Did you know famed Champagne house Veuve Clicquot has a private, invite-only hotel called Hotel du Marc? Neither did I, until my friend was invited to stay there and asked me to join her. Here’s what it’s like to stay at Veuve Clicquot’s Hotel du Marc in Reims, France.
My friend Rikki is a champagne aficionado and expert, so when she invited me on a champagne-focused trip to Champagne, France, I jumped at the chance to join her. We ate and drank our way through the region, getting private tours of huge champagne houses, private dinners at small ones, and even did a ratafia-finished whisky tasting. But those are all stories for other posts.
The climax of the trip was a one-night stay at Veuve Clicquot’s Hotel du Marc. The “hotel” is less of a hotel and more of a guest house, with only six rooms. And in order to stay there, you have to be an invited guest of Veuve Clicquot. (Usually guests are wine writers or influencers, friends and family of the brand, or other VIPs.)
History of the Hotel du Marc
Hotel du Marc is located down the street from Veuve Clicquot’s champagne house and caves (which are full of their own exciting history) in Reims, France. The land was originally purchased by Veuve Clicquot’s namesake, Barb Nicole Clicquot, with intentions to expand the winery. When that didn’t happen, she gave the land to her successor, Édouard Werlé. (If you don’t know Barb Nicole’s story, it’s very inspiring!)
In 1840, Édouard Werlé built a mansion on the land, where he lived the rest of his life — and actually died there in 1886. After his death, the directors of Maison Veuve Clicquot lived at the house, where they hosted distributors and customers from around the world.
Like most of the Champagne region, it was bombed during World War I, but luckily the house didn’t suffer much damage. In 2012, the Hotel du Marc opened for Veuve Clicquot’s private receptions after four years of restorations.
The grounds also include the Pavillon de Muire, one of the few Renaissance buildings to survive World War I. (It was built in 1565!)
Inside Veuve Clicquot’s Hotel du Marc
We arrived at Veuve Clicquot’s Hotel du Marc in the rain and were ushered inside under umbrellas held by the staff. (Fancy!) The 2012 renovations transformed the 19th Century mansion into a modern masterpiece. Designed by celebrated architect Bruno Moinard (known for his work with Cartier), the hotel is a mix of classic and contemporary. Think 19th Century paneling but painted black for an updated look.
As you’d expect, there are touches of Veuve Clicquot everywhere. The brand’s logo adorns the fluffy bathrobes and the towels in the rooms, a life-size ostrich stands in the study wearing a Veuve Clicquot saddle, and there’s even a branded foosball table.
There’s also lots of art. The lobby features a huge glass sculpture by Yayoi Kusama. And the second floor landing has a door frame that swirls into a nearby bench — built right into the walls! — by Pablo Reinoso.
The Hotel du Marc’s Rooms
The Hotel du Marc has six guest rooms, each completely different in design and style. They are named for the six countries that were pivotal in Veuve Clicquot’s early success: France (obviously), Italy (where it was first exported), Russia (where it became a status symbol to drink), United Kingdom, Japan, and the United States (today’s three highest selling markets).
The rooms were cool but the bathrooms were the most impressive. Some have beautiful bathtubs, others have showers in little coves. Again, each room’s bathroom was completely different.
I stayed in the France room (shown at top), which is the only room that wasn’t in the modern style. It was left in the original style of the house, with mint green walls and beautifully patina-darkened mirrors. But the bathroom was modern and bright, with striking gold touches throughout the large space.
Luckily there were six of us in our group so we got to see each room. Each room was stocked with a miniature bottle of Veuve Clicquot already on ice, next to a branded wine glass. So we did a “room crawl” with our own bottles of champagne to see everyone’s room.
Dinner at the Hotel du Marc
Our stay included dinner at the Hotel du Marc. We met downstairs in the sitting room, where white-gloved servers poured plenty of bubbly. We were served multiple amuse bouches to munch on, like lobster and miniature ravioli. Our host chatted with us and shared stories about the house — both Maison Veuve Clicquot and the actual house itself.
Then double doors opened to reveal the dining room, a dramatic black room with a glowing chandelier. Bouquets of fresh flowers were everywhere. We ate a four course dinner paired with Veuve Clicquot, made by the in-house chefs. They’ve worked at the house for nearly 20 years and grow many ingredients right on site. They change the menu monthly, but the dishes are always designed to be paired with Veuve Clicquot.
After our amuse bouches paired with Brut Carte Jaune, our first course was cod and fingerling potatoes with samphire and oxalis paired with La Grande Dame 2015. Next we had artichokes with Limousin veal and French curry paired with La Grande Dame Rosé 2015. Then we had a cheese course plated tableside, then the Baked Alaska for dessert (flamed with Veuve Clicquot, of course!), paired with the Demi-Sec. It was all amazing!
We finished the evening in the private bar, lined floor-to-ceiling with bottles of Veuve. Chocolates and other petite sweets were laid out on platters, and we enjoyed the juke box and the foosball table.
Is the Hotel du Marc Haunted?
One of our first questions to our host during happy hour was if she knew of any ghost stories in the house. She replied that she’d only worked there a few months so she hadn’t heard of any, but that she’d been to the attic, which was “very creepy.”
I didn’t think much of it until I went to bed. As I mentioned, I stayed in the France room, the only one not redone in a modern style (pictured at top). I heard creaks and cracks all night, which is typical of a 250-year old house. But at one point I heard very distinct footsteps upstairs (in the attic?!) and someone tried to open the interior door that didn’t lead anywhere (luckily it was locked).
When I asked my friends in other rooms if they heard the same creaking and footsteps, they all replied they didn’t hear anything. I later learned that the house’s original owner, Édouard Werlé, died in the house in 1886. Was it his ghost? Was it the copious amounts of champagne I’d had all week? Who’s to say!
•••
Only 2,000 people a year are invited to stay at Veuve Clicquot’s Hotel du Marc. If you’re not one of them, you can at least tour Veuve Clicquot’s wine caves, which are fascinating! They are full of history from the World Wars — and, of course, champagne.
Related :: The Best Itinerary for Champagne Tasting in Champagne, Tips for taking a day trip to Champagne from Paris, and 5 Surprising Facts About Veuve Clicquot
