Royal Champagne in its vineyard setting. Courtesy of Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa / Leonardo.
Rooms above the vineyards, Le Royal’s table, and memories of a birthday celebration that began early.
Royal Champagne stands above the vineyards at Champillon, between Épernay and Reims. Its position gives you a choice: go out into Champagne, visiting cellars and villages, or stay close to the view, with a restaurant and spa to occupy much of the day. The landscape is part of the hotel’s appeal even when you have no plans to leave it.
My affection for the place began before its rebuilding and reopening in 2018. We came in July 2013, ahead of Konstantin’s birthday on the 13th. The celebration began early. Dinner was excellent, and the hospitality made us feel thoroughly welcome.
This was our first Relais & Châteaux stay. At check-in, nobody asked for a credit card. “We trust you,” they said. The only bill we saw was the one at departure. I still remember the pleasure of being received that way.
The hotel has since changed considerably. Today it belongs to The Leading Hotels of the World, with 47 rooms and suites, two restaurants, and a spa overlooking the vines. The contemporary building makes much more of that hillside setting than the old coaching inn did.
A hotel built around the view
The new Royal Champagne spreads across the slope, with long terraces facing the Marne Valley. There is enough space between the hotel and the towns below to make this a countryside stay, while keeping both Épernay and Reims within reach by car. It is an appealing arrangement for a trip with good food and wine at its centre.
Konstantin has a great fondness for fireplaces, and a real fire was one of the pleasures of our stay. Guests can still enjoy that comfort today, with a glass-and-steel fireplace in the lobby and a hearth in Le Royal’s dining room.
Choosing a room
The room collection begins with junior suites of about 44 m². The useful distinction is the outdoor space and outlook. Garden Junior Suites have private terraces; Champagne Junior Suites also open onto terraces, while Royal Junior Suites have balconies and unobstructed views across the hills.
For a return visit, I would start with a Royal Junior Suite. The wide valley view is the reason to choose this position above Épernay, and I would want to enjoy it from the room as well as from the restaurant. There is a sitting area, a bath and separate shower, and a balcony large enough for a quiet drink.
The larger Marie-Louise and Joséphine suites offer around 90 and 110 m² respectively. For a couple, the outlook and terrace deserve as much consideration as the additional space. Ask the hotel to explain the position of the available suite: an appealing room name tells you less than knowing where you will sit and what you will see.
Dinner, and the cheese tray
The detail that won our hearts at dinner was the “cheese table”. It turned out to be an opulent tray, with a wonderfully broad representation of the region’s cheeses. The generosity of that selection has stayed with me long after the individual dishes have faded. It was a very good way to begin a birthday celebration.
Today, the gastronomic restaurant Le Royal is led by Christophe Raoux, a Meilleur Ouvrier de France, with Claire Santos Lopes responsible for pastry. It holds one Michelin star. The current wine programme includes Champagne pairings with the Effervescence menu, so the region can run through the meal as well as provide the apéritif.
Reserve dinner at the same time as the room. Le Royal currently serves dinner from Tuesday to Saturday, and a Sunday or Monday stay calls for a different dining plan. The restaurant asks for elegant dress and welcomes children from five years old; babysitting can be arranged for younger guests.
Le Bellevue offers the more relaxed alternative, with its broad terrace. In good weather, I would leave time for lunch here before setting off for a cellar visit. A tasting appointment should not turn every meal into a hurried interval.
The spa
The spa gives the hotel a purpose beyond dining and wine touring. There are indoor and outdoor pools, nine treatment cabins, a sauna, hammam and whirlpools. The pool windows keep the surrounding countryside in view, making a quiet afternoon here an attractive prospect even when the weather discourages a terrace.
The facial-treatment partners are myBlend and Clarins Precious. Reserve the treatment you want before arrival, especially if it needs to fit around lunch or a winery appointment.
For families, the pool timetable matters. The hotel currently welcomes accompanied children under twelve between 9.30 a.m. and 5 p.m.; the pools and thermal facilities otherwise open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Beyond the hotel
Royal Champagne is a base for exploring the region by road. The concierge can arrange transfers and cellar visits, and the hotel offers electric-bike outings towards the surrounding villages, including Hautvillers. For a day of tastings, arrange a driver and the return journey together. Staying among the vineyards still means travelling between appointments.
Épernay brings the houses along the Avenue de Champagne within easy reach. Reims adds a different dimension. If I were returning today, I would make time for the Foujita Chapel, conceived and decorated by the Japanese-French painter in the 1960s. His frescoes would make a rewarding change of pace between cellars; check the museum’s visiting calendar when planning the day.
For arrival, the hotel’s directions cover driving and rail connections from Paris. Choose the train and station first, then arrange the final transfer. A car is useful for independent exploring, but it need not accompany you to a Champagne tasting.
I would build the stay around a reserved dinner, leave an afternoon for the spa, and keep the rest of the itinerary light. And I would certainly leave room for cheese.