Review: Château de Sacy

Close your eyes. What's arriving at the hotel like? Give us an establishing shot.
This gorgeous 1850 chateau is set on a hillside just above a small village and surrounded by vineyards, which makes it feel like a little island. Depending on the weather, you can see Reims way off in the distance, including that city’s famous cathedral. The three-story stone house is a textbook example of Napoleon III architecture with its steep slate roof, fretted eaves, and red brick trim around doors and windows. Every room is individually decorated with a mixture of contemporary furniture and antiques.

Nice. What’s the crowd like?
Guests when I stayed were English and Dutch couples in their forties who’d decided to get away for a few days and travel local instead of heading off long-haul to some place like Thailand. The celebrity who I could very easily see staying here is Caroline Kennedy, since with her intelligence, charm, and good manners, she’d fit right in and love this place. They’d love her back, too. With only 12 rooms, nothing is ever crowded here.

The good stuff: Tell us about your room.
I have two favorite regular rooms: the Marie Antoinette room, because it’s so light, quiet, and romantic, and has beautiful views over the vineyards; and the Winston Churchill suite, which is more spacious (and expensive) and beautifully decorated with a pale green tartan headboard, as well as a British army military map of the Champagne country from World War II. All of the rooms come with parquet floors, big, very comfortable beds, and white marble bathrooms. Some have bath tubs, some showers, some both tubs and shower; bath equipment, along with size, are what make them different.

What about the minibar and the shower goodies? Anything find its way into your suitcase?
No minibar or coffee maker, but two complimentary bottles of mineral water are offered. Linens are good quality, but the thing I’d want to take home is the handwoven woolen bed cover from the Basque country—it’s so soft to touch and really good looking (sand colored, rough weave). The Wi-Fi is excellent.

If you had to award a trophy to a member of the staff, who would you award a trophy to and what did they do to earn it?
Service is warm, friendly, and efficient in keeping with the guiding idea of this place, which is sincere hospitality with a lot of charm. The delightful young general manager, Tiphaine Brossier, who previously worked in several luxury hotels in Saint Tropez, sets the tone and is often present to greet guests, chat with them, and make suggestions of things to see and do.

How was the food?
Not surprisingly, the quaff of choice here is Champagne, and they have an excellent selection of bottles from lesser-known small producers and offer Champagne tastings. The idea here is that Champagne isn’t just a party drink but a wine that can be paired with food. The restaurant menu changes regularly but the chicken-and-foie-gras pâté en croûte with cabbage-and-lentil salad in white miso sauce, a starter, is normally on the menu, and is superb. Standout main courses include yellow pollack served with caramelized endives, orange essence, and Champagne sauce, and grilled pork belly with a condiment of olives and capers, spinach, and carrot mousseline with ginger. No room service, but light meals are served during the day in the bar-lounge.

Bottom line: Was the hotel worth the money, time, and effort it would take an average person to book it?
This place is really charming and exactly the kind of hotel you hope to find for a two-day trip from Paris to visit the Champagne caves. It’s also very romantic without having done anything self-conscious to make it so.