Le Domaine de la Belle Normandie

We ended up leaving that same evening instead of spending the night, and even our clothes had to be washed once we got home because they’d picked up the room’s musty odor. The room looked nothing like the website photos: no garden or pool view, just the neighbors’ wooden fence. It was dusty, smelled terrible, had two foul-smelling towels, and the mattress was badly worn. The pool gets its heat only from the sun, despite what the site says. At the spa, access is limited to 6-9 pm; the big jacuzzi had only four working seats out of ten, and neither the hammam nor sauna worked. I’d rather skip the massages, except to say you may be surprised by where they’re located. The spa itself also bears little resemblance to the pictures online. When we called the manager to talk about the room facing the neighbors and pool, he denied it and hung up before we could explain. We were really disappointed after expecting the hotel to look like its photos. Avoid this place.

The host was friendly and the setting is nice, but that’s about it. We had booked the “Serenity” room and were put in a “cabin” instead, supposedly because of the heat. Cleaning there was only superficial, the wall lights were broken, the wood-paneled ceiling was coming down, and the TV didn’t work. Breakfast? Forget it. They also charged €5 for each bike battery recharge without telling us beforehand. And if you don’t pay when you arrive, they’ll confiscate the batteries. 👍

The jacuzzi, sauna, and hammam were just what we needed after hiking each day, and the local food Sylvie cooked was generous and delicious. We spent five days at “Domaine de la belle Normandie” while walking the Suisse Normande trails. Virgile and Sylvie were attentive and easy to reach, and Virgile made sure everything went smoothly. The property is unusual, the welcome was lovely, and the stay was very good value.

The breakfast was nowhere near enough for hikers, and when we asked for more bread the response was hostile. We’d booked two rooms while hiking in the Suisse Normande, but wound up in a converted barn at the back of the garden instead of the manor. It looked like an amateur renovation, with tasteless decor, mismatched towels, makeshift windows without shutters or blackout curtains, and no Wi-Fi. When we raised our surprise, the owner was rude. And no, we didn’t want to be on first-name terms, we hadn’t raised your pig together. I can’t recommend it. Keep walking.