The Place
Definitely a hotel for the history buff. It’s made up of an old salt warehouse and three 16thC houses, and sits in the Place Sainte Catherine, home to the 500-year-old St Catherine’s Church, minutes away from the picturesque port of Honfleur, painted by Monet.
The building is split into four wings and three separate houses, each of which is carefully themed around a specific aspect of Honfleur’s history. The design of the Captain rooms mirrors the nearby port, while the Campagne suites give a taste of the Normandy countryside. The houses and best suites offer private sitting rooms, views of the port, fireplaces and Jacuzzis but the standard rooms are decidedly basic – although all are beautifully decorated.
What really makes this hotel special is not history or decoration, but service. One guest remarked that the atmosphere was ‘like staying at a friend’s place’. Staff are attentive, carrying luggage up the narrow stairs for less able guests, and constantly on hand. The hotel boasts a beautiful sitting room and library, as well as a jarringly modern steam room. There’s now a restaurant serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, as well as a nice tea room, and breakfast is 18 euros. Since our last visit, the restaurant has been refurbished, and the hotel has an additional 7 rooms.