There are few places in the world that feel as poetic in winter as Champagne. As December settles in, the landscape softens into something quietly cinematic: rolling vineyards dusted with frost, silvery morning light drifting across the hills of Épernay, and church spires rising gently from storybook villages such as Champillon and Hautvillers. The air feels crisp and celebratory, scented faintly with woodsmoke and winter spices, as though the land itself is preparing for the season.
Set high above this luminous panorama sits Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa, the region’s first contemporary five-star retreat and one of its most enchanting winter sanctuaries. Between Christmas and New Year, the hotel becomes a place of pause and indulgence, where time slows and celebration unfolds with effortless elegance. Terraces glow with festive trees, interiors shimmer with candlelight, and every window frames a view that feels like a painting come to life.
Perfectly positioned between Paris and the Alps, Royal Champagne offers an ideal Twixmas escape: close enough for a seamless journey, yet worlds away in atmosphere. Guests are invited to settle into the rhythm of Champagne life, beginning with a stay in a Junior Suite overlooking the vineyards, where a chilled bottle of Champagne awaits in-room, ready to be opened at leisure. Mornings begin unhurriedly at Le Bellevue, with breakfast served against a backdrop of rolling vines and winter skies.
Each of the hotel’s 47 rooms and suites is designed to draw the outside in, with panoramic views across the Champagne valley and state-of-the-art comforts throughout — including the hotel’s much-loved press for Champagne button, a detail that perfectly captures the spirit of the place.
Dining is central to the Twixmas experience. Le Royal, the hotel’s one-Michelin-star restaurant, is overseen by Executive Chef Christophe Raoux and set within the grandeur of the historic Royal Ballroom, beneath a shimmering gold-leaf ceiling. Here, refined French cuisine unfolds with precision and warmth, perfectly matched to the season. Adding a touch of festive nostalgia, the much-anticipated Festive Tea Time returns until 10 January, with exquisite creations by Pastry Chef Claire Santos Lopes — an elegant afternoon ritual of delicate pastries, seasonal flavours and Champagne moments.
For those seeking restoration as well as celebration, the hotel is also home to the Champagne region’s first world-class destination spa, spanning an impressive 16,000 square feet. Designed as a haven of calm, the spa offers exclusive treatments in partnership with myBlend and Clarins Precious, inviting guests to unwind in serene pools, treatment rooms and relaxation spaces that feel cocooned from the winter chill outside.
As daylight fades early and evenings stretch long and candlelit, Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa becomes a place where winter feels magical. A Twixmas stay here is less about marking the days between Christmas and New Year, and more about savouring them — glass by glass, moment by moment, surrounded by one of France’s most beautiful and storied landscapes.
@royalchampagne | royalchampagne.com
Hameau de Bellevue, 9 Rue de la République, 51160 Champillon, France
