Dijon's Grand Hotel La Cloche: An Updated Masterpiece With Plenty To Offer
Located on Jardin Darcy, smack dab in the center of Dijon, the Grand Hotel La Cloche Dijon from MGallery by Sofitel is a city landmark. Open since 1884, this Beaux-Arts masterpiece has played host to royalty and celebrities over the years, and a recent renovation has brought it fully into the twenty-first century, reclaiming its top spot as Dijon's leading hotel. We had the opportunity to spend a couple nights there recently, and couldn't have been more impressed.
The 88-room hotel's lobby is warm and welcoming, and the former ballroom, adjacent to the lobby, has been turned into a chic and stylish bar while retaining many period details (above). Our Deluxe room was large and very modern with thick carpeting, funky art, a warm color scheme, and modern furnishings and bathroom fixtures. There's a new spa in the arched stone basement, Spa by La Cloche, with three treatment rooms, a sauna and hammam, and a small relaxation pool. There's also a cigar lounge, a lush garden, a large screening room with stadium seating, and plenty of meeting and reception space in an adjacent building.
The hotel's restaurant, Les Jardins by La Cloche, is spacious and welcoming, and huge windows overlook the garden and let in plenty of natural light. The seasonal menu by chef Aurélien Mauny showcases fresh ingredients in creative recipes as well as classic Burgundian fare. Offerings include sea urchin crème brûlée; slow-cooked foie gras with verbena and roasted apricots; seabass with carrot and cocoa espuma; and duckling fillet with cherries and pistachio. If you're looking for high-class versions of Burgundy staples, the menu also includes ham persillade; Burgundy snails, eggs en meurette with red wine and bacon; and fillet of Charolais beef.
The spacious hotel is opulent without being ostentatious, modern without being overly chic, and upscale without being stuffy. It is stylish, welcoming, and respectful of its history, while also fully a part of the twenty-first century; it's a true Dijon gem.