“There is nothing new except what has been forgotten.” The words of Marie Antoinette still seem to echo within the gilded halls of Le Grand Contrôle. Her point is proved by the transformation of this historic building—set inside the gates of the Palace of Versailles—into France's most anticipated new hotel. All traces of a pre-French Revolution world have been preserved. Classical music lilts throughout imposing salons lined with portraits of well-coiffed luminaries, some of them former guests. Each chair, mirror, and velvet chaise, all dated to 1788—the last time the property's furniture was inventoried—and tracked down at auction, looks like it belongs. And while many corners of Paris, from the celebrated palace hotels to the Louvre, read like a page from history, none so eloquently sets a scene that can make you feel as if you're entering an 18th-century fairy tale.
The Madame de Fouquet Room at Le Grand Contrôle
Matthieu Salvaing
The 17th-century Orangerie of Versailles
Matthieu Salvaing
The hotel’s elegant Salon d’Audience
Matthieu SalvaingArchitect Jules Hardouin-Mansart, acclaimed for completing the Palace of Versailles, designed Le Grand Contrôle in 1681. Initially it was a private home for Paul de Beauvilliers, a government official under King Louis XIV. It went on to become the home of France's ministry of finance during the reigns of both Louis XV and Louis XVI and briefly served as a hospital before Napoleon stationed his army there. Its last function before being left to become a dusty empty space was as a catering hall for Versailles officers.
From the dozens of hospitality brands and venture-capital firms that sought to reimagine Le Grand Contrôle, LOV Group (the parent company of the luxury hotel brand Airelles) was selected. General manager Julien Révah attributes this success to LOV's proposed approach of classic styling and sympathetic reconditioning rather than a complete overhaul. While it's not surprising that a jaw-dropping figure—more than $48 million, excluding the decoration—was spent on the almost five-year remodel, much of it was heavily invested in specialists, including a team of art historians and restoration experts who advised LOV Group.
Elegant but not ostentatious, the 14 regal rooms and apartments, each named for a notable figure from the past, take their cues from the noble family houses of the 1700s. The whimsical upholstery by Pierre Frey plays on the green spaces of the estate, with flowers blooming along the fabric-lined walls, while the Necker Suite, one of the largest at nearly 1,300 square feet, is a nod to 18th-century finance minister and statesman Jacques Necker.
A bust watches over the hotel library
Matthieu Salvaing
Lunch on the terrace at the Alain Ducasse-helmed restaurant
Matthieu SalvaingIt's fitting that Alain Ducasse, known for his Michelin-starred restaurants in London and Paris, was brought on board, as he would have undoubtedly pleased the royal court with his extravagant five-course dinners and theatrics. (All meals here begin, as Louis XIV's would, with a glass of warm vegetable broth.) To add to the pomp, the subterranean spa not only has hand-painted frescoes and a checkerboard Carrara-marble floor but also a 50-foot swimming pool. More than 100 staffers, all passionate about Versailles, wear bespoke matching waistcoats and breeches by Marie-France Croyeau of Terre et Ciel, which also designed uniforms for La Mamounia and Royal Mansour in Marrakech. Every employee was plucked from the very best hotels in France—the general manager from L'Hotel in Saint-Germain, a butler from the Peninsula Paris. Several butlers are part-time actors, ready to entertain at a moment's notice. Their enthusiasm for this role-play is evident as they explain the most minute details of palatial life.
But what takes the cake (preferably a gâteau au chocolat by Ducasse) is the unprecedented access the hotel offers to the palace. Every evening, after the imperial doors are closed to visitors, guests can go on guided tours and explore corners like the off-limits dressing rooms connected to the king and queen's apartments. Even more thrilling is a moment to reflect in an empty Hall of Mirrors, the impressive gallery where some of the grandest royal fêtes occurred and where the Treaty of Versailles was signed in 1919. Entry to certain parts of the estate, including the labyrinth of gardens by landscape architect André Le Nôtreis, is also allowed before Versailles opens for the day to the general public.
A stay here is like being given an after-hours all-access pass. With the entire grounds of Versailles at your disposal, you could disappear for a clandestine picnic along the Grand Canal or lie back on an antique daybed while feasting on Ladurée macarons or ring a bell for a candlelit dinner in your private chambers. However you choose to spend your time reliving history, returning to reality will be an adjustment.
Doubles from about $2,000; airelles.com
This article appeared in the September/October 2021 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.
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