My Stay At… Domaine Du Chalet

Domaine du Chalet is in Chigny-les-Roses, Montagne de Reims, about a 20 minute drive south of Reims and a 25 minute drive from Epernay.

Domaine du Chalet was built in 1860 in the village of Chigny-les-Roses, and is steeped in champagne history. It was recently bought by champagne house Palmer & Co but was once the hunting lodge of Madame Pommery, of Pommery Champagne fame.

The chalet is run by a lovely, friendly, kind couple Cécile Jacquier & Damien Litaudon. Cécile takes (very good!) care of all the guests and Damien is the chef who prepares divine feasts (only available for house guests), matched with Palmer & Co wines. We enjoyed a degustation with him on our first night which was divine and so much fun. There are only five rooms so just a small number of guests… when we were there we all got talking during dinner and ended up retiring to the living room afterwards for more champagne and chatting.

He also prepares your morning breakfasts of fresh baked croissants, eggs, bread… heaven!

Not only are the grounds spectacular, the accommodation is everything you could want from a historic French chalet. Cécile and Damien are warm and friendly and it really felt like being at home. Especially when half the guests were Australians!

The accommodation is easy walking distance down a small hill from the village of Rilly-la-Montagne which is where you can catch a train to Epernay or Reims for touring and tasting (without worrying about driving and parking). I also loved an early morning walk or run through the nearby villages… the sunrises here were just stunning and the air was so fresh and crisp!

Although Cécile and Damien were quite perplexed by our walking to the next village, and almost shocked when I told them we walked to Mailly-Champagne one morning before breakfast, they realised it was must be “an Australian thing” when the other guests from Sydney did the same thing.

But look what you miss if you don’t!

There are SO many champagne houses to visit just in Chigny and Rilly you really don’t need to (or probably want to!) travel very far.

In Chigny you have Cattier, Gardet, Dumangin J Fils and J Lassalle and Canard Duchene the next village over in Ludes.

In Rilly, you can visit Vilmart & Cie, Michel Fagot, Daniel Dumont, Marc Chauvet, and Didier Herbert. It is also home to one of my fave champagne bars, Prise de Mousse (MUST VISIT!) and an amazing restaurant at Chateau de Rilly (also another option to stay at). I had lunch at Chateau de Rilly between my tours of Piper Heidsieck and Charles Heidsieck and it was very, very, very good! (No one does a cheese cart like the French!)

But back to the Domaine du Chalet… there are actually a pool and tennis court though we didn’t use them. There are five rooms, including this one set in the treetops.

But my friend, Shannon, and I stayed in the chalet’s two bedroom option, the Les Marches du Temps, which we loved… it felt elegant and spacious. It was right at the top of the chalet and they warn you about the steep stairs to carry up suitcases… they were not wrong (see pic below – you have been warned)! (Note to self – must take pics before unpacking lol!)

But the height equals views which were gorgeous. I loved our claw foot bath… bubbles in the bubble bath and I am in heaven!

When we were checking out on our last day we had a little peek into the other two rooms in the main chalet (guests had already checked out!) and our jaws dropped… suddenly ‘elegant and spacious’ was redefined. See those options on the Domaine du chalet website.

Would I stay here again… YES. In a heartbeat. Take me back. Now. Service, style, space, comfort, history, gastronomy, green forest surrounds, and champagne… ALL 5/5.

Occasion…. So I stayed here with my friend and travel buddy, Shannon, and it was incredible. We both like a bit of luxury in our lives… BUT if I were to pick the occasion, it would be ROMANCE. Honeymoon, anniversary, lovers’ getaway, milestone birthday with your lover… you get my vibe. I actually said to Shannon, if I ever get married, I’d elope and do it at Domaine du Chalet. (You can book out all five rooms exclusively if you want to invite a few friends.)

There are so many choices and places to stay. Make sure you check out my 5 top places to stay in Champagne here. They are all tried and tested (this is my number one!) and there is something for every budget.

Do you have a fave place to stay in Champagne? Don’t forget to tell me about it in comments below or post a pic and tag @bubbleandflute #bubbleandflute #happychampers on Facebook and Instagram.