The former palace of Louis XIV, Chateau du Versailles, is one of Europe’s greatest wonders.
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Each year, more than 10 million visitors pack into the Palace of Versailles to take a look at how the other half lived. Many spend hours gazing in wonder at a level of opulence that was ridiculous enough to launch a revolution.
In fact, some guests spend between two to three hours exploring the palace interior alone. Those who take a tour of the gardens might spend between four to six hours on the entire excursion—then it’s straight back to Paris.
But not all tours of Versailles are single day trips.
If you’re okay shelling out a cool $2,000, you can actually stay the night on the palace grounds… with a private butler at your beck and call, nonetheless.
Not only will this butler make sure you have a comfortable stay, but they’ll also squire you around the palace on a private excursion—which includes a separate tour of the gardens via golf cart.
For those who want to spend like royalty to be treated like royalty, it’s an unparalleled way to explore the Chateau du Versailles. Here’s the down-low on how to stay the night in Versailles at Airelles Château du Versaille, Le Grand Contrôle.
Meet the hotel: Airelles Château du Versaille, Le Grand Contrôle
This five-star hotel is located inside the Palace of Versailles on the grounds of the former Controller of Finance—aka Le Grand Controle.
This palace-within-a-palace was built in 1681 by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, one of King Louis’s preferred architects.
The grounds of Airelles have been painstakingly restored into an opulent hotel. With your stay, you also have access to Airelles’ world-class restaurant and spa.
The restaurant, Ducasse, comes from French culinary legend Alain Ducasse. There’s also a spa, Valmont, where you can receive treatments and/or relax in a hammam and sauna.
It’s premium offer after premium offer—but it comes with a price tag. A single day and night at the Airelles cost around $2,000. That’s a golden price tag for this gilded experience.
What comes with the stay?
Despite the extravagant cost, you’ll have plenty to do and see during your stay at Airelles. The hotel puts on experiences for major holidays, with an upcoming Easter event available to guests.
You can also bundle in experiences like a visit to the Royal Opera, falconry lessons, horseback riding, picnics, rides in the Grand Canal, and more.
Some experiences are free, while others come with a cost. The after-hours tours are the most important offer, in my opinion—and they’re free.
The after-hours tour gives you direct access to Versailles Palace after the tourists all go home. Though you’ll share the tour with fellow hotel guests, groups are usually small and intimate.
There’s also a kid’s club for any parents who want to escape for a frivolous jaunt across the rounds, and more involved offers, such as the Day in the Life of Marie-Antoinette tour and the 18th Century Photo Shoot.
Is it worth the money?
This is the $2,000-dollar question—is it worth bucking up for this type of hotel stay, especially for one night?
I’m a pretty frugal traveler, but I absolutely think this is worth the money.
First, because you’re not just staying at a five-star hotel. You’re staying in the most famous historic palace in the world. Also, it’s easily one of the most opulent palaces.
Second, your stay comes with five-star amenities. While the restaurant and spa are note-worthy, I’m thinking about other things—like the private butler who will help you put together the perfect day, and all those cool experiences, from the free after-hours palace tour to the fee-based falconry courses.
(Seriously—imagine launching a falcon off your arm in the Gardens of Versailles. If that doesn’t make you feel things, I don’t know what will.)
