Have you ever wondered what it feels like to be treated like the royal family in Versailles? Or to have an exclusive after hours tour of the Palace without all the tourists? I felt like royalty on my recent stay at Airelles Château De Versailles, also known as Airelles Le Grand Controle. It is a splurge, but well worth it for the experience.

Location

Airelles Le Grand Controle is located on the grounds of the world famous Palace of Versailles, home to multiple kings of France throughout the years. The hotel was previously used as the office and apartments of the Minister of Finance of France. As you drive toward the Palace of Versailles, the hotel is on the left backside of the main palace grounds, and the entrance of the hotel is tucked away for discreet and private entry.

The exact placement of the hotel is just outside of the Orangerie section of the palace grounds. There is a private entrance only for hotel guests to reach the Palace from the hotel garden – about a two minute walk. This is the first of many perks while staying at this property.

Upon exiting the car at the entrance of the hotel, I was greeted by name by the hotel manager and bellhop. They escorted me directly through the grand lobby doors and brought me a welcome drink as I started the check-in process. I was handed a vintage looking key before the lovely gentleman at the front desk whisked me off for a tour of the property grounds.

The property is small and cozy. There aren’t sprawling grounds to walk around, but who needs that when the Palace of Versailles is in your backyard? Past the lobby is a grand sitting room dotted with tasteful imitation portraits of French royalty and tufted velvet furniture in a style befitting of the palace. Connected to the sitting room is a charming bar across from the main restaurant, which serves breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner. There are large windows in the main sitting room that overlook the garden courtyard and short pathway to the Petit Controle building which houses the small yet functional gym and additional rooms. The courtyard has a number of cute bistro sets, a stone fountain, fragrant orange trees, and a set of stairs leading to the private entrance/exit to the palace grounds.

Rooms

There are only 13 rooms and suites at this intimate hotel. The suites are spread across two buildings, the main building and Le Petit Contrôle building. The distance between the two buildings is short, but staying in the smaller building means you’ll have to walk across a courtyard to get to the bar, the restaurant, and the elegant sitting areas. Larger families wanting more privacy will likely want to stay in the smaller building, however I loved the location of the main building as it housed all of the amenities needed for a great stay.

Upon check-in, I was upgraded to the Suite Marquis de Fouquet which was formerly the apartment of the Minister of Finance. The suite is located on the second floor of the main building, accessible by stairs or elevator. Suitable for families, this category is spacious, with the bedroom and living area separated by a private decorated hallway.

The bedroom transported me back to the 1600s with black and white floral wallpaper and matching drapes accenting the plush king sized bed in the center of the room. Across from the bed was a restored fireplace, and thoughtfully placed above were pictures of my fiance and I, as well as our dogs, giving me the feeling of being back at home. I was impressed – I hadn’t shared these photos with the team, nor did I share my personal Instagram. It was clear they did the research beforehand and went above and beyond to include those little details.

The living area, down the hall, was bright and spacious. Dotting the room were (surprisingly comfortable) period furniture pieces featuring the same room motif. The sofa could transform into a bed for small children. The hotel team had left a few more framed pictures of us next to a generous display of Laduree macarons and a kind note from the manager. Notably, there are no TVs at the hotel however they do provide a “21st century box” containing an iPad to watch media on and a smartphone to contact the butler team through.

The suite boasted two separate bathrooms, one in the bedroom and one in the living room. One thing I will say about the suite, though gorgeous, the living room bathroom had a plumbing issue and there was a faint smell of sewage that the housekeeping team had clearly sprayed something to mask. I notified the team and left that bathroom door closed during my short stay.

The last point to mention about this suite, it is on the top floor of the main building with a view of the Lake of the Swiss Guards, but most of the view will be the top of other buildings. The windows are set a bit higher because the suite is located on the top floor, but that does not take away from the beauty of the suite.

Activities

Aside from touring the Palace and gardens of Versailles, there are plenty of unique activities offered by the hotel. For any guest that wants an off the beaten path Versailles experience, here is a sample of a few activities offered:

• Private picnic on the Palace grounds
• Horseback riding on the Palace grounds
• Row boat experience with your butler
• Private sightseeing flight
• A day outside of Versailles in a 1960s Jaguar MK2
• Private photoshoot in period costumes
• Private salon dinner with live chamber music
• Arrange a meeting with Marie Antoinette
• Kings Awakening: staff wakes you up with classical music

I have to mention that touring the Palace takes at least a full day to see everything, which doesn’t leave a lot of time to arrange other activities. For this reason, I recommend at least a 2 night minimum stay at Le Grand Controle to experience as much as possible. The butlers keep in close contact with guests to understand their schedules completely, and often are waiting in the lobby anticipating their next activity to escort them to.

Amenities

Despite the hotel providing guests with a modern take on a 1600s Palace of Versailles experience, there are plenty of amenities for couples and families. With so few rooms on the property, the amenities and service is where the team really shines. The property is small, but surprisingly boasts a full service spa and lap pool on the lower level. The hotel is pet friendly, with pet amenities being provided in the room upon check-in. Amenities unique to this property include:

• complimentary golf carts for hotel guests
• personalized welcome amenities in room
• complimentary mini bar
• exclusive after hours tours of the Palace with hotel guests only
• exclusive before hours tours of the Trianon estate every morning with hotel guests only
• complimentary afternoon tea service
• and luxurious Laduree macrons laid out all over the sitting rooms

Spa and Pool

Located one floor below the lobby is the Valmont spa and the pool. Anyone wanting to use the pool will need to walk through the spa to get there, which is an extremely clever marketing tactic! The spa is bright and cozy, and Valmont products are plentiful if you need to replenish your stock. The spa is tiny but mighty, and though there are only a few treatment rooms available, the treatment menu is expansive. Reservations are highly recommended for preferred timing.

The pool is a highlight of the hotel, and what’s special is that the pool is for private use only. That’s right, the pool works on a private reservation basis so once you advise your butler your preferred pool time, the pool will be ready for your private use. There is a 45 minute time limit, but that is more than enough time to enjoy a dip. The pool is 15 meters, or around 50 feet in length which is long enough for swimming laps. The water is heated to a comfortable temperature, and towels, beverages, and snacks are readily and plentifully available. The pool area is relaxing with dimly lit chandeliers and soft classical music reminding you that you’re in Versailles.

I have to shout out the butler team here, as the pool typically closes around 10:00 PM. The butler team knew I had a dinner reservation ending around 10:00 PM and offered to open the pool after hours so I could experience a late night dip. This was one of many examples where the team went above and beyond to make everything perfect.

Exclusive Versailles Perks

Anyone who has been to the Palace of Versailles knows it’s a huge property, and there’s a lot of walking involved. It’s not just the Palace that requires a lot of walking, but the gardens and grounds are expansive. Typically visitors can stand in a 40 minute line in the heat to maybe get a golf cart if available. At the Airelles Le Grand Controle, a complimentary golf cart is included as part of your stay. The golf carts are branded with the Airelles logo and are in fantastic condition.

I used the golf cart the morning of my arrival, even before my room was ready. A member of the butler team accompanied me to the golf cart with a bag of water bottles, a map, and the required tickets as a send off gift. She kindly walked me through how to operate the golf cart and opened the map to circle her favorite features of the garden. The golf cart came equipped with an automatic guide who would provide little facts about certain features as the cart passed by, and played classical music in between spots.

Another testament to the incredible and special service by the team: a tourist had come up to us to ask how he can get a golf cart of his own and the butler held up a curt and authoritative finger and said, “one moment please, I’m with a guest” and the tourist scoffed and left. These small actions make being a guest at this hotel feel like a special privilege.

Possibly the most important perk of staying the Airelles Le Grand Controle is the opportunity to have exclusive tours of the Palace of Versailles outside of opening hours for guests of the hotel only. There is a daily morning tour of the Trianon Estate rotating between the Queen’s Hamlet, Louis XIV’s Grand Trianon, or Marie-Antoinette’s Petit Trianon. This tour usually starts around 9:20 AM and ends around 11:30 AM, and hotel guests are dropped off right in front of the Trianon Estate in a private air conditioned van. The daily afternoon tour rotates between the State Apartments, or Marie-Antoinette’s Private Chambers always with a visit to the Hall of Mirrors without all of the tourists. This tour usually starts around 6:15 PM and ending close to 8:00 PM and the group typically walks to the palace.

The guides used for these privileged visits are 3rd party, though they do make mention of the importance of the Grand Controle building when they can. If there is a larger group of guests staying at the hotel and participating in the privileged visit, the hotel will arrange multiple guides to split up the group into no more than 5 people per group which is an amazing small group size.

I mention the 3rd party aspect because this is where I encountered a little hiccup and it wasn’t due to any error on the hotel’s part. The morning of my privileged tour of the Queen’s Hamlet, one of the guides was late, and another guide had to step in and combine our two groups to make for a larger tour than normal. The guide was initially frazzled, but handled the change gracefully. The other tour guide eventually showed up and we were awkwardly asked if we wanted to stay with her or go with the late guide. It was a bit weird, but in the end we stayed with the same guide and all ended up being well.

Afternoon Tea

Included in a stay at the Airelles Le Grand Controle is an afternoon tea service taken either in one of the sitting rooms or on the outdoor patio. I was given the choice of having tea, hot chocolate, or champagne which was promptly served. To eat, I was served a cute ham and cheese sandwich bite and a deviled egg with pine nuts in a lettuce cup. For something sweet, a liqueur mini bundt cake and a deliciously rich chocolate mousse capped off the experience.

The afternoon tea service was a great addition to a packed day of touring that allowed me to take a break and relax for a short while. I would say, if you are only staying at the hotel for one day, I wouldn’t move anything around to have the afternoon tea experience, but it’s worthwhile if you have time to make it.

The Feast by Alain Ducasse

A special experience not to be missed is a dinner at The Feast by Alain Ducasse. This is dinner is not limited to hotel guests only, and I highly recommend making a dinner reservation as there are few tables available. The dinner event aims to imitate the authentic environment that the former French king would’ve dined in, and it’s done very well.

The evening of the dinner, as soon as I came down the grand staircase and entered the lobby, a member of the butler team greeted me by name and asked if I was ready to be escorted to dinner. He was eager to share that the dinner was an incredible and unique experience and that I was in for a treat – it was difficult to contain my excitement! The dinner was taking place in the main dining room, and to my surprise I was escorted by someone in a powder white wig and a gold embellished long coat reminiscent of old France.

The room was adorned with real taper candles sitting in brass candelabras. The entire room was lit only with candle light. There were a few other tables in the room and hushed chatter and the creaking of the hardwood took the place of music in the background. When I sat down at the table, another wigged man arrived at the table with a staff in hand. He slammed the staff on the floor and announced to the room, “Mesdames et messieurs! The king welcomes you to a feast at the Palace. You will enjoy cuisine inspired by the king’s royal court. We hope you enjoy your royal meal.”

I was served a staggering seven courses, not including the amuse bouches. Each course came with a respective wine pairing. The menu changes seasonally, but each dish served was a delight. I did not take any pictures of the dinner, as the atmosphere felt discreet and intimate, however I can tell you my favorite course of the night was turbot stuffed with caviar and a cream sauce. After the savory courses, the main star for the evening was the dessert from Michelin star chef Alain Ducasse, which was a luscious chocolate and hazelnut tart.

The dinner was an incredible experience. Definitely a splurge, but one that is well worth it for a themed fine dining experience. The food was approachable as well. Many times fine dining course dinners can be a bit of a dice roll if you’re not an adventurous eater. There were no sweetbreads, organs, or other types of food for refined palates on the menu. There was a family dining at the same time as well, and the kids were referred to as little kings and queens while being offered options from a kids menu. I would recommend this experience for couples and families alike.

Things to keep in mind

Recommended guests

• Guests who plan to make the Palace a highlight of their Versailles trips
• Prefers the convenience of being on Palace grounds
• Typically tour privately and prefer to avoid the crowds
• Enjoys an opulent elegant style of hotel with historic significance
• High budget willing to splurge on the experience
• Guests who need a lap pool and a full service spa

Overall, the Airelles Le Grand Controle is an experience not to be missed. The Palace of Versailles is a once in a lifetime experience, so why not make it all the more special? I recommend staying at least 2 nights minimum at the hotel to make the most of the tours and activities offered. I also recommend booking Afternoon Tea and The Feast dinner for an immersive dining experience. With Versailles being only an hour drive from Paris and easily reachable by taxi, I would easily add a stop here to any Paris itinerary.

Have you ever visited the Palace of Versailles? How was your experience?