Accommodations Archives -

A variety of bed and breakfasts, inns, small hotels and guest homes abound in Normandy. Just like anywhere else, some will be what you imagine and some not so much. Honfleur is a charming home base for Normandy exploration and home to our favorite bed and breakfast in the region, the Chambres d’hôtes Rosebud. A short stroll from Le Vieux Bassin and the heart of the city yet on the outskirts making getting back on the road a cinch.

A home redesigned, one slow room at a time makes this our favorite Normandy bed and breakfast.

Madame Barberi-Le Cesne Françoise raised her children in this home while she worked full time. As her children grew up and moved on, she painstakingly renovated one room at a time creating this Normandy bed and breakfast as it is today. When the first room and then second became available, she balanced working part-time with running the B&B. With all the rooms complete, she now runs Rosebud full time.

The gardens are elegant. A massive stone wall and metal gate hide the home and driveway. You don’t know what to expect as Madame opens it. And it is magical! Wisteria, lavender and herbs, clematis, peonies, lilies, manicured shrubs, and fruit trees greet you. The garden feast continues with the addition of varieties of palm trees, hidden corners with sling back chairs for relaxing in, and paths for wandering. When we arrived, the garden was busting with Iris’, tulips and daffodils. Year-round beautiful weather in the garden invites you to enjoy breakfast surrounded by blooms.

French garden glamour shot

Each room’s design is indeed a labor of love.

They reflect Madame Barberi-Le Cesne Françoise’s love of art and beautiful things–she is an artist herself. For the design-savvy traveler, this French bed and breakfast’s decor is no disappointment! Each room is treated as importantly as the master bedroom of the home. Layered pieces of fine art adorn fireplaces and nooks; sculptures sitting atop the dresser have an aesthetic purpose and guide the eye to somewhere else in the room. Art books with pages marked indicating pieces located in the region’s museums and castles are stacked upon the room’s writing desk and side tables. Layers and textures in the rooms’ decor bring the senses to life. You climb into soft luxurious bedding topped with a faux fur throw blanket at the end of a hard day of viewing art, strolling, and dining.

Comfortable bed in Normandy Bed and Breakfast Rosebud, Honfleur, Frace

Faux fur and soft sheets call to you after a day of viewing art, dining, and strolling

French breakfast at Rosebud is heavenly.

Breakfast is delightful. Fresh juice, pastries, croissants, jams, yogurt, and fruit delivered as you sit down. Madame will ask you your tea or cafe preference, and if you would like meats or cheese, and wait for it… if you would like, and more importantly, how you would like, your eggs cooked! In France! At a Normandy bed and breakfast! Not for me, but for each his own.

There is a small covered garage for parking diagonally across the street. We parked our motorcycle right in the garden behind the home. Madame Barberi-Le Cesne Françoise is charming, and a stay at Bed and Breakfast Rosebud is how a stay in France should be–a feast for the senses.

Our BMW GS Moto parked in the Bed and Breakfast Rosebud’s back garden

Stay here for a few nights and linger. Full disclaimer – I have no affiliation with this b&b and receive no compensation for recommending you stay here. I just love the Bed, and Breakfast Rosebud want to share it with you.

We have been fortunate this trip. Until our arrival in Baška on Krk Island in Croatia earlier this week, we have not had any disappointing stays. This is because I am crazy at researching where we are going to stay. I read reviews… then I read other reviews by the reviewers to establish if I can trust their reviews… then reviews of the reviewers… and on it goes.

"Dutch" style door in poor accommodation on Krk Island with broken lock on the louvers enabling people outside to open the top half of the door!

Baška – broken lock means people outside can open the top half of the door

It can become debilitating, and I fall down the rabbit hole of the internet. Then Daryl steps in and says “Jes, sometimes good is good enough.” Then I usually pick something.

This week’s place was a little different. Listed on Airbnb.com, it does not have many reviews (though all of them are 5s), or many photos, but seemed genuine, yet somehow I picked a dud. A little worse than a dud. Bad enough that we said we don’t care what it costs (eek!), we will find somewhere else to stay while on Krk!

So, here are the tips I follow:

1. Be a realist when it comes to price

If you are traveling to many locations, take your overall budget and be flexible in different areas. Maybe staying in Monte Carlo isn’t in your budget. That’s ok, stop there for the day.
As in everything, it is all about location and purpose. If you want to be a step from the beach or in the heart of town be prepared to pay.
Lots of amenities cost money but weigh what they cost you in time. Having a washing machine in your place may be more, but the time saved in finding one and sitting around while your undies are on spin cycle is worth something.
If the price seems so great it can’t be true it probably isn’t! 4 & 5-star accommodation may be out of your price range, but look at what they have to offer in your destination and if a 3 star has the same amenities but 1/3 the price, think again!

2. Look at photos of beds

Does the bed look super plush or flat and hard? If the picture has a sink hole in the bed, you can bet it has not been replaced in ages. You can also bet everything else in the place is in similar condition. If you like sleeping in old beds filled with decades of other peoples rotting body secretions, be my guest. Otherwise, pay a few bucks more for a room with a comfortable looking bed.
Heritage Hotel Forza Baška saved the day with this fabulous room in their new boutique hotel.

3. Look at photos of the bathroom; in particular the shower

The bathroom can say a lot about the cleanliness and upkeep of the space as a whole. I am not saying look at the style of the tile or the color. Who cares if the tile is old or salmon colored unless designer space fits your needs (see below).
Clean is king. If the grout looks moldy and gross, it probably is.

4. Cross-reference with sites like TripAdvisor or Google reviews

I like to see the ‘user’ photos because you get a ‘real’ photo of the space, but I always take the reviews for what they are. I rarely go by what they say unless there tons all saying the same thing. If a bunch of reviews screams out bed bugs, then maybe it’s better to be safe than sorry.

5. Decide what type of accommodation fits your needs

We have a pretty hard rule; if we are staying for three nights or less, we like a hotel. If we are staying for three nights or more, we seek out an apartment (or self-catering as they call it in Europe).
Do you want a location you can walk around, or do you need transportation? For example, when in a heat wave, rainy weather, or an area with a ton of concentrated sightseeing, we want a central location so we can park and forget our moto until we leave.

6. Make a list of what you “NEED” and what you just “WANT”

Since we are traveling on a motorcycle space is limited and we each only have three outfits. For stays more than three nights we NEED a washing machine or access to one.
Wifi is essential for us, but only a need if we will be somewhere for more than four days and plan to write or research. If we are looking for just a shower and crash place to sight-see around the clock, neither of these things matter to us.
If we will be somewhere that is expensive to dine out, or for more than a few days I NEED a well-equipped kitchen. I love to cook and am not going to part up a whole chicken using a pairing knife.
Do you want a “crash-pad” or designer space? For me, if I will be spending time in the space writing or re-grouping, I want a beautifully designed space. If we are just showering and hitting the bed, then style does not matter – only comfort and cleanliness.

7. Decide if you want interaction or privacy

B & B’s tend to be best if you want host interaction.
Hotels are best if you want privacy.
Self-catering at times can provide a little of both.
With Airbnb listings you can gauge the amount of interaction by the host’s profile, reviews, or bits of info in the listing such as “all outside spaces on the property are available for the guests to use” which usually means you are welcome to use their spaces, and they will be using them as well. We vary with what we look for; sometimes privacy, other times we want to be very interactive.

8. Finally, have faith in your ability to choose but always have a contingency budget

We have pretty much strictly used Airbnb.com and Booking.com on our moto trip and have been very satisfied. When our Airbnb place was not up to snuff this week, Airbnb had my back. I emailed them, told them what was listed, and not in the unit, had photos to back up my statements, and with a few hours I was emailed I would receive a refund.
Only people that have stayed at the accommodations can review on Booking.com, and all of our stays booked through them thus far have been accurate.
When using Airbnb, have faith in the hosts. Most of them host because they love to travel themselves or enjoy meeting new people.
We always have a safety budget for if the unthinkable happens, like it did this week!

Normandy Bed and Breakfast Rosebud in Honfleur