Art Deco and crystal hotel
© Gilles Pernet
Crystal company Lalique turned its founder’s villa into a lavish boutique hotel boasting a starred restaurant. A cozy retreat furnished and decorated with Lalique pieces.

[ Practical ]

Villa René Lalique
18 rue Bellevue
67290 Wingen-sur-Moder.
From €360 per night.
Information
Tel 0388719898
www.villarenelalique.com
Located in Northern Alsace, near Wingen-sur-Moder, the Villa René Lalique is one of France’s nicest and best hotels. A member of the Relais & Châteaux association, it opened in September 2015. However its origin dates back to 1920 and it served as the main residence of the Art Nouveau leading jewelery designer and Art Deco master glassmaker from 1921 when he set up a glasswork in this village.


© Gilles Pernet
 Six suites
After his death in 1945, his son Marc who specialized the company in crystal making, and granddaughter Marie-Claude, continued to stay there on a regular basis.
With its tiled roof, pointed gables and blue wooden shutters, the half-timbered villa retains its 1920 original exterior appearance. But the interior have been completely refurbished by famous designers Lady Tina Green and Pietro Mingarelli who, in 2011, created the ‘Lalique Maison‘ furniture and decorative accessories collection inspired by original René Lalique Art Deco motifs. So its no surprise that the six individually decorated suites and the lounge bar are styled with pieces from this collection while the decoration include Lalique crystal works as well as black and white pictures of the house and the Lalique family in the former days.


© Gilles Pernet
 Refined restaurant
Connected to the house via a walkway made from glass, the restaurant helmed by Michelin starred chef Jean-Georges Klein is located inside a strikingly modern building with a plant-covered roof by renowned architect Mario Botta. The dining room is surrounded by floor to ceiling windows overlooking the nearby woods and boasts a refined decoration that includes three Windfall chandeliers composed of a hundred individually hung pieces of Lalique crystal while the tables are laid with Lalique glasses and decanters.
Beneath lies an impressive and elegant cellar ran by 2012 Meilleur Sommelier de France Romain Itlis. Concealed behind 14 crystal panels designed by Lalique, it holds more than 12 000 fine wines from all over the world with of course a strong focus on regional Alsatian wines.

February 24, 2017
 Thierry Joly