Hotel Chais Monnet & Spa
When you book Hotel Chais Monnet & Spa in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France, through our Virtuoso partnership, your stay includes daily full breakfast for up to two guests and a $100 USD food and beverage credit. You also receive a room upgrade, early check-in and late check-out when available. No premium credit card or membership needed: request a quote and our advisor books it at the same rate as booking direct.
Exclusive Booking Perks
These perks are included with your stay at the same rate as booking direct with the hotel.
- Upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
- Daily Full breakfast for up to two guests per bedroom, served in the restaurant
- $100 USD equivalent Food & Beverage credit to be utilized during stay (not combinable, not valid on room rate, no cash value if not redeemed in full)
- Stays of 4+ nights will also receive one complimentary 30-minute treatment, per person at Chais Monnet Spa, once per stay (no cash value if not used)
- Early Check-In / Late Check-Out, subject to availability
Guest feedback
9.6/10 from 56 guest reviews
Read what guests commentedBy category
Guests liked
- Stunning property
- Excellent staff (mostly)
Points to consider
- Rude staff interaction
Location
Cognac is a town built on slow work and patience. The air smells faintly sweet, tinged with evaporation from centuries of barrel-ageing in the riverside warehouses that line the Charente River. This is the heart of France's appellation-controlled cognac region, where Ugni blanc grapes (known here as Saint-Émilion) are twice-distilled in copper pot stills and aged in Limousin or Tronçais oak. The Saint-Martin quarter unfolds along quiet cobbled lanes punctuated by historic maisons de cognac, their stone facades darkened by decades of angels' share.
Within half a kilometre lies the Port de plaisance de Cognac, where pleasure boats idle along the glassy Charente. The town centre reveals itself through markets: Ruche Cognac at 700 metres, Marché de Saint-Jacques just beyond, where vendors sell regional produce and artisan cheeses. The Place du Champ de Foire, a fourteen-minute walk east, hosts a larger weekly gathering.
Cognac sits equidistant from two airports: La Rochelle Île de Ré at 86 kilometres and Bordeaux-Mérignac at 100. Both offer straightforward road connections through the vine-striped Charente and Charente-Maritime departments.
The hotel's on-site restaurant, Les Foudres, holds one Michelin star and occupies the room where century-old barrels once aged cognac. The intimate dining spaces showcase modern cuisine against a backdrop of exquisite contemporary silverware and fine glassware. Just under two kilometres away, Notes brings another Michelin star to a handsomely restored 19th-century townhouse with an elegant dining room. Book a table at La Ribaudière, eight kilometres distant on the banks of the Charente, where modern cuisine is served in a contemporary building opposite the château that houses the Grand Marnier distillery.
Beyond the table, the surrounding countryside opens into working distilleries. Giboin Cognac lies six kilometres out, while the Maison de la Grande Champagne and Domaine des Bergeronnettes offer tastings within fifteen kilometres. The Golf de Cognac sits seven kilometres away for those seeking the rolling greens of the Charente countryside. Further afield, the Jurisdiction of Saint-Emilion, a UNESCO site 90 kilometres east, preserves medieval viticultural heritage along the pilgrimage route to Santiago.
Summer arrives dry and warm, with July and August bringing temperatures into the mid-twenties and minimal rainfall. The light turns golden over the vineyards, and terraces fill with diners lingering into the long evenings.
Autumn sees the harvest: temperatures dip gradually from September's warmth into October's cooler air, and rain returns to the region. The streets smell of damp stone and fermenting grapes. Spring balances mild days with frequent showers, the countryside greening rapidly through March and April.
Winter settles gently, with temperatures hovering around ten degrees. December and January bring the heaviest rainfall, and mornings turn crisp and grey. The distilleries continue their work indoors, copper stills gleaming in the low winter light.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quotes are personally reviewed by Natasha Hardy, founder of The Uncommon Traveller
5.0 rating · 8 Google reviewsThere is no fee or markup. The hotel pays our commission.
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6 Bib Gourmand
