Travel Agent - July 7, 2008 - (Page 18)

DESTINATIONS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 16 at the nearby Omaha Beach Golf Course, one of the best in Normandy. Contact Aurélie, Martina or Becky on the reception team (reservation@lacheneviere.fr, 011-33-023151-2525) to arrange personalized tours for your clients with professional, Englishspeaking guides. In addition to excursions to Mont St-Michel and the D-Day landing beaches, the reception team can organize airport transfers, yachting and kayaking, horseback riding, hot-air balloon rides and tours of local cider breweries. At the Chenevière’s restaurant, Chef Didier Robin changes his menu seasonally to highlight the best local products like the famous red-label scallops from Port-en-Bessin. Vegetables are plucked from the Chef’s Garden on the hotel grounds. Ten minutes away in the town of Bayeux— famous for its 11th-century tapestry depicting William the Conqueror’s invasion of England —the Lion d’Or (www.liondor-bayeux.fr) presents a more affordable, three-star option. In close proximity to the D-Day beachheads, this picturesque hotel offers 28 rooms priced from $140. The building itself dates from 1734, and the Lion d’Or retains the air of an Old World inn. An elegant bedroom at Normandy-Barrière the Deluxe Seaview or Deluxe Seaview Suites categories, the most requested accommodations. Each of the 290 rooms (including 25 suites) is individually decorated, and the Deluxe Terrace category boasts spacious outdoor terraces ideal for the summer months. For families traveling together, the two-bedroom Family Suites (and Family Apartments) are perfect. Notably, more than 50 percent of the hotel’s rooms are connecting. Children are well-entertained at the Normandy-Barrière: There is a nursery onsite for children under four years old, the Diwi & Co. club for kids under the age of 12 (with activities and art workshops galore) and a club for adolescents. The Normandy-Barrière, managed by A room at L’Absinthe exudes rustic charm with its beamed ceilings, parquet floors, exposed stonework and cozy decor Down by the Sea Continue your clients’ Norman odyssey with a stay at the coastal port towns to the east. Deauville is the essence of chic, founded by the Duc de Normandy (Emperor Napoleon III’s half brother) in 1861. A seaside haven for well-heeled Parisian weekenders, Deauville was where Coco Chanel first opened a fashion boutique with her signature hats. On the beachside promenade, the rich and famous strut the boardwalk and Hollywood A-listers hang out during the American Film Festival in September. The place to stay is the legendary Normandy-Barrière (www.lucienbarriere. com), the landmark luxury hotel revamped by celebrity interior designer Jacques Garcia with sumptuous fabrics and furniture. Not as opulent as its sister hotel (the Royal-Barrière), the Normandy offers a heated swimming pool with a transparent roof opening to the sky, fitness center with a Turkish bath and saunas and complimentary bikes. The building itself is simply magical—with halftimbering painted green, fairytale turrets and a lovely courtyard. For the best views, choose 18 | TravelAgent July 7, 2008 Fabrice Moizan, is celebrated for its attentive service. The head concierge, a member of the Clés d’Or association, oversees a dedicated team that can arrange just about anything imaginable for your clients. A meal at La Belle Époque restaurant is not to be missed. Your clients can indulge in Chef André Plunian’s specialties—like Normandy sole in a soufflée stuffed with spinach and fruits de mer, duck tartare with foie gras and apple tart—in a grand dining room overlooking the courtyard filled with apple trees and wisteria. For a mid-priced alternative in the historic port town of Honfleur, book L’Absinthe Hotel (www.absinthe.fr), where room rates start at $178 per night. Housed in a 16th-century presbytery, the charming seven-room hotel is renowned for its restaurant, also called L’Absinthe, considered to be one of the best in Normandy. The hotel is owned by Antoine Ceffrey (011-33-02-3189-2323), and Madame Oliviera and Madame Ceffrey greet your clients at reception. Insiders tell us that the hotel will have an additional five guest rooms on the portside of the building in the coming months. Bathrooms are spacious with Jacuzzi baths, and the top-floor suite has a private living room with a sofa bed. Beamed ceilings, exposed stonework and parquet floors add to the historic ambiance in this three-star gem. Reserve tables at the restaurant as far in advance as possible. There are two dining rooms—one dating from the 15th century and the other from the 17th—and the seasonal menu features foie gras with caramelized apples, oysters, magnificent seafood platters, lobster and other mouthwatering items straight from the sea. Your clients can also grab a bite at the hotel’s simpler brasserie called Grenouille. I CONNECTING YOU For more information on taking a trip through France, visit www.travelagentcentral.com/Europe http://www.liondor-bayeux.fr http://www.absinthe.fr http://www.lucienbarriere.com http://www.lucienbarriere.com http://www.travelagentcentral.com/Europe

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Travel Agent - July 7, 2008 Online Now Contents Contributors From the Editor Europe: History and a Scenic Landscape Define Normandy Pacific/Asia: Kuala Lumpur Offers Luxury Shopping and Hotels Hawaii: Honolulu’s Nightlife is as Dazzling as its Sunshine Canada: VIA Rail Offers a New Way to Enjoy the Great North Las Vegas: Hotels and Casinos Away From the Strip Florida: Hilton Daytona Beach Offers Budget-Friendly Packages Central & South America: Panama is Poised to Become a Hot Destination Mexico: The ME Cancún Targets an Upscale Clientele Caribbean: Maxim Opens a New Resort in Puerto Plata The Latest News and Notes from Dominica Cruises: A CLIA Study Offers Good News About Cruising Cartagena and Santa Marta Offer Two Different Sides of Columbia Cover Story: Wendy Goodenow Industry In Crisis: A New Report Offers a Gloomy Forecast for the Airline Industry Hotels: Prince Edward Island Celebrates Anne of Green Gables EZGuider: Vacation.com Launches a New Platform Agenda: Fam Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar Opinion Consortia Can Be An Agent’s Best Friend MLT Expands Roles and Offerings Malaysia Continues Agent Push In the Spotlight Agent Access Classified Marketplace Editorial Index Advertising Index Trendwatch

Travel Agent - July 7, 2008

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