Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa becomes Champagne’s first Palace hotel

By AI, Created 3:46 PM UTC, June 04, 2026, /AGP/ – Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa in Champillon has earned France’s Palace distinction, becoming the first hotel in Champagne and the Grand Est region to receive the country’s highest hospitality honor. The award lifts the five-star property into a small national group of elite hotels and underscores Champagne’s growing pull as a luxury travel destination.

Why it matters: - Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa is now the first Palace-distinguished hotel in Champagne and the first in the Grand Est region. - The distinction places Champagne among France’s most exclusive luxury destinations. - The Palace label sits above five stars and signals a higher tier of hospitality, service and cultural cachet. - The recognition also gives the Champagne region a new flagship property for high-end tourism.

What happened: - Atout France awarded Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa the Palace distinction. - The five-star hotel sits between Reims and Épernay in Champillon, France. - The hotel is set in the vineyards of Champagne, halfway between Reims and Épernay. - The award was announced June 4, 2026.

The details: - Atout France created the Palace distinction in 2010. - The honor is reserved for a small group of hotels judged to represent French excellence, savoir-faire and art de vivre. - Fewer than three dozen hotels in France currently hold the title. - Most Palace hotels are in Paris, the French Alps and the French Riviera. - Royal Champagne overlooks the Coteaux, Maisons et Caves de Champagne, a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape. - The hotel is on the slopes of the Montagne de Reims inside a protected Natura 2000 area. - Reims is about 45 minutes from Paris by high-speed train. - The property traces its origins to a 19th-century inn built on the ridge for its panoramic views. - Napoleon stopped there after the 1814 Battle of Reims. - The property later took the name Royal Champagne in tribute to the Royal-Champagne cavalry regiments. - Denise Dupré and Mark Nunnelly acquired the hotel in 2014. - The owners are also associated with the Champagne house Leclerc Briant. - A four-year restoration preserved two historic façades and added a contemporary wing. - The hotel reopened in 2018 and joined The Leading Hotels of the World. - Royal Champagne has 47 suites. - The hotel’s cellar holds about 200,000 bottles. - Two restaurants anchor the property: Le Royal and the all-day brasserie Le Bellevue. - Michelin-starred chef Christophe Raoux, a Meilleur Ouvrier de France, leads both restaurants. - The spa includes nine treatment rooms, indoor and outdoor pools, a hammam, sauna and yoga studio. - The hotel uses a signature fragrance created with a former master perfumer of Maison Guerlain.

Between the lines: - The Palace award reinforces Royal Champagne’s role as a luxury showcase for the Champagne region, not just a hotel. - The property’s wine, spa and dining programs are designed to turn a stay into a full Champagne experience. - The hotel’s location and history help connect the brand to both the land and the legacy of Champagne. - The distinction also adds prestige to a region better known globally for wine than for trophy hotels.

What’s next: - Royal Champagne will likely use the Palace title to deepen its appeal to high-end international travelers. - The hotel is positioned to build on its existing private tastings, vineyard access and curated guest experiences. - The Palace distinction should strengthen Champagne’s profile as a luxury long-weekend destination from Paris. - The property will continue promoting its sustainability and service credentials alongside its new status.

The bottom line: - Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa has become the first Palace hotel in Champagne, giving France’s most famous sparkling-wine region a new top-tier hospitality landmark.