Cèdre Beaune, A Beauvallon Hotel & Spa

The location made it easy to explore Beaune, and the staff were warm and attentive. We were pleased with the welcome room upgrade, and housekeeping usually did a very thorough job. Breakfast costs €30, which is steep, though the range made it feel fair enough. We also appreciated the water, herbal tea, and chocolate left in the room at night. A few housekeeping slips stood out. They took a bath towel one day without replacing it and left cleaning chemicals in the bathroom. Another afternoon, our room still hadn't been made up when we came back after 4 pm. They cleaned it shortly afterward, but we had to wait downstairs for 20 minutes when we wanted to relax. It was a small inconvenience and didn't spoil our stay. We also found it odd that housekeeping came back into the room without telling us. The bar had a good selection, and we enjoyed a tasty aperitif before dinner. We didn't order another because the barman seemed a little distracted by other orders.

We had prepaid the full stay through Booking.com and had confirmation that everything was settled before we arrived. Yet at checkout, the hotel charged us again for Booking.com’s commission. As we understood the platform agreement, that fee was for the hotel to cover, not us. When we raised it, management said they “recommend booking directly” to avoid the charge. There was no such advice on the Booking.com listing, and the explanation seemed misleading and at odds with the platform’s partner standards. Apart from the Michelin restaurant on site, we felt there was little value for the price. The way management handled the booking issue left a bad impression, as did what seemed to us to be greed and disregard for fair dealing.

We stayed here for an anniversary combined with a business trip, and the hotel made the occasion feel special. Our room was charming and well appointed, with a lovely view of the French village street. Service was impeccable at both the hotel and restaurant. Everyone was professional, gracious, and accommodating, especially Maxime, who seemed to be everywhere at once. The stay went beyond what we expected, and we'll definitely come back.

We switched from our usual Beaune hotel after reading about this five-star place in a reputable UK newspaper. That was a mistake. The €150-per-person gourmet dinner was the worst meal I've ever had, and I'm 70, so I've had quite a few. The management's arrogance made things even worse. I escalated my complaint, but it fell on deaf ears. Avoid it. There are plenty of much better places in Beaune.