Grandeur, intimacy and well-being: the Royal Champagne experience

Ten kilometers from Épernay, perched at an altitude of 350 m, the Royal Champagne opens out over the vineyards and hills of the Marne Valley, offering guests an incredibly relaxing and sparkling experience.

Caroline Mignot Published today at 8:22 AM

This strategic position, between Épernay and Reims, was already favored by the "Royal-Champagne" regiment of the royal armies under the Ancien Régime. Departing from Paris, the men and their mounts would stop here before climbing the Montagne de Reims to reach their final destination, Reims Cathedral. Facing due south, with a breathtaking view over the vineyards, the Marne river and the villages of Champillon and Hautvillers, the Royal Champagne makes its passengers privileged witnesses to a grandiose 180-degree panorama.

After four years of construction work, the hotel owned by the Champagne Hospitality group - which will be joined in early 2026 by Château La Commaraine in Burgundy - has emerged with modern, graphic lines, 10,000 m² in width and horizontality. Crafted in light-colored stone from the region's quarries and in glass, the architecture has been designed to allow each of the 47 suites (from 44 m²) on two levels to benefit from this view. Unique, unobstructed, with a feeling of intimacy that gives you the sensation of being alone, one-on-one with the landscape. Interior designer Sybille de Margerie uses soft hues (champagne, cream) and natural materials (stone, light oak wood).

Hospitality is adapted to every season of the year, with a focus on well-being. The 1,500 m² spa (open to all) features an outdoor infinity pool overlooking the vineyards, and an indoor pool bathed in natural light. The nine magnificent cabins (including two dedicated to couples) offer treatments in partnership with myBlend and Clarins Precious, as well as Flora for hair care. The presence of experts such as shiatsu master Koji Okada and kobido (a Japanese facial massage technique) practitioner Jo de Carvalho, adds to the diversity of approaches, from muscular to body. the diversity of approaches - muscular, cosmetic, energizing or gentle - and to the "exclusivity" of the protocols.

Grandeur and intimacy

The gastronomic restaurant, Le Royal, located in the historic part of the building, has an intimate, lived-in atmosphere... Under the gold-patinated ceiling, studded with thirty-six amber glass bubbles, guests dine in the presence of portraits of female figures. Who are they? The six women in Napoleon Bonaparte's life. The emperor is said to have passed through the relay several times, and the room underscores this with an extract from a letter to his first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais, transcribed on the presentation plate at the start of the meal.

Chef Christophe Raoux (Meilleur ouvrier de France 2015), who arrived two years ago after a career in Paris(Ritz, The Peninsula), then internationally with Alain Ducasse and in Lyon with the Bocuse group, titillates the products of our coasts and lands with refinement and in a travelled, fruity or tangy way: for example, "araignée, rhubarbe, mélisse et confit d'algues" ("spider crab, rhubarb, lemon balm and seaweed confit"), "cœur de ris de veau cuit en feuille de cassis, haricot vert et beurre, cassis acidulé" ("sweetbread heart cooked in blackcurrant leaf, green beans and butter, tart blackcurrant")...present since 2022, pastry chef Claire Santos Lopes does the same, sometimes drawing from the vegetable repertoire and desugaring whenever she can. Like this 80% cocoa "Intuition" chocolate, created for her by Valrhona with origins in Côte d'Ivoire and Grenada, which she presents in soufflé, caramelized peanuts and cocoa sorbet.

Head sommelier Philippe Marques' pairings naturally focus on champagnes, with almost 1,000 references on the menu... Discoveries can be extended at the Fines Bulles trade show or during his "Mystères" experiences. The sommelier is particularly keen to dispel preconceived ideas about champagne, to help visitors discover exclusive cuvées and to share unsuspected knowledge. More than a century ago, the old coaching inn had its "Bellevue" café (a preserved facade of the old building can be seen from the street). Bellevue is the name given to the establishment's brasserie, located on the third and top floor, along the immense roof terrace (1,500 m²) that gives the impression of flying over the Valley. a must-see at sunset.

inside, the thousand crystal pendants hanging from the ceiling begin to sparkle, like champagne bubbles bursting from glasses. the à la carte menu features classic and seasonal dishes: Caesar salad, red tuna tataki with wasabi mayonnaise, sea bass carved in front of the guests, before a red fruit vegetal vacherin. And perhaps a few more fine bubbles before closing.