Domaine des Etangs, France
Jun 11, 2022, 3:08 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: The road less traveled
Programs: UA Gold MM, AA EXP, Delta Platinum, Marriott Titanium, HHonors Diamond, Natl EE, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 5,118
Domaine des Etangs, France
Review: Domaine des Etangs
SLH, Cat 8 (at time of this stay)
TL;DR: 7/10. Beautiful property of which the owner’s pride stands out unequivocally, with fun activities and food, while a few “misses” on service and maintenance/quality and nickel-and-dime “misses” that, if resolved, would make it an easy 10/10.
My friends and I had a stay here in April and since I hadn’t seen a review here yet, thought I would share it. For reference, we ended up booking with credit card points so we could book one of their self-catering cottages, as the Hyatt program books, at most, into a Prestige Room (45k Hyatt points/night) and we were able to book a full cottage for around 90k credit card points/night.
Arrival & Check-In
Part of the real charm of this place is that it is quite literally in the middle of no where. What might be considered a city is at least 45 minutes away (Angouleme or Poitiers). And the little town of Massignac barely has a stop sign, let alone a meaningful roundabout. (I did spot a boulangerie, however, thank the French.) Herein is our first regret for the trip: not stopping for groceries. In fairness, we didn’t know our cottage would be so well equipped. By the time we were tucked in, the prospect of driving 45 minutes each way to cook our own meals felt foolish.
Arriving at the property is indeed stunning. The main home, a chateau really, is beautifully kept and modernized in all the right, tasteful ways. Immediately as we parked and walked across its little bridge, we began to notice the large modern art installations, which at once seem compellingly out of place and yet so intentionally respectful of the Domaine’s geography. The check-in was warm and efficient, with a well-informed and unhurried tour of the main building and grounds that followed.
As we were staying at one of the cottages, the agent asked us to follow her in a little electric Citroen C-Zero with our car and baggage. We zipped through the beautiful terrain, dotted with lakes and green pastures and woodland, on a small paved road. It took 5-7 minutes to reach our cottage. She helped us unload our luggage and gave us a tour, including a small welcome gift waiting in the living room, as well as a bowl of fruit and homemade butter cookies (well, not something I could ever make at home, anyway!). We exchanged keys for the small electric car — more on this later — bid farewell as she drove away our car and unpacked.
Room (Cottage)
The website is rather artistic and skimps a bit on photos, unfortunately, particularly for our cottage, the Centaure. I was encouraged that it was much bigger and more comfortable than the pictures made it look with a great room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom with en-suite on the main floor. Decor was tasteful, comfortable and simple. Again, I appreciated the art throughout that made it feel like a home. The chairs, tables and couches were excellent and I even loved the large tic tac toe board in the living room that got more use during our stay than I’d care to admit. The interior designers did a spectacular job retaining the old charm of the cottage — such as the original stone sink at the entry way that drained through a hole in the wall — while modernizing it at least to the last 20 years or so. For example, we did get a kick out of the four walls of mirrors in the master bedroom shower. (Water pressure was excellent.)
Speaking of the master bedroom, upstairs was another sitting area (although without any window coverings) and the main bedroom and en-suite bathroom with a shower and a tub. Amenities were from Sothys — a niche Parisian beauty institute that focuses on materials that prevent aging. They were fine if not inmemorable. The piece de resistance was the bed itself. Heavenly. It cocooned me to sleep every night, although we did get bit hot upstairs as, yes, sadly despite being a 5-star hotel, there was no air conditioning. (And the French appear to not have discovered the miracles of screens on windows to prevent mosquito invasions, so open windows was not an option.) I do have to say, adding an A/C wall unit would be highly advisable for such a classy property, even if such a request is so classically American to make. Comfort!
Despite a few stray bugs and spiders, I was also grateful that they did an excellent job keeping the outside out, if that makes sense. The cottage was clearly in nature and that was its charm, but it was a warm, welcoming and clean place to call home for a few days, and that was its comfort.
Service
Generally everyone we encountered was more than polite and direct. There was the occasional passive aggressive service that one unfortunately encounters in France from time to time — such as the housekeeper who let herself in right as my wife stepped into the shower and very faintly rolled her eyes and sighed when I asked her to return in 30 minutes. Or the unimpressed look and “Oui?” as we tromped in for breakfast one day. (Uh, why else would we be there?) Or, on multiple occasions, walking in to the reception to find no one there, with no one from the restaurant or other staff around offering to help or calling for support, while standing around for 10-15 minutes. Otherwise the team at the Domaine was great, helping us with life jackets for the row boat or tracking down a pump for the bicycle tire.
We ordered room service to the cottage one night and it arrived just 5 min after the anticipated time. The food was well temperatured, and beautifully set on the table. Speaking of room service, here is an odd point: Until we left, I never saw a telephone to call the front desk (it was actually hidden in a corner in the upstairs sitting room). So it was quite confusing as to how to order room service at all. Likewise, the Wi-Fi code was no where to be seen (and cell service was spotty owing to the thick walls), so I ended up stepping outside and just dialing the hotel’s phone number to ask for the Wi-Fi code. Not a huge issue, of course, but seems like a missed opportunity. Then the QR code for in room dining menu didn’t work, and therefore lacking any other options, I just got into the electric car and drove myself to the reception, had them print the menu and placed my meal order in person. Super odd to have to do this.
Meals
A “breakfast basket” was said to be included with the cottage. A romantic idea rather miserly executed by a 5-star hotel for a $1,000+ room. I was excited as the in-room dining menu described it as a basket of bread and patisseries with jam, butter and honey. What showed up in the morning was just a basket of 4 croissants and 4 pain au chocolat. Of course, they were delicious. But we never saw aforementioned bread, jam, butter or honey. Those croissants would have been good with jam. Thankfully a serious coffee machine awaited us in the kitchen which, almost, made up for the lack of jam. No milk/cream, of course (doh!), but thankfully that was the one item we HAD actually brought with us to stick in the fridge.
We took breakfast at the main restaurant a few days (which was a meaningful upcharge) and the buffet was small but of high quality. Only cold items — breads, pastries, cold cuts, cheese, cakes, milks, yogurts and juices. Any hot items like eggs or sausages were another upcharge for all guests. Like the “breakfast basket” this felt overly nickel-and-diming to me for a hotel of this standing. How much would it cost then for a couple eggs? €0.25?
Dinner at the main restaurant was not an every night kind of affordable but suitably priced for the quality. The food was divine and we enjoyed the menu with the wine pairing tremendously. It was warm enough to sit outside and we laughed and talked through the evening, which only added to the enjoyment.
Main Hotel
We never saw a bedroom in the main hotel, but the public spaces were fantastic. I personally enjoyed the grand pianos in the sitting room. And our friends spent hours in the library browsing architecture and design books on a rainy day. While we never used it, there is an enormous playroom in the eaves of the attic that has been beautifully created for kids (or kids at heart) with all manner of games. And even a telescope. Magnificent concept well executed!
The gardens behind the chateau were lush and manicured enough to have that tamed-wild look that is oh so chic. You could even order “room service” from the courtyard and be served a meal in the garden. At the far end was more art and a small prayer chapel.
Fitness Center
The fitness center is in a converted greenhouse, which I believe was air conditioned. It was, like the buffet at breakfast, small but of high quality, with a very limited selection of modern Technogym equipment — a treadmill, an elliptical, etc. — and some free weights.
Activities
This is undoubtedly another area where this hotel shines, albeit one where just that little extra effort would truly make it a 5-star experience. There were bikes free for guests to enjoy, even with helmets for kids and a baby seat to attach. On the large lake there was a (single) boat, again free for use, that was great fun to row around. And many trails and paths extended around the property explore. I mentioned the kids playroom in the main chateau already, but don’t forget an even better outdoor playground with a zip line, climbing structures you’ve never seen before and a gigantic garden chess set. Further down is the outdoor pool — the weather was not great for us to ever use it, sadly — and a “floating” tennis court.
One suggestion to the property would be to maintain the bicycles. They were mostly all rusty and creaky with brakes that worked, but barely. (I nearly crashed into a fence myself as I careened down a hill unable to come to a stop with the dodgy brakes.) Clearly well used, but also not well cared for — as I’m sure just left out in the rain and so on. There were also just few enough of them that if one or two parties swooped in, you’d have to wait your turn. (We did spot a few bikes parked at some of the cottages, so in some cases “your turn” may never come.) As for the boat, it had also seen better days, and there was just one. On just one lake. We’d have loved to explore the other lakes as well.
The hotel also had an indoor health spa area with a modest size swimming pool and other amenities. We never went but it looked lovely walking past.
Other Thoughts
Each cottage has exclusive use of a little Citroen C-Zero to zip around. I applaud the romantic idea — electric vehicles not disturbing the beauty of nature ferrying guests to and from their lovely cottages — but it honestly detracted from the quality of our stay. “Oh! I left something in the car,” said my wife a few hours after we arrived. Well, there goes at least an hour of my vacation, driving back to the reception, trying to find someone to talk to, them hunting down my keys, me walking to the — not close — parking lot, getting said item, coming back to return the keys and not finding anyone to have to hunt them down again, etc. etc. Why can’t guests just park at their cottage!? And the Citroen C-Zero itself had seen better days with a musty smell, uncomfortable seats, and flimsy doors. It definitely did not feel 5-star class. The romantic novelty wore off quickly.
I really loved the life sized modern art sprinkled about the property. It was respectful and enhanced the beauty of the place. It reminded you that you were not just in the middle of no where, but somewhere special, where someone cared to be thoughtful and intentional. They also had seasonal art shows in one of the buildings, which just reinforced a sense of culture. I’d never seen this kind of care for art in a property like this and it was impressive. Especially since we were in the middle of nowhere.
In Closing
We truly enjoyed the property itself and would return easily. In many ways it was a contrast of a 5-star hotel: the beautiful art, well kept grounds, creative food, restored buildings all spoke of a intentional presence to create a sense of place … contrasted with the poor details perhaps the owner never interacts with herself like rusty bicycles, musty electric cars, limited staffing making long wait times, lack of A/C, and nickel-and-dining at breakfast. The good news is, these are very, very easy things to fix as they definitely have got all the “hard stuff” just exactly right. You likely won’t ever “be in the neighborhood” to stop by the Domaine des Etangs, but I do recommend you consider it on a future itinerary through France.
[Photos in next post]
SLH, Cat 8 (at time of this stay)
TL;DR: 7/10. Beautiful property of which the owner’s pride stands out unequivocally, with fun activities and food, while a few “misses” on service and maintenance/quality and nickel-and-dime “misses” that, if resolved, would make it an easy 10/10.
My friends and I had a stay here in April and since I hadn’t seen a review here yet, thought I would share it. For reference, we ended up booking with credit card points so we could book one of their self-catering cottages, as the Hyatt program books, at most, into a Prestige Room (45k Hyatt points/night) and we were able to book a full cottage for around 90k credit card points/night.
Arrival & Check-In
Part of the real charm of this place is that it is quite literally in the middle of no where. What might be considered a city is at least 45 minutes away (Angouleme or Poitiers). And the little town of Massignac barely has a stop sign, let alone a meaningful roundabout. (I did spot a boulangerie, however, thank the French.) Herein is our first regret for the trip: not stopping for groceries. In fairness, we didn’t know our cottage would be so well equipped. By the time we were tucked in, the prospect of driving 45 minutes each way to cook our own meals felt foolish.
Arriving at the property is indeed stunning. The main home, a chateau really, is beautifully kept and modernized in all the right, tasteful ways. Immediately as we parked and walked across its little bridge, we began to notice the large modern art installations, which at once seem compellingly out of place and yet so intentionally respectful of the Domaine’s geography. The check-in was warm and efficient, with a well-informed and unhurried tour of the main building and grounds that followed.
As we were staying at one of the cottages, the agent asked us to follow her in a little electric Citroen C-Zero with our car and baggage. We zipped through the beautiful terrain, dotted with lakes and green pastures and woodland, on a small paved road. It took 5-7 minutes to reach our cottage. She helped us unload our luggage and gave us a tour, including a small welcome gift waiting in the living room, as well as a bowl of fruit and homemade butter cookies (well, not something I could ever make at home, anyway!). We exchanged keys for the small electric car — more on this later — bid farewell as she drove away our car and unpacked.
Room (Cottage)
The website is rather artistic and skimps a bit on photos, unfortunately, particularly for our cottage, the Centaure. I was encouraged that it was much bigger and more comfortable than the pictures made it look with a great room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom with en-suite on the main floor. Decor was tasteful, comfortable and simple. Again, I appreciated the art throughout that made it feel like a home. The chairs, tables and couches were excellent and I even loved the large tic tac toe board in the living room that got more use during our stay than I’d care to admit. The interior designers did a spectacular job retaining the old charm of the cottage — such as the original stone sink at the entry way that drained through a hole in the wall — while modernizing it at least to the last 20 years or so. For example, we did get a kick out of the four walls of mirrors in the master bedroom shower. (Water pressure was excellent.)
Speaking of the master bedroom, upstairs was another sitting area (although without any window coverings) and the main bedroom and en-suite bathroom with a shower and a tub. Amenities were from Sothys — a niche Parisian beauty institute that focuses on materials that prevent aging. They were fine if not inmemorable. The piece de resistance was the bed itself. Heavenly. It cocooned me to sleep every night, although we did get bit hot upstairs as, yes, sadly despite being a 5-star hotel, there was no air conditioning. (And the French appear to not have discovered the miracles of screens on windows to prevent mosquito invasions, so open windows was not an option.) I do have to say, adding an A/C wall unit would be highly advisable for such a classy property, even if such a request is so classically American to make. Comfort!
Despite a few stray bugs and spiders, I was also grateful that they did an excellent job keeping the outside out, if that makes sense. The cottage was clearly in nature and that was its charm, but it was a warm, welcoming and clean place to call home for a few days, and that was its comfort.
Service
Generally everyone we encountered was more than polite and direct. There was the occasional passive aggressive service that one unfortunately encounters in France from time to time — such as the housekeeper who let herself in right as my wife stepped into the shower and very faintly rolled her eyes and sighed when I asked her to return in 30 minutes. Or the unimpressed look and “Oui?” as we tromped in for breakfast one day. (Uh, why else would we be there?) Or, on multiple occasions, walking in to the reception to find no one there, with no one from the restaurant or other staff around offering to help or calling for support, while standing around for 10-15 minutes. Otherwise the team at the Domaine was great, helping us with life jackets for the row boat or tracking down a pump for the bicycle tire.
We ordered room service to the cottage one night and it arrived just 5 min after the anticipated time. The food was well temperatured, and beautifully set on the table. Speaking of room service, here is an odd point: Until we left, I never saw a telephone to call the front desk (it was actually hidden in a corner in the upstairs sitting room). So it was quite confusing as to how to order room service at all. Likewise, the Wi-Fi code was no where to be seen (and cell service was spotty owing to the thick walls), so I ended up stepping outside and just dialing the hotel’s phone number to ask for the Wi-Fi code. Not a huge issue, of course, but seems like a missed opportunity. Then the QR code for in room dining menu didn’t work, and therefore lacking any other options, I just got into the electric car and drove myself to the reception, had them print the menu and placed my meal order in person. Super odd to have to do this.
Meals
A “breakfast basket” was said to be included with the cottage. A romantic idea rather miserly executed by a 5-star hotel for a $1,000+ room. I was excited as the in-room dining menu described it as a basket of bread and patisseries with jam, butter and honey. What showed up in the morning was just a basket of 4 croissants and 4 pain au chocolat. Of course, they were delicious. But we never saw aforementioned bread, jam, butter or honey. Those croissants would have been good with jam. Thankfully a serious coffee machine awaited us in the kitchen which, almost, made up for the lack of jam. No milk/cream, of course (doh!), but thankfully that was the one item we HAD actually brought with us to stick in the fridge.
We took breakfast at the main restaurant a few days (which was a meaningful upcharge) and the buffet was small but of high quality. Only cold items — breads, pastries, cold cuts, cheese, cakes, milks, yogurts and juices. Any hot items like eggs or sausages were another upcharge for all guests. Like the “breakfast basket” this felt overly nickel-and-diming to me for a hotel of this standing. How much would it cost then for a couple eggs? €0.25?
Dinner at the main restaurant was not an every night kind of affordable but suitably priced for the quality. The food was divine and we enjoyed the menu with the wine pairing tremendously. It was warm enough to sit outside and we laughed and talked through the evening, which only added to the enjoyment.
Main Hotel
We never saw a bedroom in the main hotel, but the public spaces were fantastic. I personally enjoyed the grand pianos in the sitting room. And our friends spent hours in the library browsing architecture and design books on a rainy day. While we never used it, there is an enormous playroom in the eaves of the attic that has been beautifully created for kids (or kids at heart) with all manner of games. And even a telescope. Magnificent concept well executed!
The gardens behind the chateau were lush and manicured enough to have that tamed-wild look that is oh so chic. You could even order “room service” from the courtyard and be served a meal in the garden. At the far end was more art and a small prayer chapel.
Fitness Center
The fitness center is in a converted greenhouse, which I believe was air conditioned. It was, like the buffet at breakfast, small but of high quality, with a very limited selection of modern Technogym equipment — a treadmill, an elliptical, etc. — and some free weights.
Activities
This is undoubtedly another area where this hotel shines, albeit one where just that little extra effort would truly make it a 5-star experience. There were bikes free for guests to enjoy, even with helmets for kids and a baby seat to attach. On the large lake there was a (single) boat, again free for use, that was great fun to row around. And many trails and paths extended around the property explore. I mentioned the kids playroom in the main chateau already, but don’t forget an even better outdoor playground with a zip line, climbing structures you’ve never seen before and a gigantic garden chess set. Further down is the outdoor pool — the weather was not great for us to ever use it, sadly — and a “floating” tennis court.
One suggestion to the property would be to maintain the bicycles. They were mostly all rusty and creaky with brakes that worked, but barely. (I nearly crashed into a fence myself as I careened down a hill unable to come to a stop with the dodgy brakes.) Clearly well used, but also not well cared for — as I’m sure just left out in the rain and so on. There were also just few enough of them that if one or two parties swooped in, you’d have to wait your turn. (We did spot a few bikes parked at some of the cottages, so in some cases “your turn” may never come.) As for the boat, it had also seen better days, and there was just one. On just one lake. We’d have loved to explore the other lakes as well.
The hotel also had an indoor health spa area with a modest size swimming pool and other amenities. We never went but it looked lovely walking past.
Other Thoughts
Each cottage has exclusive use of a little Citroen C-Zero to zip around. I applaud the romantic idea — electric vehicles not disturbing the beauty of nature ferrying guests to and from their lovely cottages — but it honestly detracted from the quality of our stay. “Oh! I left something in the car,” said my wife a few hours after we arrived. Well, there goes at least an hour of my vacation, driving back to the reception, trying to find someone to talk to, them hunting down my keys, me walking to the — not close — parking lot, getting said item, coming back to return the keys and not finding anyone to have to hunt them down again, etc. etc. Why can’t guests just park at their cottage!? And the Citroen C-Zero itself had seen better days with a musty smell, uncomfortable seats, and flimsy doors. It definitely did not feel 5-star class. The romantic novelty wore off quickly.
I really loved the life sized modern art sprinkled about the property. It was respectful and enhanced the beauty of the place. It reminded you that you were not just in the middle of no where, but somewhere special, where someone cared to be thoughtful and intentional. They also had seasonal art shows in one of the buildings, which just reinforced a sense of culture. I’d never seen this kind of care for art in a property like this and it was impressive. Especially since we were in the middle of nowhere.
In Closing
We truly enjoyed the property itself and would return easily. In many ways it was a contrast of a 5-star hotel: the beautiful art, well kept grounds, creative food, restored buildings all spoke of a intentional presence to create a sense of place … contrasted with the poor details perhaps the owner never interacts with herself like rusty bicycles, musty electric cars, limited staffing making long wait times, lack of A/C, and nickel-and-dining at breakfast. The good news is, these are very, very easy things to fix as they definitely have got all the “hard stuff” just exactly right. You likely won’t ever “be in the neighborhood” to stop by the Domaine des Etangs, but I do recommend you consider it on a future itinerary through France.
[Photos in next post]
Last edited by JohnnyP; Jun 11, 2022 at 3:27 pm
Jun 11, 2022, 3:24 pm
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: The road less traveled
Programs: UA Gold MM, AA EXP, Delta Platinum, Marriott Titanium, HHonors Diamond, Natl EE, Hertz Platinum
Posts: 5,118
We
Arriving at the Domaine des Etangs
Domaine des Etangs: Main hotel up close and personal
The landscape, dotted with life size art.
Other historic cottages dot the landscape at the Domaine des Etangs.
Up some stairs to the main entrance to our cottage, the Centaure, at the Domaine des Etangs.
Main sitting room at the Centaure cottage at Domaine des Etangs.
Table and chairs in the main sitting area at the Domaine des Etangs’ Centaure cottage.
Self catering kitchen, a bit dark, down some stairs in the Centaure cottage at the Domaine des Etangs.
Art in the Centaure cottage at Domaine des Etangs made it feel like home.
Basic but comfortable: guest suite on main floor of the Centaure cottage at Domaine des Etangs.
Basic but comfortable: En suite shower room and toilet for main floor guest suite at the Centaure cottage at Domaine des Etangs.
Upstairs master suite — watch your head for those low beams! — with a bed of your dreams.
Small but functional main upstairs suite bathroom with small shower and claw foot tub (out of photo) at the Centaure cottage at Domaine des Etangs.
Room service dinner at the Domaine des Etangs. The menu was limited but food was excellent.
Cleaning up breakfast at Domaine des Etangs in the restaurant with a small but high quality buffet.
Arriving at the Domaine des Etangs
Domaine des Etangs: Main hotel up close and personal
The landscape, dotted with life size art.
Other historic cottages dot the landscape at the Domaine des Etangs.
Up some stairs to the main entrance to our cottage, the Centaure, at the Domaine des Etangs.
Main sitting room at the Centaure cottage at Domaine des Etangs.
Table and chairs in the main sitting area at the Domaine des Etangs’ Centaure cottage.
Self catering kitchen, a bit dark, down some stairs in the Centaure cottage at the Domaine des Etangs.
Art in the Centaure cottage at Domaine des Etangs made it feel like home.
Basic but comfortable: guest suite on main floor of the Centaure cottage at Domaine des Etangs.
Basic but comfortable: En suite shower room and toilet for main floor guest suite at the Centaure cottage at Domaine des Etangs.
Upstairs master suite — watch your head for those low beams! — with a bed of your dreams.
Small but functional main upstairs suite bathroom with small shower and claw foot tub (out of photo) at the Centaure cottage at Domaine des Etangs.
Room service dinner at the Domaine des Etangs. The menu was limited but food was excellent.
Cleaning up breakfast at Domaine des Etangs in the restaurant with a small but high quality buffet.
