It is an unlikely place to breathe away from visitors outside the Golden Gate of the Châteaude de Fersailles. Opposite the street of the large entrance, discerning travelers will find Les Lumières of Versailles. Of course, this hotel is less crowded and busy than previous royal residences, but evokes a similar historical charm.
The on-site spa is a more modern and relaxing retreat that emphasizes health and anti-aging. The spirit of the spa can be accessed through the long corridor under the hall, which calms the mind and body, which is the hotel’s overall focus on the concept of happiness. It is also the world’s first hotel spa to use Beau Domaine, a French skincare collection co-founded by Brad Pitt and the Perrin family.
The Provence-based skincare company and Hôtel Les Lumières partnership was initially because the Relais & Châteaux property wanted only to work with French brands. More specifically, the hotel is looking for a French, vegan and organic skincare product line, all the features of Beau Domaine, which uses patented active ingredients to work with natural elements of Perrin Family Vineyards. We have worked with Hôtel Les Lumières, which opened the opening ceremony of Hôtel Les Lumières in July last year for nearly a year.
“Beau Domaine and Spa des Lumière share the same values, both interested in sustainability and overall care for people,” Christelle Clarac-Boutot, brand director at Beau Domaine, told Observer. “We had a lot of demands for developing rituals for spas, but we decided to start with Hôtel Les Lumières. We wanted to propose an experience, which is the alliance between science and terroir.”
The five-star Hôtel Les Lumières, which debuted before the 2024 Paris Olympics, includes two 17th-century gazebos, namely Villacerf and Gramont. Villacerf, once Hôtel Des Voyageurs, retained details of the original property, including the 1907 staircase. The hotel evokes a similar grandeur to the nearby Versailles Castle. Its offerings are themed on the Enlightenment, with 31 rooms and suites named after French writers and philosophers of the era. (The suite I paid tribute to Voltaire during my recent stay.)
“We want to match the spa with the enlightenment period,” explained spa director Ophélie Sergeant. “It’s about the consciousness of the present. There’s a bubble of time and you just release your mind and body. That’s why we don’t double the amount [treatment rooms]. We had two separate rooms. ”
The elegant spa is decorated with light wood and natural tones, relatively small, only 1,450 square feet, but effective. There is a sauna and Hammam, a fitness room with only two treatment rooms, all designed by hôtel Leslumières. After Beau Domaine entered the picture, the brand designed the treatment ceremony and participated in the decoration. The spa currently offers two Beau Domaine facials: 30 minutes of discovery face and 60 minutes of signature face. Beau Domaine has also developed a longer, more intensive 90-minute option, as well as a combination of body and facial treatments. All treatments are gender neutral, just like Beau Domaine itself.
These treatments were designed with the help of beauticians who had previously managed luxury spas and the former, with a focus on results. “For us, the most important thing is radiation,” Clarac-Boutot said. “All the steps of the face are directed to this. Facial care also helps reduce wrinkles and fine lines and re-cover the skin because [the brand is] Very rich in active compounds. ”
The face is fused with many Beau Domaine products, including cleaning lotions and creams, as well as exfoliation, facial massage and Gua Sha drainage. Since grape seed oil, crushed grape seeds, clay and olive oil are used in the product, a unique earthy smell appears during the experience, which is a purposeful element in the face and my favorite part.
“It’s a very healthy organic product,” said Sgt. “It emphasizes physical contact,” [with the ground] and the aroma of terroir and grapes. It’s not as complicated as many brands, but it’s related to the quality of the product. We then added some happy experiences like weighted blankets to help you relax, which blends the spirit of Beau Domaine and Hôtel Les Lumières. ”
A 20-pound blanket made from Dormeur is also a fixture in the guest room. As the name suggests, the bedroom is airy and bright, with colorful prosperity on the walls and bedding. But it is these details that enhance the accommodation. Guests can hang on weighted blankets and meditate on the Morphée beside the bed, a sleeping device that also has relaxing music and natural sounds. Near the Nespresso machine is a four-tea infusion mixture from Café Joyeux, which includes a tea that encourages sleep.
“50% of the guests who come here want to buy it,” said hotel general manager Clément Gohin of the plush blanket. “One guest bought it directly on Amazon during breakfast. He told me it was his first time sleeping last year.”
Of course, health comes in many forms, as evidenced by food and beverage products in hotels. The outstanding room at Les Lumières is the Grand Café Pierre Hermé located on the top of the elegant white staircase. The affluent space evokes the famous Mirror Hall, with breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea available every day. It is decorated with 19th-century chandeliers and carpets, as well as velvet pink seats worthy of Barbie, and impressive windows overlook the D’Armes. Downstairs, the dining table restaurant is hosted by chef Erwan Le Thomas and shows the dishes before the plants are displayed around seasonal local products (guests can choose meat as the “side” item).
For more casual things, the neighboring Philosopher Bar offers cocktails, wine and snacks throughout the evening. Like a spa, the bar focuses on French ingredients. Each drink on the menu comes from France, including Pitt’s Miraval Rosé wine, which creates a synergy between the Spa des Lumière and the Philosopher’s bar.
“The seeds in grapes, grape oil and skin care products come from his vineyards,” Sgt. “Even the packaging of the product comes from Miraval. The top of the bottle is made of remaining wood for manufacturing,” Sgt. [wine] bucket. ”
Of course, the connection with Pitt attracted many spa guests, especially the largest market for Americans. The actor launched the brand in 2022, originally called Le Domaine. It was developed with the help of Professor Oenology Pierre-Louis Teissedre and Professor Nicolas Lévy from the University of Bordeaux, who discovered the two patented active ingredients GSM10 and Progr3 in Beau Domaine. According to Clarac-Boutot, although Pitt himself has no facials, he has played a role in making skin care products.
“He used these products from the beginning,” she said. “He told us that if he didn’t see any results, we wouldn’t be able to launch the product.”
Currently, travelers can only experience the face of Beau Domaine in the Spa des Lumière. But Clarac-Boutot confirmed the brand is working to expand to other spas including Paris and Spain. “It’s not our main development, but it’s very interesting because it’s the way to meet our consumers and get feedback,” she said. “The face is a very good, very unique experience.”
So while you may not leave Hôtel Les Lumières like Pete did, you will certainly feel like a celebrity while staying there.
