Mr & MRS Smith HÔTEL Chais Monnet

Lovel Hôtel this is how it should be done friendly staff Clean rooms are lovey style and cold air con Food is great good choice Two bars the rooftop one has great views and they sometimes have live music Ground floor rooms you get a lovely garden Staff are helpful and very friendly

This is a very special place in the heart of Cognac. You are walking distance to the main Cognac houses but you feel like you are in a very sophisticated resort. Everything is stunning, the gardens , the rooms, the spa & pool, the restaurant and the bar. It is a real gem! The service is impeccable and the activities offered by the hotel are fun such as the vintage car that you can take to have a picnic in the vineyards.

We spent a very enjoyable two night stay in this hotel, part of which used to be a distillery. Not knowing that the entrance was through an arch and down a long drive, it took us a couple of drives around the block to find it. There was lots of free parking, some of which was under cover and it was within walking distance of the centre of Cognac. The reception ares are light and airy, due to the large amount of glass used in the construction of the hotel. There are water features along each side of the paths connecting different parts of the building. The roof top bar had far reaching views over Cognac. The swimming pool was superb. I also enjoyed the rain shower experience with a simulation of rain forests, thunderstorms etc. Whilst we were there I had an enjoyable massage. The only slight criticism was that the breakfast was not explained to us, nor were we given a menu (there was a choice of either a la carte and buffet or a limited continental). We enjoyed the breakfast each morning but did find that it was a little expensive. Reception staff were delightful; we will be back next year!

Hotel Chais Monnet, Cognac Our Five Star, nine night, holiday stay at Hotel Chais Monnet in Cognac turned into a disaster when the hotel erroneously withdrew €2,277:65 from our bank account after we left. It was only when checking our bank account on our return to the UK that we noticed the £1956:50 + £58:50 bank transaction fee had been taken from our account. Our accommodation had all been pre-paid prior to our arrival and all bills including bar and food were paid for as we went along (other items totalling €112, including hotel transport, local taxes and a hotel Tote bag were all paid on departure) so we were due the hotel nothing. When contacting the hotel by phone and by email, staff were less than helpful and even an email to their Directeur General did not bring this matter to a conclusion, not even a direct reply. It was only after we contacted our bank card-holder (M&S) and almost a month later that some of the money was refunded but we are still out of pocket with the currency exchange rates not going in our favour, phone calls to the hotel and postage costs (recorded delivery) to our bank. This issue has been extremely time consuming and worrying for us and we note from Trip Advisor (6th November 2019) that we are not the first customer for this to happen to! As far as the actual hotel stay is concerned, we were surprised when we first arrived at the hotel that we were asked to put a deposit down of €2,700:00, which seemed excessive but we went ahead. We really enjoyed our visit to this outstanding hotel, the staff were, on the whole excellent, the room cleaning staff deserve a special mention. Our eating experience in the restaurant left a lot to be desired. The food was excellent - the service was terrible! We sat down at 7:35pm for dinner and the complimentary dish was served very quickly. We were not halfway through the complimentary dish when our starter was squeezed on to the table - then a long wait, a long, long wait. We finally got our main course at 9:25pm when we were about to cancel our order. When asked “Why the delay?”, the waiter answered “The kitchen is not working”. Following Trip Advisor reviews about poor breakfast service and the excessive cost of €35:00 per person we decided not to use this service. We have asked the hotel to supply details of where the erroneous figures came from, why were we not advised about these charges, why there is a delay in repayment and also to receive an apology with some compensation. To date we are still out of pocket. I suggest that if you have ever stayed at this hotel that you should look back at your bank account records to make sure everything is in order. Regards, Pamela Anne & George Wilson

I can not even sure where to begin in listing my praises for Chais Monnet. We just returned from a 3 week visit to France which included time in Cognac and Bordeaux. If only we could have spent all our time at Chais Monnet our trip would have been absolute heaven. The property itself is outstanding, modern and yet with a hint to preserving the past in a thoughtful and respectful way. Our room was beyond comfortable, the bed dreamy. i most appreciated the separate water closet with its own sink, a lovely and thoughtful arrangement. The entire property was spotless and attention to detail seemed to be projected at every corner. I am so surprised to see negative comments related to the staff because our experience was the exact opposite of that. Ellie in guest relations went above and beyond to prepare things for our visit, arranging special birthday celebrations for our traveling companion, making dinner recommendations and reservations, and leaving a personal note thanking us for staying. My only regret was I did not get to meet her in person to thank her, she was on holiday during our visit (well deserved Ellie). All the staff from the breakfast crew to the rooftop bar were friendly and amazingly eager to meet your requests. The bar staff was delightful and we enjoyed several evenings in the Jazz House and at the Rooftop bar enjoying cocktails and excellent and informative conversation. The Spa services were professional and spot on and pool, oh the glorious pool. We spent an entire day enjoying spa services and the pool with consistent but discreet food and bar service. I cannot find enough adjectives to adequately communicate our level of satisfaction. We felt welcomed, taken care of, and appreciated, no one was stuffy or overbearing. The five star designation is well deserved and in the future when I return to this area of France the only place I will consider staying is Chais Monnet. Travail bien fait!!! Merci beaucoup pour cette merveilleuse experience.