Domaine Les Crayères

This sumptuous chateau, which is within walking distance of several prestigious Champagne houses and a quick car ride from downtown Reims, has 20 guest rooms, 17 acres of parkland and a Michelin-starred restaurant.

• Le Cottage, a private house in the center of the chateau’s manicured park with three connected bedrooms spread over two levels, is perfect for families and groups.
• The beautifully appointed rooms, many of which have fireplaces and balconies.
• The Michelin-starred in-house restaurant, Le Parc, hosts “Champagne House” dinners with tasting menus designed to emphasize the unique characteristics of a particular house.

Named for the region’s 100-foot-deep chalk cellars dating back to Gallo-Roman times, Domaine Les Crayères was built in 1904 by the Marquise de Polignac. The hotel’s 20 rooms and suites decorated with plush antique-style furnishings feature decadent modern marble bathrooms with soaking tubs and rainforest showers. Additional perks in some of the suites include private balconies, fireplaces and separate living quarters.

Just as luxurious as the guestrooms, the hotel’s public areas provide good variety for relaxation and recreation. The cozy bar-lounge decorated in green plaids and rich brown leather is the perfect place for a sundowner thanks to its west-facing greenhouse-style windows overlooking the garden and Vranken Pommery’s iconic blue turreted towers. Meanwhile, the front lawn is set up as a tasteful mini-golf course and clubs and balls can be borrowed from the front desk.

The hotel’s two phenomenal restaurants overseen by Michelin-starred chef Philippe Mille (formerly Yannick Alléno’s right hand man at Le Meurice in Paris), give guests two dining opportunities. Le Parc’s formal dining room, which is decorated with chandeliers and gilded-framed oil paintings, befits Mille’s exquisite multi-course tasting menus. A more casual, though just as delicious, meal can be had at Le Jardin, a modern-style bistro at the bottom of the chateau’s park.

Those who want easy access to Reims and the Champagne houses can’t do better than this gorgeous and comfortable five star, but note that the grounds here are small and the service can sometimes feel rigid.