Hidden Luxury at Maisons Du Clair De La Plume
Advisors, if you want to wow your clients, mark this one down. It’s 5-star luxury at 4-star price and is, quite simply one of the most beautiful, unique concepts and places I’ve ever been.
Rooms at Maisons Du Clair De La Plume are nestled within the village of Grignan.
“We’ve been told that you have had a long day, and normally we would walk around and show you the village, but obviously champagne and a fireplace are better right now.”
And just like that I was in heaven.
The welcome words came from Jean Luc Valadeau, the founder of Maisons Du Clair De La Plume, a four-star establishment in the picturesque town of Grignan, which is located in the Drome area in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in southeastern France (about a 2 hour drive from Lyon).
Grignan is a member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (The Most Beautiful Villages of France) Association to give you an idea that even its own already beautiful country thinks it’s a stand-out.
TravelMarket Report Canada visited Grignan as part of a pre-FAM itinerary before the annual Rendez-vous global conference last month. Advisors, if you want to wow your clients, mark this one down. It’s 5-star luxury at 4-star price and is, quite simply one of the most beautiful, unique concepts and places I’ve ever been.
“It’s a mixed medieval renaissance from the 18th and 19th centuries; a period village and our concept is very weird,” Valadeau told our group during our dinner and overnight stay earlier this month.
“It’s different because we started 26 years ago with a little place, which was owned by the Canadian Ambassador who sold us the main house, and we made it into a hotel.
And slowly, over time we got more developed and now we have six places available to our guests, so they can make the choice of what they want. In total we have 29 rooms and one of our houses is classified with one Michelin Key.”
(For those who may not know, The Michelin Key is a new distinction introduced by the MICHELIN Guide to recognize and highlight exceptional hotels, similar to how Michelin Stars recognize outstanding restaurants, with one, two, and three keys representing varying levels of excellence.)
The best way to describe this property is a hotel in a village that seems to be all part of the hotel, with your rooms mixed in alongside regular residential properties, and a castle, Château de Grignan at the top. Because it was once a medieval village, the design of the village is circular, making it almost impossible to get lost just strolling around. Valedeau also owns a wine bar, which is a perfect rest stop after climbing the castle.
“We represent the local Appalachian wine operation, which is only 20 properties, and that’s why we created a bar in the village,” Valadeau says. “You can enjoy very simple food but with wine pairings, and you can also only do tastings. Our goal is to try to give the guest the best experiences without the high prices; they can have the boutique and the castle.”
The hotel boasts sustainable practices, earning a green star, and features unique experiences like wine blending, lavender field massages, and private wine tastings. It employs a diverse team of 140 during peak season, catering to both local and international guests with customized services, including personalized menus and cultural activities. The hotel also has a 1500-meter organic garden with an organic pool and a heated pool.
Perhaps best of all, Valadeau encourages advisors to reach out to him and his team directly to arrange your client visits. He will work on creating an incredible itinerary with top-notch service that will exceed your clients expectations.
“We do our best to accommodate the needs of every single one of our guests. We can organize and prioritize whatever you want to do. Our guests can have a candle walk in the village with a glass of champagne and discover the history. You can have massages in the lavender field. You can make your own organic cream. You can go to the winery and learn about winemaking. You can ride electric bicycles around the village or arrive by helicopter.
Our guests can have or do pretty much anything they want.”
*Advisors can reach out to info@clairplume.com +33 (0)4 75 00 01 01 for more information.
