Domaine les Crayères

We recommend the Domaine les Crayères to travellers who associate champagne with a complete gastronomic experience, not merely a cellar visit. It is an address for couples on a romantic weekend, lovers of fine dining, or wine-world business travellers seeking discretion. Families will find suitable rooms, yet the atmosphere remains hushed, closer to an exceptional dinner than a lively stay.

The château dates from 1904, built in a neo-Louis XV style for the Polignac family, a leading champagne house. Light-stone façade, slate roofs, small-paned windows open onto a seven-hectare park planted with centenary trees. Inside, wood panelling, marble fireplaces and high ceilings typical of early twentieth-century bourgeois residences. The 20 rooms and suites retain this classic spirit, with more contemporary furnishings in places.

The restaurant Le Parc, two Michelin stars, bears the signature of chef Philippe Mille and remains the true reason to book here. The cuisine showcases Champagne produce, served in a room that opens onto the park. Room service allows certain meals to be taken in-room for more discreet stays. Breakfast follows the same exacting standard, no surprise for an establishment of this standing.

The Domaine les Crayères stands on boulevard Henry Vasnier, in a quiet residential district ten minutes on foot from the centre and Notre-Dame de Reims cathedral. The historic champagne houses (Pommery, Veuve Clicquot) are reachable on foot or in a few minutes by car. Reims station, with its TGV links to Paris (45 minutes), lies about 15 minutes away. The neighbourhood is green and peaceful, far from the tourist bustle of the centre.