Chateau Les Crayeres

Hotel description

This magnificent wedding cake of a chateau was once owned by Madame Pommery, that vivacious lady whose name, in the world of champagne, rivals that of the old widow Clicquot herself. And even now, Les Crayères is the essence of Champagne country. The parkland on which it sits is meticulously sculpted, with formal pebbled paths that take you past trees planted by Madame Pommery herself. Inside, the halls are graced with portraits of plump, creamy women and be-wigged men. Bedrooms have fat cushions, pale sprigged muslin over the windows and on the beds, the salon sports soaring ceilings and massive chandeliers and the dining room is a masterpiece in turn-of-the-century overstatement — all cherubs, tapestries and gilt.

Start your day off with fresh chevre and coffee, then count the hours until lunch. Didier Elena’s cuisine is exquisite and almost surreally simple. This being Reims, the champagne flows and the foie gras abounds. In the summer, dine in the chateau’s garden — what distinguishes Les Crayères is its unpretentious atmosphere.

This is a loving hands-on operation. Some of the staff members have been here for decades, and the maitre-d’ is generally acknowledged to be the most charming man in France. Each day he will meet you in the salon to go over your menu. Have you got the right balance of traditional and modern, fresh and pungent, rich and light? And once you thought you were finished, he scurries back with the wine list. It’s a good twenty-five minute process.

Should you want to explore the surrounding country, just one call from Les Crayères to the Pommery vineyards will get you a free tour followed by a tasting of the best. Nothing is more reassuring. For wherever you go, apparently, your hosts will personally ensure that you are treated with utmost care.