Le Domaine d’Ablon

Enjoy a holiday or simply a weekend in the heart of Normandy, with all the facilities of a top hotel, in the luxurious comfort of a prestigious family residence, where the past meets the present.

The Domaine d’Ablon will transport you to a unique world only one and a half hours from Paris, where you can enjoy an idyllic, pastoral break in the Normandy countryside.

This intimate setting will awaken your senses as you relax in its warmth and friendliness. Summer or winter, this is the ideal spot for a peaceful retreat where you can feel re-energised or enjoy all that Normandy has to offer.

This verdant landscape envelops you in a blanket of green, where contented cows and horses share the countryside with fruitful Normandy orchards, stretching across many hectares, a veritable invitation to indulge your senses.

THE ABLON ESTATE
The Estate respects the charms and traditions of the Auge region, and understands the history behind each material used in the construction of its buildings. Nestling in the green landscape, the half-timbered buildings have retained the features and charms of the past, combining them with the comforts of today.

The region and its traditions
The traditional buildings on the Estate, roofed in thatch and decorated in white and blue, have their own history and atmosphere, displaying a unique architecture rooted in the Normandy soil. Flint, thatch, granite, bricks and ancient wood, all have their place in the materials used and respect the traditions of the region.

The exquisite attention to detail and refinement of a luxury hotel combined with the warmth of a family home. The unique décor, designed by Laureen de Rouvre, incorporates antique furniture, used pieces, artworks and beautiful wall hangings.

These have all been brought together to create the ambiance of a family home with muted luxury. The atmosphere of the Estate has managed to tame the nature of Normandy without altering it. This really is a haven of peace and tranquillity for relaxing with family or friends, for a weekend or a longer stay.

Master suite “La Grange”
The authentic luxury of the barn conversion suites
Nestled under a thatched roof, overlooking a paved courtyard reminiscent of earlier times, our luxurious 80m2 suite have been specially designed to recreate a unique atmosphere typical for Normandy, where comfort and elegance are key.

This suite has all the features necessary for your well-being, with an intimate and traditional design. The bedroom, with a large double bed and flooded with natural light, is furnished in subtle luxury. A dressing room allows plenty of space to arrange your personal items.

The spacious bathroom has an antique cast-iron bath, and a shower tiled in sandstone or slate, depending on the suite. The toilets are separate from the bathroom. The 30m2 lounge is stylishly furnished, ideal for relaxing in the peaceful atmosphere unique to Normandy

Small suite “La Grange”
The authentic luxury of the barn conversion suites
Nestled under a thatched roof, overlooking a paved courtyard reminiscent of earlier times, our luxurious 50m2 suite have been specially designed to recreate a unique atmosphere typical for Normandy, where comfort and elegance are key.

The Bouillerie
Tucked away in the cherry orchard and with its own private terrasse, this suite holds everything needed for comfort and well-being, spacious with a decor that is both intimate and traditional.

There is the bedroom with its large double bed sitting beneath a wood-beamed cathedral ceiling, a mezzanine with its shelves full of books of art, and a fireplace in the bedroom. The spacious bathroom has a traditional cast-iron bath and a large shower made of Carrara marble. The toilet is separate from the main bathroom.

The Dovecote Suite
The authentic luxury of a seventeenth-century dovecote
This is a duplex suite of 90 m2 which has been specially designed in the old dovecote to recreate a unique and typically Normandy ambiance, where comfort, elegance and originality are key.

This suite comprises all the fittings necessary for your comfort and well-being, with plenty of space and a décor that is both intimate and traditional. The bedroom with its double bed is positioned beneath a wooden framed ceiling of over 6m in height, a cathedral-like roof that is a veritable architectural wonder.

THE COTTAGE, LA PETITE CHAUMIÈRE
This impressive building, an authentic fourteenth-century cottage
It offers all the comfort of a luxury hotel: breakfast service, all linen, and cleaning service. All you need to do is enjoy yourself with your loved ones, friends or family in the intimacy of the Normandy countryside.

Luxury, charm and authentic character are what best define this little haven of peace and tranquillity, with a floor space of 120m2 in the heart of the Estate.
This luxury cottage is surrounded by greenery, by shrubs and fragrant plants, and allows you direct access to the herb garden.

Outside the cottage you can enjoy a small private garden of 1,500 m2 with a south-facing terrace, bordered by agapanthus and box hedging, allowing you to relax in the heart of the Normandy countryside.

At garden level there is a fully fitted kitchen, in keeping with the cottage style: fridge, freezer, cooker, microwave, coffee machine, toaster.  The lounge, adjoining the kitchen, is the perfect location for convivial evenings, where you can sink into a sofa next to a crackling fire, and enjoy the atmosphere of yesteryear.

Upstairs are two double bedrooms with large beds, each room decorated and furnished in a style respecting tradition, and your comfort. The bathroom has a slate tiled shower and a cast-iron bath so you may relax in serenity. A dressing room allows plenty of space to arrange your personal items.

ART EXPERTISE
In Normandy, gastronomy has been a way of life for centuries.
This damp, fertile region is perfect for a range of gastronomic delights. It benefits from a range of products as plentiful as they are diverse, brought to the kitchen and the table by the coastal winds, the rivers and the routes crossing the countryside.

One cannot stay in Normandy and not experience a culinary journey,discovering staple products of the region, such as cream, apples, fish and shellfish, all of which form the basis of Normandy gastronomy.

On the Estate, we have refined the art of cuisine with recipes that are both natural and yet daring, to ensure an explosion of flavors. During your stay, we can make a chef available to you for a dinner among friends, an intimate dinner for two, or a cookery course, so that Normandy cuisine will no longer be a secret for you.

OUR RESIDENT CHEF, FULL OF PASSION AND CURIOSITY
Jérôme Billochon employs all his skill in showcasing the best products of the region in both savoury and sweet dishes. He finds his inspiration in the traditions of the area and creates his dishes with respect for the rhythm of the seasons.

“Jerôme Billochon has chosen the gardens of the Estate to select top quality products to adorn your plate.” On tasting his dishes, your palate will undergo a unique experience, discovering subtle flavours, enhanced by aromatic herbs from the garden.

The chef offers you an authentic gourmet break, tasting harmonious, colourful dishes, allowing you to enjoy moments of pure pleasure as you taste the real Normandy.

THE FORMAL VEGETABLE GARDEN
All year round, from a large selection of almost 80 types of vegetables, you can re-discover the real taste of courgettes, freshly pulled carrots, crunchy salad with spring onions, chives and fresh parsley.

The vegetable garden covers an area of 4,000 m2, where we grow our top quality produce for the chef to use in his best, seasonal Normandy recipes.

All year round, from a large selection of almost 80 types of vegetables, you can re-discover the real taste of courgettes, freshly pulled carrots, crunchy salad with spring onions, chives and fresh parsley.

Pick a pea-pod, a raspberry or a blueberry. Choose from 8 varieties of tomato, for a colourful lunchtime salad full of flavour. Each season, there are fruits and vegetables to hand, according to the natural changing of the seasons.

Want to taste the dishes prepared by a chef ?
Our menu changes with the seasons and the inspired ideas of Jérôme Billochon, who creates our menus and dishes to accord perfectly with Normandy traditions and seasonal produce from our orchard and vegetable garden.

These menus will both seduce and astonish you with their hitherto unexplored flavours that will delight your senses. One of the great features of the Domaine d’Ablon is our restaurant service, where diners are offered the best restaurant service but in the intimate and exclusive setting of their suites or their cottage.

THE HERB GARDEN
The herb garden has 15 squares, planted with aromatic and medicinal plants, for a veritable awakening of the senses. In this garden, each plant has a history and knows how to enhance your dishes with its unique flavours, not to be found anywhere else.

Discover the particular taste of Chinese chives, add fresh mint to your tea, whether green or white, to take you on a fragrant journey. Complement your dishes with 12 types of basil or 6 different varieties of rosemary, or freshly picked savory.

LE VERGER
We have no less than 16 varieties of cherry : Burlat, Moreau, Napoléon, Griotte… Forty varieties of apples and pears, three of plum, a whole orchard of organic fruits, for you to enjoy when in season.

We are happy for you to make your own fresh fruit salads each morning. At tea-time, you can create your own fruit cocktail. With the help of Jérôme Billochon you can learn how to cook with fruits, transform them or preserve them.

THE REGION
The region has an abundance of natural produce which enhances the Normandy cuisine. In Normandy, eating well has been an art-form for many centuries, handed down from generation to generation.

Whether they come from the sea, the land or are freshly picked from the orchards, the ingredients that make up the dishes of Normandy unite strength and character. The cuisine of Normandy is scented, colourful and above all, delicious, a true reflection of the region.

On the Estate, everything is geared towards supplying the best produce from the landscape. Tradition and refinement are our watchwords, as nothing could be more natural than carrying on the traditions of Normandy cuisine with the fruits and vegetables of the season.

ART OF LIVING
Between the past and the present, we transport you to a place of perfect luxury, in an exceptional setting, where you can discover nature, explore the region, its flavours and its traditions.

At Domaine d’Ablon, the art of living is the very essence of the place. Here everything is thought of to ensure absolute relaxation in a luxurious and traditional environment. We are dedicated to your comfort and well-being and offer the very best services.

A BESPOKE CONCIERGE SERVICE
You may be tempted by a an outing on horseback on the beach at Honfleur or Deauville, a visit to a traditional cider press, a stroll along the clifftops at Etretat, an exquisite meal at one of the best restaurants in the area.

Simply tell us what you would like and our concierge will do their utmost to enable you to enjoy to the full your stay in Normandy. During your entire stay at Domaine d’Ablon, our concierge service will take care of your daily needs.

LUXURY ROOM SERVICE À LA CARTE
A gourmet region such as the Auge is always a delight, whether dining at a top restaurant or watching the light play over the sea at the Baie de Seine.

The fertile Normandy landscape provides an abundance of produce that the local cuisine can only enhance. To delight your tastebuds, our chef, Jérôme Billochon, puts all his skill and know-how into the creation of dishes full of flavour, yet with the greatest of refinement.

Quality is at the heart of everything we do; we create dishes for you according to what is in season on the Estate – fruit from the orchard and vegetables from the kitchen garden, herbs from the herb garden, honey from our hives and jams prepared in the traditional way.

At tea-time you can choose from a selection of refined teas and delicious home-made pâtisseries. Make sure you try our ‘pâtisserie des saisons d’Ablon’, a speciality created exclusively for the Estate by Jérôme Billochon.

Always mindful of answering to your needs, Jérôme Billochon can also suggest low calorie dishes, offering a delicious balance between the pleasures of fine dining and maintaining a modest intake. When gastronomy is in tune with nutrition, it brings an added level of pleasure to your stay with us.

ACTIVITIES AT THE DOMAINE D’ABLON
Activities for all seasons and all tastes
To help you make the most of your stay, the Estate offers a choice of activities within the grounds so you can get to know the picturesque landscape around you.

• ponies are available for trips out with the children
• discover culinary and medicinal plants
• cookery courses
• ramble in the Normandy countryside
• mountain biking or electric bikes
• discover all about bees and honey from our own hives
• massages
• craft sessions for children
• photography courses with a professional photographer
• gardening courses
• flower arranging and origami

COOKERY COURSES FOR ‘FOODIES’ AND GOURMETS
Would you like to perfect your culinary skills or simply discover the cuisine of Normandy? Our chef, Jérôme Billochon, will be delighted to share some of his tips and know-how with recipes reflecting the wonderful aromas and flavours of Normandy.

After a tour around the vegetable garden, the herb garden or orchard, you will learn how to cook with freshly harvested produce. The cuisine of Normandy, of patisseries and chocolate dishes will no longer be a secret.

After this course, you can enjoy the fruits of your labours in your suite or cottage with your family and friends. These cookery courses are reserved for non-professionals, are completely interactive, and each student has their own work station.

Spring
In spring the Estate offers a veritable riot of colours worthy of the canvases of the great Impressionists. At this time, the sometimes capricious Normandy weather won’t stop you strolling in the park, enjoying the flowers bursting into bloom or re-discovering lost pleasures of childhood picking the first vegetables of the year.

AUTUMN
Let yourself be transported by the autumn shades of the Estate, where the reds, yellows and oranges blend to make an enchanting tapestry of colours.

In autumn, you can enjoy a stay in the calm of nature, where the Normandy countryside invites you to warm yourself by the fireside, where logs crackle in the hearth of your cottage, with its subtle and authentic décor, and you can enjoy the fruits of the season.

This is the time of the apple and pear harvest, of mushroom picking, gathering nuts and chestnuts while out for a walk through the woods. The pumpkins in the vegetable garden are beginning to ripen, and will be used in a selection of dishes to delight your tastebuds.

WINTER
Winter lends a unique charm to the domaine d’Ablon and reveals another side to Normandy. When the trees have lost their leaves, the park still retains a little greenness of its own.

Perhaps the best thing about this season is enjoying the intimate warmth of the suites and cottages, doing things together as a family, playing board games, taking a cookery course, or simply curling up by the fire with a good book and then enjoying a meal after nightfall.

SUMMER
A unique chance to recharge your batteries in the heart of the countryside, when the Normandy sunshine lights up the Domaine d’Ablon in all its verdant splendour.

The themed and private gardens are havens of paradise where you can enjoy the following:

• a stroll along the paths running through the Normandy landscape
• mountain biking
• horse riding or pony trekking for the children
• discover the world of bees and honey farming
• pick vegetables from the vegetable garden, or fruit from the orchard to make jams
• Settle down with a good book under the cherry trees or enjoy a meal on your terrace, for an experience of sheer indulgence.

Activities around and about
TAKE A TRIP TO DISOCVER THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PARTS OF NORMANDY
Normandy, a region between land and sea, bursting with history and tradition. During your stay at Domaine d’Ablon we can organise for you, according to your wishes, excursions and guided tours to help you discover the key features of the region:

• Mont Saint Michel and its tidal boundaries
• Deauville and its beaches
• Honfleur with its artists
• Camembert, Livarot or maybe Pont-Lévêque, famous for their cheeses

A bit further north you can visit the cliffs of Etretat, the Normandy landing beaches… and many other places steeped in history and tradition.

ACTIVITIES IN WILD NORMANDY
In order to enjoy the real, wild Normandy, you could arrange your activities around discovering what nature in the region has to offer:

• take part in mushroom picking in the forest at St Gatien
• practise your golf on the greens at St Gatien, Etretat or Deauville
• play tennis or squash
• relax on horseback in the Normandy countryside
• discover local crafts and products of the region
• go on a boat trip
• collect seashells

Website: www.domainedablon.com

Rooms: 5

Price: from 480 EUR per night