"My wife and I visited the Domaine for our honeymoon, and were blown away by how beautiful the venue is. Staff made the stay feel personal, and were very helpful throughout. The activities are the highlight - I would recommend the tour of the Potager, the farm tour (especially with Jean-Francois, who was fantastic!), and the cocktail class with Hugo (especially if Luca is playing the piano!). The spa was also fantastic for a couple's massage. The hotel arranged for a transfer from Angouleme on arrival, and to Limoges airport on departure, making the logistics seamless. We had originally booked to stay in Suite Lune, which is a striking and fantastic suite, but with the heatwave (close to 40 degrees C) the lack of proper AC was a problem (the portable unit was not sufficient). However, after one night the staff were understanding and helped to move us to Hiver instead, a beautiful suite in the old stables. I understand that the Domaine plans to install AC in the coming months which will be a big improvement, and will resolve what in my opinion is the only fault I could find with the hotel. All of the staff were fantastic, including the wait staff, pool staff, concierges, management and bartenders. If you are thinking of booking - you absolutely should! We are already planning our return visit for a future anniversary."

"We stayed in one of the houses on the property. We even got our own car to use while on the property. Food was very good and the castle and location is spectacular."

"Pros -The property is breathtaking. A beautifully restored 13th-century château set on 2,500 acres of meadows, forests, ponds, and pastures. The scenery is spectacular in every direction. -Morning coffee overlooking the ponds at our cottage is peak tranquility. -Horseback riding and tour of the farm with limousine cows were highlights of our experiences. The gentleman that gave the tours is a sixth-generation farmer of the land and was full of interesting knowledge. -The heated indoor pool was excellent for our kids. -My wife loved her spa treatment. Cons -Limited air conditioning. Only the bedrooms have A/C. The game room, library, living room in our cottage, and most common areas became uncomfortably hot in July. Even some fans would have helped make the spaces a lot more usable. -Dining was confusing and disappointing. Michelin-starred Dyades was closed during our stay and is only open on select days. The one day we ate lunch in the hotel restaurant was very slow service and the lasagne was so badly burned it was black on top. Breakfast was expensive for what you get. Very limited hot options and if you get there late in the breakfast window it’s pretty well picked over. We booked the in-cottage barbecue expecting a prepared meal. Instead, staff delivered raw meat and vegetables and told us to cook everything ourselves. This wasn't disclosed when booking. The staff member delivering it admitted guests are frequently surprised because the front desk doesn't explain it. No sauces, seasoning (other than salt), meat thermometer, or serving platters were provided. Grilling was enjoyable, but at over $100 per person, we expected the hotel to do the cooking—not just light the grill. -Wine tasting was mishandled. We arrived for our 5:00 p.m. reservation, but the sommelier never showed. After waiting more than 40 minutes, management admitted they couldn't reach him and asked us to reschedule. Unfortunately, we couldn't, so we missed an experience we had been looking forward to. They did comp two bottles of wine at dinner that night though so that was considerate. -Outdoor pool service was inconsistent. There weren't enough lounge chairs or umbrellas, and poolside service was available one day but absent the next. -The special libraries advertised on their website were unavailable for visitation. We were told by guest services that we could visit the next day, only to be turned away on the next day due to private events. My wife is a book enthusiast so this was a big disappointment as well. Overall The château and grounds are absolutely stunning and easily the property's greatest strength. Unfortunately, the service and overall guest experience fell well short of what I'd expect from a five-star hotel charging five-star prices—especially an Auberge property. There were simply too many operational misses: confusing and lackluster dining, inconsistent service, poor communication, and missed experiences. Without the extraordinary beauty of the estate, I don't think this hotel would stand out as a luxury destination. My impression is that the owner has invested heavily in preserving the château, landscape, art, and history, but far less in delivering the polished, customer-focused hospitality that defines a true five-star experience. With recent turnover at the GM and executive chef roles, it seemed a bit like a rudderless ship, and the days of this being Conde-Nast’s #1 hotel in France are long gone. Hopefully that will change once they get stability in these roles. It was a good stay, but it fell well short of expectations. I left feeling that Domaine des Étangs is an extraordinary estate with a below-average luxury hotel operating inside it."

"We spent one night at Domaine des Etangs courtesy of Mr and Mrs Smith. We stayed in Mars which was a spacious room in one of the castle turrets. The room was huge, it felt more like a flat to be honest! King size bed with a window overlooking one of the many lakes. Ensuite bathroom and large shower. Tea/coffee facilities, fridge, hairdryer, TV, bluetooth speaker. The pool was a very good size and opening hours are decent. There is also a games room on the top floor. We ate at Dyades and the food and drink was excellent, as was the service. Breakfast the next day was also wonderful. Very good buffet selection with lots of options. The grounds are huge with so much to explore. Bike hire (manual or electric) are free there is also a row boat you can use to explore the lakes. All the staff were brilliant. Special mention to Charly for his warm welcome and Nina for helping us too. Nicola, Anton and Olivia at dinner were excellent as was Harrison at breakfast and Emile at the pool. Special mention as well to Jean Francois for the history tour of the castle and area. The hotel is incredible, it looks stunning and there is so much to see and do within the grounds. We loved it and are already planning our return!"

"Amazing location with a wonderful and luxurious atmosphere with generous and fabulous rooms, we will revisit very soon"