There is more to the French city of Reims than champagne
With 18 Michelin-starred restaurants here, temptation abounds — and nothing is off limits.
The TGV high-speed train from Paris-Gare de l’Est to Champagne-Ardenne, gateway to Reims, takes a brisk 42 minutes. Voila. Suddenly we are in champagne country and tasting treats await. I am not a drinker, so fear such bubbly indulgence will be wasted on me (and so it is), but the vines are in protective full leaf this northern summer and rolling landscapes shimmer bright green under a full sun. I’ve passed this way before and stayed in auberge and tiny hotels but now my aspirations are about to be heightened.
I am with a small group of friends, and we’ve scored a peep at the Eisenhower Residence, a chateau-style mansion where the US general was billeted as the owner’s guest during the final stage of World War II. It was from his study that he made a landmark call to Winston Churchill on May 7, 1945. The Germans had unconditionally surrendered. “I believe Dwight Eisenhower said just two words,” our guide tells us, as we stand by the military chief’s desk, almost enshrined in his honour. “It’s done.”
This former Hotel Mignot, built in 1911 in beaux-arts style for Edouard Mignot, founder of the Comptoirs Francais wholesale grocery chain, and divided into apartments in the 50s, has been thoroughly restored by present owners, the Piper-Heidsieck group, and made available for private receptions, events and stays. It’s well located close to the 13th-century Notre-Dame de Reims cathedral, where the kings of France were crowned. This beautiful city is a gateway to the region and, especially, the vineyards and cellar doors of the EPI group, spanning prestige labels Piper-Heidsieck, Charles Heidsieck and Rare Champagne.
Through the carriage entry and up to the vaulted porch we go. There are no guests on this July day so we are invited to look around, including poking our noses into the six guestrooms and two suites. It’s revealed that the original Monsieur and Madame had separate quarters on the first floor and much of the original decor has been retained, including the bathrooms. There are modern conveniences, of course, but it looks and feels authentic. Our guide explains the designers involved in the most recent restoration mixed 20th-century pieces from auction houses with others from the 18th and 19th centuries, plus family antiques and favourites, and contemporary creations from young designers.
The former ballroom has original mouldings and columns. Madame’s boudoir is appropriately feminine, its pastel walls inset with panels of floral wallpaper. Monsieur’s quarters are larger, with tones of beige and black, and both have balcony doors letting in loads of light. “Are they French doors?” asks one wag in our group. Smaller but equally well-detailed guestrooms are on the second floor, all with pale parquet floors and each named for a Champagne house. “The visitor will certainly appreciate that each room, whether it is the layout or the decoration, has its own atmosphere. At the Eisenhower Residence, there is no standardisation, which is the signature of a strong personality,” announced Francois Chatillon, chief architect in charge of the 2016-21 project. Certainly there is not the reverential atmosphere of a museum here. No roped-off areas or Do Not Touch signs separate guests from that next flute of fizz.
Breakfast is served in the Garden Room, an airy space with Bentwood chairs, pretty tiles and a lovely armoire displaying monogrammed china. Catering can be arranged for guests to take all meals at the Residence. But with 18 Michelin-hatted restaurants in Reims and others in neighbouring parts of Provence, including the feted Hotel Assiette Champenoise at Tinqueux, serious temptations abound.
We are served a stand-up lunch on the garden terrace by a selection of the best local providores. Full marks to Fromages et Vins du Boulingrin, whose soft cheeses, some sweetened with summer fruit, are sensational. Tip: Visit its delicatessen at 28 Rue de Mars, Reims. And go wild.
In the know
Eisenhower Residence is at 17 Boulevard Lundy, Reims. Guests can arrange expert-led tastings, tours and cellar experiences at Charles and Piper Heidsieck and Rare Champagne wineries. Available to book online as a group or individually. Rooms from €425 ($715) a night; suites from €550, including breakfast.
Susan Kurosawa was a guest of Qantas.
If you love to travel, sign up to our free weekly Travel + Luxury newsletter here.
