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.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Lunching In Leh
Turtuk, the last town of India in Ladakh, is having a culinary and hospitality renaissance, discovers Harsh Surti
The Medieval Charm of Elsinore
Elsinore, in eastern Denmark, is a charming city full of surprises, such as its interesting link to Shakespeare, discovers Ami Bhat
Natural Selection
In other parts of the world, natural wine production can be raw, wild, and a little messy. But a road trip through southeastern Austria reveals that, in a land where order and understatement reign, even the low-intervention bottles are elegant and refined.
Where the Wild Things Are
Uncovering Rwanda's natural treasures-and the gift of multigenerational travel
FROM THE VOICE WITHIN
A hit new season of a cult show, a brand new production venture, and a baby girl-it seems Ali Fazal is on top of the world right now. Amid a new parenting journey, the actor talks to SAMREEN TUNGEKAR about his travel persona, his instincts, and what feeds the artiste within him
MONSOON IN THE WILD
For nature lovers craving the lush serenity of monsoon forests, off-season safaris in national park buffer zones offer rare rewards and vital support to local economies, discovers Chandreyi Bandyopadhyay.
Ray of Sunshine
Getting diagnosed with life-threatening ailments can spell doom, but for actor Lisa Ray, it became a testament to her resilience. Diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2009, the former model maintained a positive outlook, blossomed into a vocal advocate for cancer awareness and support, and turned author with a book chronicling her story. In a chat with Bayar Jain, she gets candid about her journey of hope and healing
Championing Change with Conversations That Matter
Aditi Mayer is a responsible storyteller who likes to look at fashion through a lens of social and environmental justice. She tells Samreen Tungekar about how she manages her own mental health and wellness despite work that promotes positive change and requires mental bandwidth
Travelling Through Conscious Well-Being
In the ever-evolving landscape of wellness, where data meets intuition and science aligns with ancient practices, Deepak Chopra stands as a unique bridge between these worlds. Chopra talks to Dipali Patwa about how travel, when intertwined with wellness, becomes a powerful catalyst for personal transformation.
Transcending The 'Trend'
For Rimzim Dadu, the creation of a collection is about lending the pieces a timeless quality. Samreen Tungekar talks to the designer about her creative process, and how her travels intersperse with her approach to design