Versailles, France
Airelles Chateau De Versailles, Le Grand Contrôle
Regal Splendor
What it is
A new 14-room hotel within three fanciful circa 1681 buildings, with insider access to Versailles, an Alain Ducasse restaurant and a Valmont Spa (with a pool, mais oui).
What it isn't
Letting guests eat (just) cake. Ducasse’s restaurant, set overlooking the orangerie, will whip up haute-French cuisine from historic recipes; staffers will reportedly even dote on guests using 18th century dining traditions.
What we think
Even Marie Antoinette herself would be wowed by this soon-to-open stay on the grounds of Versailles—the only hotel here. It’s as perfect as she ever could have ordered: guests will have free reign over the ornately manicured gardens and behind-the-scenes experiences other visitors can only imagine, including boat rides down the grand canal. In the guest rooms, expect nothing less than royal-worthy grandeur, including pattern-on-pattern draperies and wall treatments; ornate ceiling plasterwork; and parquet flooring that gleams, yet bears the markings of its nearly 400 year old history (these buildings housed an Army officer’s mess from 1857 to 2004). Best of all, nearly everything you’ll see is of the era the chateaux was born in—architect and designer Christophe Tollemer scoured the archives and used local craftsmen to recreate everything from the Maison Pierre Frey fabrics to the gilt 18th-century style chandeliers.
You're here because
As a fervent history buff, you covet nothing more than behind-the-scenes access to storied locales—and here, that means eyeing Madame de Staël'smarriage contract and wandering Versailles’ ancient library.
The Moment
Ducking between the perfectly manicured trees and curvaciously shaped grass-edged walkways in the garden, you wish you’d packed your most merengue-inspired ball gown. You feel as if you have to live up to this place with every breath.
Restaurants & Bars
A Signature Alain Ducasse restaurant - elegant French cuisine inspired by recipes of the past and interpreted with creativity and modern flair
Location
Right on the grounds of Versailles, tucked within a trio of 1681 buildings designed by King Louis XIV’s architect, Jules Hardouin-Mansart.