While the hotel itself seems devoid of much charm (new construction, sterile decor), the restaurant…read moreis fantastic and the location, perched on a hillside, is quite lovely for a sunset dinner. If you happen to be staying in the tiny village of Essoyes during your tour de Champagne, Hotel des Canotiers is a worthy of a grand meal. Upon entering, the restaurant was all-too-reminiscent of a hotel conference room. And, it was dead quiet - a handful of other diners were talking in hushed voices between dainty sips of champagne, and there was NO background music to cut the awkward silence. My guy was like "Don't give in! Just talk normal!", so we did. Which I think motivated them to put some music on, finally. After a couple glasses of lovely, local bubbles, all was well. The food was really exquisite, though the service was a bit cold, or overly-professional. I had a crab salad: a tower of real crab meat, surrounded by little dabs of aioli. For the man, some very well cooked meat (I forget the details). Dessert was a lovely mound of nougat ice cream with forest berries and mango sauce. On a modest day, you could sit on their patio, but they insisted that the sun was too bright that day (c'mon we're on vacation!) and kept us inside. It's certainly not the chic Parisian dining experience, but for a divine meal they definitely deliver.

On a family trip to the Lorraine region of France, eight of us stayed comfortably at this beautiful…read morehome, situated in a tiny village. M. and Mme Labat were gracious, attentive hosts (even though we don't speak French, and they don't speak English!), and have built a remarkable get-a-way: with modern features throughout the home, an outdoor garden and patio, secure parking, a basement room with ping pong and a jacuzzi spa, and a tennis court. As a place to jump off for exploring the surrounding region (including nearby Gondrecourt-le-Château), we couldn't have asked for better.

Hotel is conveniently located across from the train station, which is much easier than dragging…read moreyour bags over cobblestone streets into the cute center of town. Some staff speak English, and there is a good selection of restaurants associated with the hotel. Biggest lesson I learned was to bring or request a hair dryer....before you get out of the shower, try to call the desk for one, and have to hunt in your French dictionary to determine just how to ask for a hair dryer in French. The staff were very caring, but their English and my French were a mismatch for a good 20 minutes. The Brasserie restaurant served a very nice roasted chicken dinner, and my kind waiter recommended a local specialty for dessert....a feather-light meringue type thing with a pastry cream between layers. It was wonderful. The chef and waiter were very nice, as I was their only customer for a while. Chaumont is a very nice town for walking and some shopping, but you absolutely must learn enough French to ask directions or get assistance in the stores.