Steps away from the tourists clambering for selfies outside the golden gates of Château de Versailles, there’s an unlikely respite. Across the street from the grand entrance, discerning travelers will discover Hôtel Les Lumières Versailles. The hotel is far less crowded and busy than the former royal residence, of course, but evokes a similar sense of historic glamour.
The on-site Spa des Lumière is a more modern, relaxing retreat that emphasizes wellness and anti-aging. Accessible via a long corridor under the lobby, the spa’s ethos is all about calming the mind and body, a notion that is an extension of the hotel’s overall focus on well-being. It’s also the first hotel spa in the world to use Beau Domaine, the French skincare line co-founded by Brad Pitt and the Perrin family.
The partnership between the Provence-based skincare company and Hôtel Les Lumières initially arose because the Relais & Châteaux property wanted to work only with French brands. More specifically, the hotel was looking for a skincare product line that was French, vegan and organic—all characteristics of Beau Domaine, which uses patented active ingredients alongside natural elements from the Perrin family vineyards. The collaboration was in the works for nearly a year ahead of Hôtel Les Lumières’ opening last July.
“Beau Domaine and Spa des Lumière share the same values and are both interested in sustainability and a holistic way of taking care of people,” Christelle Clarac-Boutot, brand director of Beau Domaine, tells Observer. “We had a lot of demand to develop rituals for a spa, but we decided to start with Hôtel Les Lumières. We wanted to propose an experience that is an alliance between science and terroir.”
The five-star Hôtel Les Lumières, which debuted ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, comprises two 17th-century pavilions, Villacerf and Gramont. Villacerf was once the Hôtel des Voyageurs, and details from the original property remain, including the 1907 staircase. The hotel evokes a similar grandeur to the nearby Château de Versailles; its offerings are themed around the Enlightenment, and the 31 rooms and suites are named for French writers and philosophers from the era. (My suite during a recent stay paid homage to Voltaire.)
“We wanted to match the spa with the Enlightenment period,” explains spa director Ophélie Sergeant. “It’s about a consciousness of the present moment. Being there is a bubble of time where you just free your mind and your body. That’s why we don’t have double [treatment rooms]. We have two separate rooms.”
The elegant spa, adorned with light wood and natural tones, is relatively small at just over 1,450 square feet, but it’s effective. There is a sauna and hammam, a fitness room and only two treatment rooms, all designed by Hôtel Les Lumières. Once Beau Domaine entered the picture, the brand designed the treatment rituals and was involved in the décor. The spa currently offers two Beau Domaine facials: the 30-minute Discovery Facial and the 60-minute Signature Facial. Beau Domaine is also developing a longer, more intensive 90-minute option, as well as a combined body and facial treatment. All of the treatments are gender-neutral, like Beau Domaine itself.
The treatments were designed with the help of an esthetician and facialist who has previously managed luxury spas, with an emphasis on results. “The most important thing for us was the radiance,” Clarac-Boutot says. “All steps in the facials are oriented towards this. The facial also helps to diminish wrinkles and fine lines, and it re-plumps the skin because [the brand is] very rich in active compounds.”
Numerous Beau Domaine products are incorporated into the facial, including the Cleansing Emulsion and the Cream, alongside exfoliation, facial massage and gua sha drainage. Because grape seed oil, crushed grape seeds, clay and olive oil are used in the products, there is a distinct, earthy scent that comes through during the experience—a purposeful element in the facial and my favorite part.
“It’s a really healthy and organic product,” Sergeant says. “It emphasizes the physical contact [with the ground] and the fragrance of the terroir and the grapes. It’s not as sophisticated as many brands, but it’s about the quality of the product. We then add in some well-being experiences, like a weighted blanket to help you to relax, which pairs the ethos of Beau Domaine and Hôtel Les Lumières.”
The 20-pound weighted blanket, made by Dormeur, is also a fixture in the guest rooms. As the hotel’s name suggests, the bedrooms are airy and bright, with colorful flourishes on the walls and bedding. But it’s those wellness details that elevate the stay. Guests can drape themselves with the weighted blanket before partaking in a meditation on the bedside Morphée, a sleep device that also features relaxing music and nature sounds. Near the requisite Nespresso machine are four tea infusion blends from Café Joyeux, including one that encourages sleep.
“More than 50 percent of the guests who come here want to buy it,” Clément Gohin, the hotel general manager, says of the plush Dormeur blanket. “One guest bought it directly on Amazon during breakfast before he checked out. He told me it was the first time he’d slept over the last year.”
Of course, wellness comes in many forms, as evidenced by the food and beverage offerings in the hotel. The standout room in Les Lumières is the grand Café Pierre Hermé, located at the top of the elegant white staircase. The opulent space, which evokes the famed Hall of Mirrors, serves daily breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea. It’s adorned with 19th-century chandeliers and carpets, as well as Barbie-worthy velvet pink seating, and the impressive windows overlook the Place d’Armes. Downstairs, the Table of Lights restaurant is helmed by chef Erwan Le Thomas and showcases plant-forward dishes based around seasonal, local products (guests can opt for meat as a “side” item).
For something more casual, the adjacent Philosopher’s Bar serves cocktails, wine and snacks throughout the evening. Like the spa, the bar focuses on French ingredients. Every drink on the menu hails from France, including Pitt’s Miraval rosé wine, creating a synergy between Spa des Lumière and the Philosopher’s Bar.
“The grapes and the grape oil and the seeds in the skincare come from his vineyard,” Sergeant notes. “Even the packaging of the products is from Miraval. The tops of the bottles are made from leftover wood used to make the [wine] barrels.”
The connection to Pitt has, of course, attracted many of the spa’s guests, particularly Americans, who are Beau Domaine’s biggest market. The actor launched the brand, originally named Le Domaine, in 2022. It was developed with help from University of Bordeaux Professor of Oenology Pierre-Louis Teissedre and Professor Nicolas Lévy, who discovered GSM10 and ProGr3, the two patented active ingredients in Beau Domaine. Although Pitt himself hasn’t had the facial, according to Clarac-Boutot, he was instrumental in creating the skincare products.
“From the beginning, he used the products,” she says. “He told us that if he didn’t see any results on his face, we couldn’t launch the product.”
For now, travelers can only experience the Beau Domaine facial at Spa des Lumière. But Clarac-Boutot confirms the brand is working to expand to additional spas, including in Paris and Spain. “It’s not our main development project, but it’s very interesting because it’s the way to encounter our consumer and to get feedback,” she says. “And the facial is a very nice, very unique experience.”
So while you may not leave Hôtel Les Lumières looking like Pitt, you can certainly feel like a celebrity while staying there.
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