Château de Versailles, Le Grand Contrôle

Two centuries after its construction by Louis XIV’s favorite architect, Jules Hardouin-Mansart, the former building of the Palace of Versailles, which served as the general control of finances from 1723 to the Revolution, has been restored to its former glory by offering a hotel experience like no other. The exceptional location of the establishment, in the heart of the Versailles estate, with an unobstructed view of the Orangery and the Swiss lake, is not its only asset. To design the 14 very “natural” rooms and suites, all unique and named after personalities of the time, architect and interior designer Christophe Tollemer was inspired by the neighboring palace, the Petit Trianon, revamped by Marie-Antoinette in 1788, whose iconic figure also hovers over the hotel’s tea time. In perfect osmosis, chandeliers, works of art and period furniture rub shoulders with new decorative elements (parquet floors, fabrics, stone, woodwork) created or restored by the finest French craftsmen. The same excellence is to be found in the gastronomy, entrusted to “King” Ducasse, who offers a veritable feast from morning to night. At dinner, for example, the ceremonial table, dear to Louis XIV, completes the gustatory journey, which the chef with 20 Michelin stars has composed according to a best of dishes served at the Court. Royal, also, the privilege granted (included in the daily service, from 1 700 €), of private and guided tours of the Trianon estate (during closing hours), free access to the Orangery garden and to the Valmont Spa pool, without forgetting the breakfast, the snack, the mini-bar, the use of boats (on the Grand Canal) and golf carts, as well as the services of a private butler. To complete this sumptuous journey, Le Grand Contrôle has concocted a series of immersive thematic experiences within the estate (Hall of Mirrors in all its facets, dinner in the Orangery garden with a string quartet, a day in the fresh air according to André Le Nôtre…) to be discovered as soon as possible.