Sipping a flute of Champagne already has the rarefied air of luxury. Now a haute hotel in the heart of the region that made the wine famous is appealing to guests’ sense of indulgence and making their effervescent dreams come true.
The Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa, a luxury hotel in the heart of the Champagne, now has the world’s first Champagne concierge on staff, a one-of-a-kind, only-in-the-world position held by Lise Legrand. She is a quintessential expert on France’s famous fizzy wines, creating spectacular experiences for guests regardless of expense or logistics.
“My role is to have an extensive working knowledge of all Champagne producers and their products and to create a bespoke itinerary for each guest according to what they like,” says Legrand. She emails guests before their arrival then holds a personal meeting with them after they check in to discover their favorite producers and styles; she also digs deeper to learn if they have a penchant for things like biodynamic wines, houses with storied history like Veuve Clicquot or more exclusive ones like Bollinger.
Guests bubble over with excitement to do tours and tastings at some of the most renowned and celebrated Champagne producers; Legrand also organizes tours of the surrounding towns like Hautvillers, Epernay and Reims and coordinates private tastings with the hotel’s chef sommelier Daniel Pires. Some of the most unique experiences she’s arranged include a hot air balloon over the vineyards, a picnic inside them with food from the hotel’s Michelin-starred Le Royal restaurant, tasting at the private house Pol Roger and a tour of the Abbaye de Dom Pérignon.
Born and raised in Champagne, Legrand has been immersed in bubbly since she was a child, participating in harvests for most of her life and learning to identify the sparkling wine’s subtle nuances. Since taking on her role as Champagne Concierge she has undergone extensive on-the-job training, from exploring the cellars of every Champagne house to studying the Biologique Recherche techniques at the property’s 16,000-square-foot luxury spa. “My goal is to educate not just on Champagne...but on Champagne the region, so that they leave...with a deeper understanding of this famous place.”
