Luxury hotels and fine dining restaurants in Normandy

Holidays in Normandy

This pocket of northern France makes for a charming holiday destination that’s packed full of history–both ancient and modern–while offering stunning coastal and inland scenery and immersions in the region’s distinct style of architecture and gastronomic culture. This, after all, is the home of world-famous French cheeses, including Camembert, Brillat-Savarin and Boursin; of cider (the alcoholic kind), its distilled cousin Calvados and liqueurs like Bénédictine; it’s the main mussel- and oyster-raising area for France; and the birthplace of brioche. Our luxury hotels in Normandy provide your perfect base to explore the region.

Bucolic Normandy has been the setting for a huge variety of significant cultural and historical events. Its abbeys and cathedrals and half-timbered buildings bring to mind the 1,000-year-old Norman state, with its Viking origins and conquest of England, commemorated in the Bayeaux Tapestry; Joan of Arc, a patron saint of France, burned at the stake in Rouen; its rivers, meadows and ethereal light inspired paintings by Monet of a style that would became known as Impressionism; its villages, fields and beaches became crucial locations in both World Wars, perhaps most recognizably in the D-Day landings.

In short, holidays to Normandy offer a fascinating immersion in a unique part of France that has been the origin for many of the best-known influences of the country on the world at large.

Discover our best luxury hotels in Normandy

That rich history is represented in the varied settings of our luxury hotels in Normandy that capture the region’s spirit, culture and heritage and offer guests the chance to travel back in time. Think centuries-old chateaux, some of which are listed historical monuments, sitting amid manicured lawns and apple orchards; grand yet charming farmhouses that once played home to painters, such as Monet and contemporaries including Courbet and Baudelaire, with beautiful sea views; and art-filled delightful country mansions with walled gardens filled with aromatic roses.

At the more traditional end of the spectrum of our hotels in Normandy, channel your best aristocratic dreams in palm-filled, wood-paneled salons and guest rooms with imposing beds; in other accommodation find a more contemporary style of country living, where modern interior design, furniture and fabrics juxtapose against historic surrounds. Some of our 5 star hotels in Normandy also offer more quirky accommodation, such as luxury tree houses.

A rich gastronomic tradition: our fine dining restaurants in Normandy

Pulling from the region’s wide culinary repertoire, our gourmet restaurants in Normandy immerse guests in its distinct flavors. The region’s proximity to the sea means fresh-caught fish and seafood feature prominently; cheese often features as a course in itself–always served before dessert. The abundance of local produce is reflected in a huge variety of flavor-filled vegetables, herbs and fruits, with most of our luxury hotels in Normandy growing their own ingredients where possible. Our talented chefs create culinary art of the highest order–from creative classic cooking to match formal spaces, with tables covered with pressed white tablecloths, to more contemporary culinary styles served on esoteric ceramics. Either way, our fine dining restaurants in Normandy have epicureans in mind when they create their menus.

Explore the region from our luxury hotels in Normandy

On the menu for excursions, guests can enjoy scenic charm, follow in the footsteps of artists and painters, and historic destinations that conjure a millennia’s worth of storytelling. Head to local landmarks like the fairytale island of Mont-Saint-Michel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that’s accessible only at low tide. Walk the 70-meter length of the Bayeaux Tapestry and study it up close at its museum home. Contemplate the gravity of the D-Day landings on Normandy’s beaches and visit war memorials that pay tribute to defining battles of the 20^th century and the holocaust.

Bike through the bucolic countryside, and stop off at cider farms or cheese-makers for tastings; book into painting classes and emulate your favorite Impressionist painter, potentially from the same vantage point where they once stood; or simply lay back and relax in our luxury spa hotels in Normandy with couples massages in serene natural settings.

Relais & Châteaux in Normandy: the art of living

Our 580 international hotels and restaurants are each unique: no two the same. That reflects the ‘human-scale’ of our global collection of independently owned properties, many of which are family-owned and have been in the same hands for generations. It all translates into a warm and welcoming family spirit, and attentive hospitality from staff who genuinely care how you are enjoying your stay.

They care too about their surroundings and understand how important travel and exploration can be in preserving the natural world for future generations to enjoy. That means you can expect pristine gardens and estates, immaculately–and organically–maintained. Some of our eco hotels in Normandy also keep bees and cultivate a rich, biodiverse ecosystem where they can thrive, in the hope of preserving and protecting the cultural and culinary traditions that make this region so distinct.