Spend Christmas Eve in a Historic French Châteaux
If you’re a Robb Report regular, you’ll know we take the holidays seriously around here. We’ve always had plenty of ideas about what to give the person in your life who has everything, been able to recommend villas with room enough for the whole family, and a spectacular suite or two to settle into over Christmas. So, it stands to reason then, that La Réserve Paris Hotel and Spa’s new five-day Christmas package, which gives just 15 guests exclusive access to the historic Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, ticks all of our over-the-top boxes.
The experience kicks off on December 20, when guests will arrive in the City of Light and check in to their classically French suite at the hotel. They’ll then spend the lead up to the holiday exploring some of Paris’s landmarks with a VIP twist—think a private visit to the Eiffel Tower (an experience typically reserved for presidents and visiting dignitaries), a crowd-free couple of hours exploring the Louvre, and a cruise in a slick speedboat down the Seine. In between these excursions, they can indulge in a limited-edition Michel Reybier champagne-filled yule log in the comfort of their suite, or pop out to the Champs-Elysées to pick up any last-minute gifts still on their list.
Come Christmas Eve, guests will load into a helicopter for the short flight down to Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte outside of Melun. Built in the 17th century by Nicolas Fouquet, Louis XIV’s Superintendent of Finance, the property is the largest privately-owned estate in France, and is rarely open to outsiders. Once they arrive, the lucky revelers will be whisked inside the château, where the already ornate architecture and décor (which is said to have inspired the Palace of Versailles) has been dialed up a festive notch. After they settle in at elegant tables under the sweeping ceilings of the château, a dinner prepared by two-Michelin starred chef Jérôme Banctel, who typically heads La Réserve’s Le Gabriel restaurant, with wine pairings by Cos d’Estournel, will unfold.
The evening will then draw to a close with a midnight carriage ride around the Vaux-le-Vicomte’s pristine gardens—which were designed by Andre Le Notre, who went on to design the gardens at Versailles. Guests will then wake up on Christmas morning back at Le Réserve, where they can continue the festivities by gifting themselves a hard-earned treatment at the spa. Santa couldn’t have done better if he tried.
The Christmas package can be booked by emailing nzimmermann@lareserve-paris.com or by calling +33.1.58.36.60.22.
Launch Gallery: La Réserve Paris Hotel and Spa's Christmas Package - In Pictures
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