Good news for fans of French heritage as the famous Château de Versailles has now opened up its first hotel ever: Le Grand Controle. Guests can stay in one of the 14 rooms or suites in one of the palace’s historic buildings. The hotel’s opening was delayed due to the coronacrisis, but visitors can now finally stay at the UNESCO World Heritage Site overnight.
Sleeping at the former centre of France’s political and military power does come at a cost. The “cheapest” room you can book starts at just €1700 a night, CNN reported. A search around Airelles’ website, the luxury hotel brand that manages the property, shows that the most expensive room starts at €10500 per night. But visitors do get plenty of extras in return for their royal holiday.
Heritage highlight
Apart from a private butler, guests will be treated to the ultimate luxury experience within France’s fairytale castle. This includes exclusive spas and swimming pools as well as after-hours access to the Hall of Mirrors. You can pay for a complete tour through the famous hall to experience the 357 mirrors without other tourists around you – the ultimate highlight for lovers of French history and heritage.
The hotel is named after one of its buildings: Le Grand Controle. It was designed by Louis XIV’s preferred architect Jules-Hardouin Mansart. The other buildings you can stay at are Le Petit Controle and the Pavilion. Each of the fourteen rooms is named after a former resident. These include French statesman Jacques Necker and his daughter Madame de Stael.
However, despite the presence of important and distinguished royals and statespeople, everyday life at Versailles was far less luxurious than one might think. Check out the video below to learn more about the day to day issues at the famous palace.
Read more about heritage and tourism, or check out one of the tags below: