Hôtel Restaurant Les Avisés

With just 10 rooms, Les Avisés feels more like a charming B&B (albeit one with a chef who trained at a Michelin-starred restaurant) than a grand old chateau.

• Built on a hillside, the 19th-century house has views over the vineyards on three sides.
• Owner Anselme Selosse, who hails from a long line of winemakers, specializes in biodynamic Champagne.
• Each cheery guestrooms is decorated with unique objets d’art and named after the expression “Cheers!” in a different language: Prost, Salute, Tchin.

Opened as a hotel in 2011, this elegant neo-classical mansion in the small town of Avize (outside Épernay) has been fully renovated and redecorated with contemporary artworks and designer furniture. A hip unfussy alternative to chateau-hotels, the stylish spot attracts a younger crowd (though families will be more comfortable at Domaine Les Crayères or Chateau de Courcelles, which have connecting rooms and outdoor space to run and play.)

Although the bedrooms are not huge here, they are luminous, stylish, and comfortable. All have Italian-style showers, but only some have bathtubs. A few of the larger rooms have private terraces. The upscale restaurant, which features an open kitchen and long wooden tables, would not feel out of place in Brooklyn. But Stéphane Rossillon, who previously worked at the three-Michelin-starred restaurant Maison Pic in Valence, serves bistro fare for lunch and a gastronomic menu at dinner that is decidedly French. The homey lounge is ideal for reading, relaxing and enjoying a glass of Champagne.

Les Avisés is about a ten-minute walk from the center of the Avize village and a few minutes drive to Épernay, home to legendary champagne houses like Möet & Chandon.

Those who prefer modern design to 18th-century French décor will feel right at home at Les Avisés, which has a more relaxed atmosphere than the grand chateau hotels.