24 hours at the Royal Champagne Hotel – sparkling in the vineyards

On a hillside in the Marne valley, a long, pale stone building stretches out in the centre of a sea of vines. Faced with this XXL UNESCO classified vista, the building matches its surroundings with generous proportions. Built like an amphitheatre, the new wing offers 10,000m² of space including a truly impressive 1,500m² of terraces – the perfect place for bubbles in the sun.

As you enter your room, you’re presented with a picture postcard window on the world of Champagne. Everything in this hotel has been designed to embrace nature. Bathed in natural light, the 49 rooms and suites invite you to plunge into the landscape. It’s an irresistible setting for coffee with a view... sublime and majestic.

"Champagne brings life to the scale of dreams", so said the writer Paul Guth. Champagne has certainly inspired the elegant decoration of rooms and suites here. Soft tones influenced by the wine of kings, floral motifs with the colours of vines through the seasons, natural materials such as light oak and limestone... Here you’ll encounter a world as enticing as one of the famous mellow pink biscuits of Reims.

It's time for something sweet. At Le Bellevue, the setting is glorious: thousands of crystal pendants hang from the ceiling and wine-coloured frescoes adorn the walls - a tribute to the royal armies of the Ancien Régime. You’ll discover delectable dishes filled with the flavours of Champagne such as delicious locally grown lentils and piquant Argonne goats cheese...

You simply can’t stay in the area and not visit some cellars, there’s such a fabulous choice. Take a trek in an iconic Citroën E-Mehari, an evolutionary electric vehicle, and cross the vineyards before heading to the village of Aÿ, stronghold of Bollinger and other prestigious houses. It is also where famous glass maker/artist René Lalique, pillar of the Art Nouveau movement, was born.

The sensation of space is tangible at this spa with its dazzling dimensions: an incredible 1,500m². However, the cosy cabins are like intimate cocoons where you can disconnect and chill out; there’s also an excellent option to enjoy a personalized sensory sanctuary session. Enjoy fabulous treatments from the 30 minute "Cépage de soin" (a grape treatment) to a two-hour "voyage" treatment with Biologique Recherche, exquisitely effervescent…

Enjoy a Champagne tasting at the Fines Bulles Salon with its view of a glass Champagne cellar. From the finest bottles to new names, celebrate Champagne - a quintessentially French way of life.

At this historical former coaching Inn, Kings of France would stop on the way to their coronation ceremony. But the strongest memory is of Napoleon who is honoured at The Royal. Between portraits of the women in his life and the gilded ceiling, the Emperor watches over the gastronomic restaurant. Chef Jean-Denis Rieuband dishes are a brilliant interpretation of the flavours of the local terroir.

Before leaving, why not bathe in the fountain of youth AKA the rejuvenating hotel pool… The outdoor oasis has pure lines which mirror the pattern of vine rows and blends into the blue sky of Champagne. The indoor 25 metre pool offers wonderful views over the whole of the valley of the Marne from its huge windows.