques recalling the Ferme’s nineteenth-century heyday. Rooms and suites are spacious and charming, thick with history, and even the bathrooms have been meticulously maintained; they’re functional yet still authentic, a welcome break from the modern marble standard. Perhaps most surprising is the Ferme’s spa, with its tiled indoor pool, surrounded by murals and bathed in that legendary Channel light. Products are supplied by Olivier Claire, and the spa’s director, Patricia Verbecq, is a championship masseuse. The cuisine is, as one expects, one of the main attractions — La Boucane, which is Norman for “the old cottage,” makes fine use of Channel seafood and local produce, under the direction of chef Matthieu Pouleur. Sightseeing opportunities abound as well; you can squint at the hotel’s famous gardens and try to relive your favorite Impressionist masterpiece, or venture farther afield, from the museums and war memorials of Bayeux and Caen to the landing beaches of D-Day and even William the Conqueror’s castle. How to get there: La Ferme Saint Simeon is approximately 2 hours and 10 minutes from Paris–Charles de Gaulle Airport or 2 hours from Paris–Orly Airport.