Inside Hôtel du Marc: The Secret Mansion Where Champagne Royalty Stays

There Are Hotels. And Then There Are Places Like This.

When most people think of a luxury stay in Champagne, they picture a beautiful boutique hotel in Reims, perhaps a château in the vineyards, or a stylish property in Épernay. And those experiences are wonderful. For most of our trips, we love to host our guests at the 5-star Royal Champagne Hotel.

But there is a place in Champagne that exists in an entirely different category.

Hôtel du Marc is not listed on any booking platform. It doesn't appear on TripAdvisor or Booking.com. You cannot call to make a reservation. And no matter how much you're willing to spend, you simply cannot book it.

Because Hôtel du Marc is not a hotel in the traditional sense.

It is the private mansion of Maison Veuve Clicquot, and to stay here, you need an invitation.

A Mansion Built for Legacy

Nestled in the heart of Reims, just steps from Maison Veuve Clicquot's famous cellars, Hôtel du Marc has stood on this land since 1840. It was built by Édouard Werlé, successor to the legendary Barbe-Nicole Clicquot Ponsardin, better known to the world as Madame Clicquot, La Grande Dame de la Champagne.

Madame Clicquot's story is one of the most remarkable in business history. Widowed at just 27, she took control of her late husband's Champagne house in 1805 at a time when women rarely led enterprises of any kind. Rather than stepping back, she stepped forward, revolutionizing the industry by inventing the riddling table, perfecting the clarity of Champagne, and building one of the first truly global luxury brands.

Werlé lived in the mansion for the rest of his life, using it to host distributors and esteemed guests from around the world, a tradition that continues to this day.

Like much of the Champagne region, the mansion was scarred by the devastation of both World Wars. Yet remarkably, it survived largely intact, a quiet witness to over 180 years of history.

In 2008, LVMH commissioned a four-year top-to-bottom restoration of the property, overseen by celebrated Paris architect Bruno Moinard, known for his iconic work with Cartier. The result, unveiled in 2012, is a masterpiece, a seamless marriage of 19th-century grandeur and bold contemporary design.

Invitation Only- And Here's Why That Matters

Hôtel du Marc has just 6 guest rooms.

Each one is completely unique in design and character, named after the six countries most pivotal to Veuve Clicquot's early success and legacy: France, Russia, Italy, the United Kingdom, Japan, and the United States.

I had the privilege of staying in the USA Suite back in October, a warm, immersive room drenched in golden amber tones, with a dramatic contemporary artwork commanding one entire wall, floor-length curtains, and every detail considered down to the last thread.

Access to the mansion is reserved exclusively for:

• Brand ambassadors and journalists

• Distinguished guests and partners of Maison Veuve Clicquot

• Select invited guests through trusted relationships with the House

Only approximately 2,000 people worldwide are invited to experience Hôtel du Marc each year.

To put that in perspective- the Eiffel Tower welcomes nearly 7 million visitors annually. The Louvre sees over 8 million.

What the Experience Is Like

From the moment you arrive at the cobblestone courtyard every detail signals that you have entered a world apart.

The Grand Entrance

Stepping inside, you are immediately greeted by the unexpected. The grand entrance hall features a breathtaking curved staircase with ornate iron railings, a crystal chandelier overhead, and at its centre, a vivid, joyful sculpture by world-renowned artist Yayoi Kusama. The juxtaposition of 19th-century architecture and contemporary art is deliberate, extraordinary, and utterly unforgettable.

The Private Grounds

The gardens surrounding the mansion are immaculate, sweeping manicured lawns, sculptured cloud-pruned topiaries, and contemporary art installations woven throughout. This is a private world. A sanctuary. Hidden behind elegant gates in the centre of one of France's most historic cities.

The Sitting Room

Before dinner, guests gather in the elegant sitting room, soaring ceilings, crystal wall sconces, floor-to-ceiling silk curtains, and an arched doorway that leads to a warmly lit private library beyond. This is where aperitifs are served, where conversations begin, where the evening unfolds at its own unhurried pace.

The Study

Perhaps the most talked-about detail in the entire mansion: an ostrich, standing proudly in the study, adorned with a Hermès saddle. It is the kind of detail that stops you in your tracks, makes you laugh, and reminds you that true luxury always has a sense of personality.

The Dining Room

The private dining room is nothing short of theatrical. Dark lacquered walls, gilded crystal chandelier, gold wall panels, floor-to-ceiling curtains, and a long oval table set with fresh flowers, crystal glasses, and fine porcelain. Dinner is prepared by the mansion's in-house chefs, designing every dish to be paired with Veuve Clicquot.

On the evening of our group's stay, the champagne journey took us through some of the most extraordinary bottles from Veuve Clicquot's cellars including the La Grande Dame 1996, a 2006 Rosé, and a remarkable 1983 vintage. Each course was an expression of the House's philosophy: that Champagne is not simply a drink, but a language.

And the morning after? That same dramatic dining room, transformed for a private breakfast of freshly baked croissants, pastries, and the quiet luxury of having nowhere to be.

The Private Afterparty

Since we had the Manson to ourselves, we made ourselves comfortable at the private bar and living spaces as we enjoyed more champagne and reminisced about the unforgettable day we had.

The Arrival Detail That Says Everything

When I walked into my room, there was a handwritten note waiting for me on the desk.

"Madame Lyons, welcome to Hôtel du Marc."

Beside it, a bottle of Veuve Clicquot on ice. A crystal glass. A small plate of house-made biscuits. A room key.

It is a small gesture, in the context of everything the evening would bring. But it is the kind of detail that tells you everything about a place. The intention behind it. The care. The understanding that true hospitality is not about scale, it is about making one person feel, in one moment, that they are exactly where they are meant to be.

Why This Matters for Your Champagne Journey

I share this experience not simply to paint a picture of extraordinary luxury, though it is certainly that.

I share it because this is the kind of access we bring to our private travel clients.

Our relationships in Champagne, built over years of visits, tastings, dinners, and genuine connection with the people of this region, open doors that most travelers will never find. Not because those doors don't exist, but because they are simply not visible without the right guide.

At A Vine Affair, every private Champagne journey we curate is designed with this philosophy at its heart: that the most extraordinary experiences are not found on booking platforms or travel apps. They are found through trust, through relationship, through years of showing up and falling in love with a place and its people.

Whether it is an intimate dinner with a winemaker, a private harvest morning in the vineyards, access to a producer whose doors are rarely open to visitors, or an invitation to stay in one of the world's most exclusive private residences, this is what bespoke Champagne travel looks like.

Email voyage@avineaffair.com  to register interest for experiences like this!

Because some experiences are not just about where you go, they are about who opens the door for you.

Photos are from our October 2025 Trip hosted with Moët Hennessy Private. To see more photos and videos, head over to our Instagram Page @avineaffair.voyage.