La Ferme Saint Simeon

We had dinner at La Boucane, which was casual, hearty and delicious, and enjoyed breakfast overlooking the water. Our two-night stay at this historic hotel was thoroughly enjoyable. The room was spotless, the hotel well maintained, and the staff warm, professional and friendly from start to finish. It's a short walk to town, far enough away to be very quiet, with a fantastic water view. Reception also helped us get our bearings around the city. We left with full hearts and will most certainly come back.

The bar and lounge were beautiful, with comfortable seats, well-tended open fires and great service from professional staff. We had a good-sized room overlooking the Seine estuary, and the steam shower was great to have. The hotel was lovely, the staff excellent and the food high quality. We stayed two nights in January, driving easily down the coastal motorways after travelling from England via the Channel Tunnel.

We used the hotel as a base for Le Havre, Etretat, Deauville, Beuvon en Auge and other lovely surrounding towns. Don't miss the Boudin museum or the La Havre museum and brutalist church, all nearby and worth seeing. I didn't like Honfleur that much, finding it hectic and touristy, though this hotel is away from that bustle and only a five-minute walk from the very touristy old town. The hotel is comfortable, with good food and nice people. It's a farm where many impressionist painters spent time, and you can see the buildings in their paintings. Ask Laurent for a tour of the grounds and stories about Monet, Boudin and others. Laurent is the best concierge I've ever had, so nice and full of great advice. Email him for suggestions before you arrive.

Dinner service at Bistro Boucane was excellent, and the staff went the extra mile when we arrived spontaneously. Our room booking was another story. We reserved a deluxe historical room in the main building through the property website, but at check-in we were taken without explanation to a separate building. The room there had a bathtub in the sleeping area, which didn't work for us, so we asked to move. The replacement was also in that building and turned out to be a downgraded Superior room. For the price, that treatment certainly didn't feel five-star.