Johanvb, Jan 2025

For tourists:

Pros: a beautifull building. Many of the written texts are also in English.

Cons: Do NOT go here if you do not have prior knowledge of distillation processes or how liquors are made in general.

Because even if you have especially booked an English tour you probably get pointed to an audio app. An app that is probably made with an artificial voice or even with AI translation because some words, like Angel share, are broken of in a odd manner i am also still looking for the natural lightning bolts that are incorporated in the cellar. The explanations in the app are pretty basic (when the audio guide is finished the tour guide is still talking in French for 15 minutes)

Next to that the audio app begins with a story about the drink you are supposed to have gotten?!. And a lot of entries in the audio tour are about the architecture, design of the furniture and history of the building. Only a few are about the distillation process and even those give nothing to no information on the making of Dom Benedictine.

But if you hope to ask the tourguide for clarification (remember you booked the English tour?) you can forget that because the person doing the tour only speaks une leadle beat English.

A tour guide that gives a tour with an enthousiasm i only have seen with people who have been dead for centuries but are still bound by the mortal realm and have to stay there untill someone releases them of their curse.

The tour also starts 45 minutes after the moment you booked it for.

You are let in at the time you booked the tour to venture to a few rooms in the building (where you can see a selection of old doorknobs and religious statues) only to figure out for yourself that you have to gather in a room downstairs where a guide talks through a video presentation so that you, even if you speak une petit peu French yourself, have to really concentrate on what the guide is telling you.

To top it all off when you enter the tasting room the audio guide explains in detail about the decoration of the room but says nothing about what you are tasting.

In short, a nice building to see but you are not leaving with any knowledge of the product unless you are capable of speaking French

For the company:

- Redo your app. Hire an English speaking voice actor that tells the same story as the tour guide. I want to know about the aging process not about the walnut bar where DJ's can perform and the green wall that reflects the ingredients in the product.

- Teach your employees English! An international renowned product like Dom Benedictine can expect to attract international tourists. Do you want them to leave as ambassador of your product or with the knowledge that the granite top of the bar reflects the coastal influence?

- clean your tasting room! It is a beautiful room but the fact that the tasting glasses where sticky on the outside and stuck to the white alabaster counter top (yes something a learned through the app instead of learning about what i was tasting).

- Hire (or teach) the guides to inspire those who are coming to visit. Let them be the advertisement for the product and let them make visitors leave with an urge to tell others about their wonderful experience.

Now we came as fan of the product and left disenchanted. I guess it is true what they say, never to meet your heroes.

aureliel485, Apr 2023

Horrible welcome

Not taking into account people with disabilities

Terribly disorganized , not respecting times, staff is rude

jobo49, Jul 2022

Don't expect much history! Most of the visit is based on half truths which are hidden or poorly explained. Is this a Benedictine palace? It was built in 1900. Is it Benedictine? The abbey was on another site (this site was a brewery). Is it a Benedictine recipe? The abbey was dissolved 70 years before the current product was invented.

Vivienne C, Oct 2019

this was a dream day for me, the Abbey was amazing. I couldn't believe the art and manuscripts on display, I thought it was just going to be the distillery-which itself was fantastic. The staff are wonderful and it was so educational as well as absolutely beautiful-cant recommend it enough

Priscilla J, Sep 2019

We toured the Palais Benedictine in Fecamp. It is the ONLY place in the world where Benedictine is made. (NOTE:Benedictine is an age-old liqueur originally developed by in this palais by monks.)

The tour included viewing the palais and various old artifacts. Some were unique such as a room filled with wrought-iron products of the 1500's and 1600's, including some huge locks and door hinges and door latches. Also many old manuscripts and documents. Was quite fascinating.

Also viewed a replica of the process for making Benedictine and ended with a sample tasting of the product.

Interesting Tour.