Hotel Chais Monnet & Spa – 5*

REGION : Cognac – Charente
ATMOSPHERE : City
STYLE : Architectural gem
CATEGORY : 5*
ROOMS : 92 rooms

At the root of something special

Do you like to get off the beaten path? Are you dreaming of finding an uncommon destination with lots to reveal? A rare place whose every detail has been carefully looked after? Welcome to Charente, a small piece of France nestled between the vineyards of Bordeaux and the Loire Valley, where you’ll discover the Hotel Chais Monnet.

NESTLED IN THE CITY CENTER OF COGNAC, the namesake of wine brandy and the French heartland of “spiritourism,” this experience is meant to be savored. When you’re here, there is no need to rush. Time is distilled slowly, masterfully, and with intention. Let yourself be won over by the invisible, the angels’ share, and the dreamy tastes of its owner, the Anglo-Iranian businessman Javad Marandi. Step into the true value of the renaissance of this former wilderness, classified as French Industrial Heritage site.

SPECTACULAR, the 5* HOTEL, LABELLED LEADING HOTELS OF THE WORLD, is made up of several historic buildings, former wine cellars and warehouses linked together by the architect Didier Poignant. The stones, beams and frameworks of the 19th century are confronted with the perspectives of a contemporary glass extension, clad on the façade with wonderful steel “vine stocks.”

INSIDE, THE 92 CHARMING BEDROOMS AND SUITES, including the fabulous (170 m2) Jean Gabriel Monnet suite, founder of the house and father of Jean Monnet, the “father” of the European Union, reveal a traditional-chic color palette, between beige and brown. All the shades of cognac (light wood, tobacco, blond, red, amber, golden…) are expressed in a flow of intimate settings combining refined prints, textiles with different textures, bronze sculptures, brass lamps, engravings and armchairs.

A change of atmosphere, and also a change of scale, at the foot of the cathedral cellar’s gigantic century-old barrels, home of the gastronomic restaurant Les Foudres and its starred chef, Marc-Antoine Lepage. Don’t miss the cozy brasserie La Distillerie, which brilliantly multiplies references to the past, the L-shaped indoor/outdoor swimming pool, which is almost always met with a “wow,” the jazz bar known as Le 1838, the contemporary spa (with Codage or Kos treatments) and the hotel’s superb panoramic rooftop – a perfect place for those who like to see the world in a big way.

To do

• Relax at the spa with treatments for the whole family, including children
• Fitness, sauna, hammam, jacuzzi
• Laps in the indoor/outdoor pool
• Dine at the brasserie, La Distillerie, or taste the gastronomic menu in the cathedral cellar of the restaurant Les Foudres de Marc-Antoine Lepage (1*)
• Tea-time at the Angélique Café tearoom
• Cognac tasting (400 references à la carte) in the Chesterfield sofas of the Jazz bar, Le 1838
• Cocktail with a view on the panoramic rooftop
• Kids club on weekends

The surrounding area

• Spiritourism to discover the surrounding cognac houses (Martell and its company foundation; Camus, labeled a Living Heritage Company; Hennessy, founded in 1715, Rémy Martin, Meukow, Baron Otard…)
• Visits of Cognac, its medieval streets and the birth place of François I
• Historical walks in Saintes (the amphitheater, Germanicus arch, Sainte-Eutrope church, Ladies’ abbey and Fontdouce abbey) then in Royan for its Belle Époque villas
• Food tours to discover the caviar made in Charente of Gensac La Pallue, Pinault des Charentes vinegar by the Fleuriet canning factory or Verrières truffles.
• Rides or rallies in 2CV in the vineyards (cognac and pineau des Charentes, Bordeaux, Loire Valley…)
• Play the Cognac golf course (18 holes, 6 holes, practice, putting greens)
• A salty-aired outing on the Ile de Ré (forests, bicycle paths, salt marshes, historical remains, picturesque villages…)
• Hot air balloon rides
• Parachute jumping
• Road-trips in a luxury or vintage car to cruise around Angoulême and Cognac