Most visitors to the Champagne region will choose busy Reims or Epernay as a base. But for a romantic and serene weekend, those in the know escape 20 minutes away to the luxurious Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa, located in the hillside village of Champillon. The hotel brings the area’s first world-class wellness destination to the vine-striped hills of Champagne.
The hotel has a rich history, featuring its original 19th-century post trading station, which was a traditional stop for French kings on their way to coronations and a frequent rest stop for Napoleon during his returns from the battlefields. This royal coach stop served as both a trading post and a stable where horses could be rented or exchanged. The property’s logo, depicting a horse and rider, pays homage to Napoleon and highlights the building’s historical significance from the 19th century.
It has now been updated for the modern era with the addition of a new Modernist wing, featuring 47 rooms equipped with every imaginable comfort. The hotel’s interiors are a seamless blend of modern luxury and classic elegance, with marble bathrooms and quality furnishings.
Owned by the Champagne Hospitality Group, which also encompasses Le 25bis by Leclerc Briant, an elegant 18th-century residence in Épernay. Guests at the Royal Champagne are welcomed with a bottle of Leclerc Briant champagne, beautifully presented in a custom leather case housing an ice bucket and stemware.
The hotel has won too many awards to list, but of recent note was the 2024 Travel & Leisure Award for the Best Resort in France. Like any good resort, once you check-in you won’t want, or need, to leave. It has everything discerning travellers expect from a resort: both indoor and outdoor pools and a world-class spa that includes a range of treatments and wellness services, including a sauna and steam room.
If all of that wellness leaves you with an appetite, you are in safe hands. The hotel boasts two excellent dining options. Le Royal is the hotel’s fine dining restaurant, holding one Michelin star and offering a sophisticated menu that focuses on contemporary French cuisine. The changing monthly menu focusing on pairing dishes with a particular Champagne Maison is the perfect date night. During our stay, we were delighted to discover that the pairing menu was a celebration of the champagnes of Billecart-Salmon. The second restaurant, the more casual La Terrasse, offers guests the chance to enjoy dining while taking in the stunning views of the vineyards and surrounding countryside. A lavish breakfast is also served to guests at La Terrasse.
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