La Tour Cocooning & Gastronomie

This is a lovely hotel - well one of the two hotels that form part of the site - once you can find it. I booked through *********** and the address clearly shows Place de la Republique but actually it isn't there and there are two further addresses and the site used in the summer is a good trek from Place de la Republique. This is stated to be 300m or 400m depending on where you look but i would have said nearer 500m unless you know the shortcut provided once you find the site. What complicates matters further is that an e mail is sent out asking if you would prefer the summer site or the main site when actually there is no main site open and in any case parking is only at the summer site. Conclusion - messaging not thought through and completely muddled. The addresses need to be absolutely clear otherwise you end up like me walking the streets looking for the various addresses and I did so with a sore foot which did not improve my mood. The website is also inaccurate in stating that deluxe rooms come with a balcony. Not so and indeed on the FAQ there is one that asks about balconies which clearly states that none of the rooms have balconies. The website also lists free wifi associated with the room description but it does not work in the rooms - only in reception. This is very poor for a hotel supposedly of this quality. Also contrary to the *********** website the payment is taken before checkout and means two payments have to be made for food etc as well. On the restaurant the menu is somewhat limited and if you don't want frogs legs or crustaceans very limited. I cannot eat crustaceans so I was rather disappointed especially so when the amuse bouche was a crustacean mousse from which I could not benefit. My partner, however, was in heaven with that and the langoustine and lobster more expensive menu. I on the other hand was left with an interesting sounding vegetarian starter option "Petits Légumes Croquants au Piment d’Espelette 19.00€ Mimosa d Œufs de Caille" and the description suggests something crispy. On arrival it was anything but. It was merely Salad Russe - Russian Salad by any other name - and lacking any piment d'Espelette. For those unaware Russian salad is cold boiled carrots, potatoes and peas (in this case frozen) in a mayonnaise-like sauce and certainly not worth €19.00. My only main course option was "Traditionnelle Volaille de la Dombes à la crème 32.00€ Riz de Camargue Cuit à l Etuvé" which was actually chicken cooked in the style of George Blanc from Bourg en Bresse and not particularly from Les Dombes. The sauce was pleasant as was the rice but the chicken was dry, almost certainly cooked twice, and very chewy - not exactly falling off the bone. Having said all that it was a fairly pleasant stay in a very nice location and but for all the issues above would have given it a much higher rating but one can only speak as one finds. I would risk another stay there warned in advance as I am now.

Everything was great. The a**osphere was tranquil, and relaxed, the decor interesting, and the gardens fabulous for relaxing in for food and drinks. Location is convenient. Friendly and very efficient staff.