Our History ...

It was in 1635 that this private home was turned into an inn where the owners would also live. The main wing (which still houses 19 bedrooms) was reserved for the owners and their guests. The annexes for the coachmen and their horses were situated in the centre of the inner courtyard. The Inn operated on a commercial basis for over a century before once again becoming a private home.

In 1895 there began a period when buildings in the area had to be realigned so that streets could be built. Part of the property was demolished and then rebuilt, with the exception of the stone staircase which still today leads to the hotel's upper floors. It is understandable therefore, that we desired to treat this unique masterpiece which is over 370 years old, with great care and attention…
"Heritage" is the name we have chosen. Also as a tribute to the great-great-grandfather of the present owner who actually spent more than 50 years working there as a butler.

From 1865 to 1935 the hotel saw a new era when it joined the list of favourite venues for area receptions.
The notables of Cognac and its region came here to organise their magnificent wedding banquets, orchestrated by some of the greatest French chefs of the time. From the 1940s on, the commercial tempo slowed down and a precious piece of our local architectural heritage seemed somewhat forgotten and neglected. Sometimes a bar, sometimes a grill, sometimes a gourmet restaurant, it seemed to be looking for its niche...until the winter of 2004, when the "Heritage" project began to take shape.



Why Heritage ?

We wanted to rename the hotel to signify a return to its glorious past while looking to the future and opening international horizon. We wanted to choose an Anglo-French name with notions of patrimony and history.

Inspired by the values associated with certain renowned brands, such as Hennessy, Harley-Davidson, and Hotel California, not forgetting our choice of lettering whose natural elegance inspired the creative design of a logo.



The Concept behind the hotel

The atmosphere of the hotel seems to emanate from a mixture of sensations from different periods, and different places, without ever straying far from the building's origins in the Second Empire. Sometimes merely hinted at, major themes such as Jules Verne, Napoleon III, and the colonies of South America, Africa and Asia have guided us through the restoration process.

We have carefully chosen various materials, such as zinc, pewter, crystal, wood and stone, to capture the moment, not forgetting the creation of a graphic charter virtually inspired by an inexplicable choice of colours.