Hotel Le Cep, Beaune, France
Hotel Overview
Review of Hotel Le Cep, by Jamie Dunford Wood
Beaune is a wonderful market town in the heart of the Cote d'Or of Burgundy, and its cooking is renowned. Le Cep is a townhouse luxury hotel attached to perhaps one of the best restaurants in Beaune, Bernard Morillon's Michelin-rated establishment. A characterful mix of antiques and old world French country charm such as one would have found in any number of inexpensive and undiscovered three star lodgings the length and breadth of this country, it was places like these that made France, the best place in Europe for the classic driving holiday.
The facilities
The reception areas within the luxury hotel are a series of comfortable ingelnooks, full of character, while at the back a courtyard lightwell shows off the age of the building. Breakfast here on a summer's morning is delightful, as is the gastronomic dinner in the quiet secluded garden, from which herbs are collected daily by the chef.
The rooms
The rooms at the luxury hotel are named after famous wine regions of Burgundy and the walls are hung with anonymous local oils. Floors are carpeted in old country patterns. Bathrooms are simple and tiled, and a melange of antiques are dotted about.
The standard rooms of the luxury hotel are smallish, while the deluxes, and suites - a modern affectation one feels - are capacious. One, 210 (Gevry), has a large stone balcony overlooking the courtyard. Some suites at the luxury hotel are in the form of duplexes.
Facilities
Awards
Three Michelin StarsWho stays here?
Beautiful for a honeymoon.Come for...
- Traditional elegance
- A wide range wine list
- A calm atmosphere
Not Suitable for...
- Anyone looking for a more modern, contemporary hotel - tradition, wine and art culture are what you will find here
Children
Larger rooms offer several beds and extra beds can be added to all rooms.Eating in
A continental or traditional English breakfast at the hotel is served either in the wine cellar or in the courtyard, weather permitting. Dinner is served in the restaurant, Bernard Loiseau. The first restaurant in France to ever offer wine by the glass.The Press Say
"A member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World line, this hotel dates back to 1442. Climb the tower staircase one evening for a magical view over Beaune’s rooftops." In-Lan Magazine 06Reviews
Review of Hotel Le Cep, by Mary Lussiana
To make the most of a visit to beautiful Beaune, Hotel Le Cep is really the only place to stay, for it puts you right in the cobbled heart of this medieval city. Le Cep has grown from its original 19 rooms to its present 62 rooms and suites without losing any of its charm - this has been made possible by joining together neighbouring historical houses. Staff are friendly and professional, and guests come from all corners of the world.
The facilities
Within the old walls of Le Cep lies the recently opened and very stylish Loiseau des Vignes restaurant. Unique to France, it offers diners a chance to savour any of its 70 Burgundian wines by the glass. The food is from the stable of the late Bernard Loiseau, whose wife still runs the 3 Michelin starred restaurant further north, but here the dishes are pared-down classics, as much representing the region as the great chef himself.
Breakfast is served in a beautiful 16th-century courtyard when weather permits.
The rooms
The one thing all Le Cep's 62 rooms - which, deliciously, are named after the famous wines of Burgundy - have in common is their antique furnishings; whether it is a four poster bed, an 18th-century wardrobe or the characteristic wooden Plafond a la Francaise.
All rooms benefit from modern bathrooms, with huge corner baths in some and separate showers. The suites are large by any standard, with sofas and good working desks. The King sized beds are swathed in smooth Italian cotton sheets, and many of the rooms have their own private stone balcony.