Hôtel Chais Monnet & Spa review: a picturesque paradise in Cognac

As a drink, cognac needs no introduction. As a destination, however, it hasn’t made quite such a name for itself. The small town, about an hour-and-a-half drive north of Bordeaux, sits in a prime location on the Charente river. It is picturesque, has a rich history, and is surrounded by vineyards. But somehow the tourism masses haven’t yet descended.

It might partly be due to the fact that the area – and the drink – seems to be more popular among the French than international tourists, or at least British ones. Almost half of all cognac produced is exported to the United States, where demand is much higher. In fact Jay-Z’s own brand keeps its bottles of D’ussé cognac smack bang in the centre of the town at the Chateau de Cognac.

But with a luxurious five-star hotel now also centrally located, complete with its own Michelin-starred restaurant, things might not be so quiet for long.

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Why come here?

In this small town, Hôtel Chais Monnet & Spa is a great destination in itself. The converted 19th century trading house is steeped in history, but also modern in the form of a glass pavilion that has been built in to create an architecturally fascinating building. Designed by architect Didier Poignant, who is well established in the French hotel industry, the property has 92 rooms and suites, but because of the different buildings and elements at play here, most of them feel fairly tucked away. In the original buildings, as much history has been kept as possible – think weighty wooden beams surrounding a cylindrical glass elevator.

The whole hotel is decorated in creamy, brown and golden tones to mimic the colour of cognac, which, aside from being a creative idea, makes for a very relaxing environment. The rooms themselves have lovely décor – simple yet luxurious, and very elegant.

The spa, while not massive, has everything you might want and is very peaceful and minimalist. There is a gorgeous L-shaped indoor-outdoor pool, a sauna, Jacuzzi and hammam. For a little unexpected treat, there’s also a “sensory shower”, which uses light sound and water jets to make you feel like you’re, for example, in the rainforest under a waterfall. There are five treatment rooms for facials and massages, and, I must say, the 30-minute massage I had was one of the best I’ve ever experienced.

Eating and drinking

Chais Monnet has two restaurants and a very special bar, Jazz Bar 1838, which has more than 300 varieties of cognac displayed and lit triumphantly on a balcony above the bar itself. Jazz Bar 1838 hosts live music and cocktail making classes, which I highly recommend, and are led by an absolute master of the art. There is also a rooftop bar open in the warmer months and a little café.

La Distillerie is the more casual dining restaurant where breakfast is also served – but don’t be fooled. The food is absolutely delicious, and the menu creative enough for guests to enjoy interesting and varied dinners each night. The lobster linguine was particularly memorable, as was the selection of showstopping desserts like the opera chocolate and coffee cake, and the tarte citron.

The real jewel at Chais Monnet is Les Foudres. Before we even get to the food, the one-Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant is so atmospheric and dramatic to enter, you can’t help but feel something very exciting is about to happen. Set in the property’s former ageing cellars, with sweeping high ceilings, the room referred to as “the cathedral” is framed by huge, lovingly restored 260 hectolitre barrels from the original site.

At Les Foudres, guests can choose a tasting menu of three, four or five courses. Chef Paolo Boscaro prepares outstanding seasonal fare inspired by the local Charente region, but with Mediterranean influences. We were blown away by the carabineiro shrimp as well as the black beef from Baltique, and lemon soufflé. Each dish, while you might think you recognise its name, is served up in a way and with flavours you might not quite recognise, and usually topped with various drizzles and sauces for an extra touch. The flavours were very intricately balanced, as were the wine pairings. Whether staying at Chais Monnet or not, Les Foudres should be on your list if you’re in the area.

Things to do

First things first – there’s a lot you can do with cognac in Cognac. We took tours of Hennessy and the Chateau de Cognac, but there are countless cognac houses in the area where you can look around and go for a tasting. The process of distilling, storing, and blending cognac is quite unique and there are a lot of memorable bits you can learn about it. At Hennessy, we were even treated to its new virtual reality experience – headsets and all – which walks you through the story of cognac and the brand’s founders in a totally unique way.

Aside from that, though, the town is really quite pretty, with a lovely food market and some dramatic views from the Charente river. You might not spend days walking around it, but you can certainly have a wonderful time relaxing at the hotel, visiting vineyards, neighbouring towns, and driving around the French countryside – perhaps even in one of the hotel’s vintage Citroen 2CVs.

Asya Likhtman was a guest of Hôtel Chais Monnet & Spa in Cognac. Nightly rates start from €220 per room, room only. Flights from London to Bordeaux or La Rochelle; chaismonnethotel.com