Mr & Mrs Smith

What a beautiful, beautiful place. Max and Pierre obviously have great eyes for detail and a very well developed sense of style. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and would recommend very highly. The cocktails before dinner were wonderful, although some forewarning that they would appear on the bill would have been nice, and Pierre is an excellent cook as well.

Absolutely brilliant.

We loved the hotel and had a fantastic holiday. Max and Pierre were brilliant hosts with lots of top tips for the area. We treated ourselves to a few posh meals during our stay and tried one Michelin-starred La Ribaudiere (Bourg-Charente) and understated chic Restaurant du Chateau (Jarnac). We both agreed that Restaurant du Chateau far outshone the Michelin-starred La Ribaudiere. Although it didn't have the majestic setting overlooking the river of La Ribaudiere the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly and the food outstanding. Having eaten in quite a few Michelin-starred restaurants I have rated Restaurant Du Chateau above them all!

As far as sightseeing goes, our favourites were the monolithic churches at St Emilion and Aubeterre sur Dronne. Again although the St Emilion one is much more famous probably due to the wine business, the Aubeterre church is more breathtaking and untouched.

A rural hideaway that has been restored beautifully. The whole atmosphere is one of calm and the service was excellent - wish we had stayed longer. Worth a visit is the nearby town of Aubeterre. A beautiful small village with some amazing scenery and a good way to while a way a day. A must is to visit is the underground monolithic church. This amazing place has been cut into the rock and is slightly unbelieveable due its size - it is vast. Also a cool place to be on a hot day.

My girlfriend and I recently returned from a road trip through France, where we enjoyed the privilege of staying with Max and Pierre at their incredible Logis de Puygaty. It is hard to find words that do justice to what an amazing accomplishment these two design gurus have achieved with their restoration of this quintessentially French logis and grounds. We enjoyed two wonderful nights in the beautiful Pierre d’Arceluz room, and were treated to some of Pierre’s delightful culinary skills. Our hosts even invited us to a classical concert in a nearby church put on by some of the Charentes region's musical maestros, of which there are a few. The region is buzzing with talent and culture, and Max and Pierre have their fingers firmly on the pulse of where you need to be during your stay.

We have visited Smith hotels for some time now and this place epitomized everything that they stand for; style, originality but most importantly outstanding service from our fantastic hosts. Needless to say we will be going back...

Chloe and Nick, June 2010