Set high on the hills overlooking the exquisite Champagne region, the Royal Champagne Hotel and Spa is an elegant medley of curved terraces, pale limestone, and acres of glass. Modern, yes, but somehow this former coaching inn-turned-boutique hotel fits right into its surroundings, which are mere minutes from Epernay, Champagne’s capital, and close to Reims, Champillon and Hautvillers. A soothing golden and taupe colour palette is reminiscent of its namesake bubbles, and there are two swimming pools (indoor and outdoor) and a beautiful spa to spend the days. Many also come for the restaurant, Le Royal, helmed by Chef Christophe Raoux and renowned in a region where it's hard to have a bad meal.
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Everything at the hotel is angled at the valley, from the two-storey library lounge to the infinity pool that spills into the vines below, and the views of the valley and whitewashed villages are stunning. Interiors are immaculate, but it's the food that brings guests from far and wide. Le Royal, the Michelin-starred highlight with its intricate gold ceiling, is worthy of a special trip - and make sure to leave time for an aperitif of the sparkling kind in the Salon Fines Bulles. For something more casual, Le Bellevue is excellent (and the view, even better).
All rooms at the Royal Champagne are suites (Garden, Champagne, or Royal), and all of them overlook the sprawling vines. The three named suites have the pick of the views and the Marie-Louise has the biggest terrace, perfect for sundowners. Inside, everything is dressed in perfectly serene colour palettes, and honey-hued wooden panelling separates the different areas. Bathrooms are pristine and spacious, and almost all have both bathtubs and showers, along with plenty of Bergamot-scented Diptyque toiletries to luxuriate in.
The aptly named Avenue de Champagne (a UNESCO World Heritage site) is a stone's throw from the hotel and offers the best champagne houses in the world: Moët & Chandon, Mercier and Perrier-Jouët, to name a few. Tastings are best booked in advance and usually include a visit to the spectacular underground cellars. Reims and its coronation cathedral, Chagall windows included, are twenty minutes north and Hautvillers is a short e-bike ride through the vines (hire your wheels from the hotel). Balloons go up over the Montagne de Reims in summer; the harvest runs from late August, and the hotel will happily book you an open-top car for an afternoon drive.
Pressing the button in your room marked for 'champagne' and watching the trolley arrive with two glasses of the region's best.
The hotel shares its owners with Leclerc Briant, one of the pioneers of biodynamic champagne. Book a tasting for something a little different in a region of big hitters.
Between November and April the vines are bare and the outdoor pool is shut, which does take some of the magic away.
Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa can be booked with Timbuktu as part of a tailor-made France trip, rather than as a standalone room reservation. Start online, customising one of our recommended France trips featuring Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa or get advice and suggestions from one of our France specialists who will design the trip around your dates, check availability and handle every booking for you.
Stays at Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa start from around $590, or US$590, per person per night as part of a tailor-made trip. The exact price depends on your travel dates, room type and the shape of the rest of your itinerary. A Timbuktu travel specialist can give you an accurate quote for your dates.
Roman chalk pits thirty metres down, a cathedral that crowned kings on the ground above, and several hundred million bottles quietly improving in between.
