Family Encyclopedia >> Travel

Favorite hotel:the Topping Rose House, in the Hamptons

Where is it exactly ? In Bridgehampton, on the south coast of Long Island, two hours from New York by Jitney bus, a little more by train... And 30 minutes by helicopter from Manhattan!

Why do we love? Because unless you own a property in the Hamptons (or know friends who have one...), it's hard to stay in the most chic seaside resort in the United States:hotels are rather rare in the area. Former historic house restored to the same, to which we added a more modern extension, the Topping Rose House manages to make us believe that we are at home here... and better!

What do we do here ? We laze around the superb heated swimming pool... or we borrow the bicycles made available to the guests to pedal straight on the sea along Ocean Road, a boulevard lined with XXL villas that are a little sleepy out of season (that is to say in outside the period from Memorial Day in June to Labor Day in September). We leave the bikes on the beach and walk barefoot, nose to the wind. Apart from a few rare walkers and a pick-up parked at the edge of the waves, we are rather quiet. Want to explore the surroundings? We reserve one of the Lexus from the hotel to visit the Parrish Art Museum in Water Mill, shopper chic (Ralph Lauren, J. Crew…) in East Hampton or we push to Montauk to play cowgirl at Deep Hollow Ranch, the oldest ranch in the United States which was used for the filming of the series The Affair. We end up at the hotel's Naturopathica Spa for a very, very invigorating massage.

What do we eat there? Seasonal cuisine “from farm to table” or almost:all the fresh produce comes from the hotel’s organic vegetable garden or from surrounding farms. My cracks? The giant pancakes and the caramelized granola at breakfast, as well as the marshmallows grilled over a wood fire served with the chef's speculoos the evening of my arrival.

Let's go ! Paris-New York with La Compagnie, in a 100% business class Boeing with only 76 seats.