I AM IN THE CHAMPAGNE region in France for the first time, on an invite from the newly appointed president of Relais & Chateaux, Laurent Gardinier to visit his historic property of Domaine Les Crayeres situated in the heart of Reims. It's a chilly morning when I reach the flagship of Relais & Chateuax hotels after a 90-minute drive from Paris' Charles de Gaulle International Airport. The warmth is palpable when I step into the castle and get welcomed with a glass of champagne and hors d'oeuvre. That's typical Relais & Chateaux hospitality-wherever you are, there is always personal luxury. The next 48 hours are bound to be a gastronomic feast, I think to myself. The two-Michelin star Le Parc restaurant is situated on the ground floor, adjacent to the reception, and Le Jardin brasserie, the Michelin 'BIB Gourmand', is literally a stone's throw away from the palace grounds.
Located on Saint-Nicaise Hill, a UNESCO heritage site, the castle boasts 20 rooms, each named after European empresses, queens, and princesses. Overlooking the seven hectares of landscaped garden, my room is reminiscent of the ones in an aristocratic French chateau dating back to 1904. The room features beautiful fabric and antique furnishings but is equipped with all the modern amenities a 21st-century traveller might need. Domaine Les Crayeres opened to guests under the ownership of Gardinier brothers in 1981. The French art de vivre, however, is still intact.
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