French fancy
VERSAILLES
From this spring, deep-pocketed visitors
will be able to bed down in serious style
as Airelles Château de Versailles, Le Grand
Contrôle opens its doors.
This landmark opening is four years in
the making and, set within the grounds of
the palace, is the crowning glory to hotel
brand Airelles’ portfolio, which already
counts outposts in Courchevel and Val
d’Isère. Surrounds are suitably sumptuous
— and authentic, too, thanks to renovations
overseen by Parisian designer Christophe
Tollemer, who’s used the chateau’s 1788
inventory to renovate the site as accurately
as possible. Technology is cleverly concealed
and kept to a minimum (no TVs, merci) to
let the impressive ensemble of 18th-century
furnishings and ittings take centre stage.
But unlike the French monarchy of the day,
the room count is modest: just 14 boudoirs
make up Le Grand Contrôle, each inished
of with decor regal enough to make even theOne of the world’s most stately addresses
will soon let guests live like royaltyPicks from
the palace
DANCING IN THE DARK
Versailles might not be the
obvious place for an electro
concert, but Versailles Electro
will take over the grand terraces
beside the Hall of Mirrors and
transform them into the grandest
danceloor in France. Back for its
second year, the night will see
music-lovers get their groove
on to a lineup that includes DJ
sets by French acts L’Impératrice
and Justice. 23 May.
chateauversailles-spectacles.frSHOW TIME
Perfect parterres and sweeping
vistas are highlights of a stroll
through Versailles’s rambling
grounds, but it’s the elaborate
fountains that truly dazzle. This
month, the annual season of
fountain displays kicks off, with
daily shows synchronised to
musical scores. The after-dark
shows (June-September) light up
the Mirror Pool and Colonnade
Grove. en.chateauversailles.frTHE ROYAL TREATMENT
For more than three years, the
Queen’s State Apartments
have been closed for major
renovations, but on 16 April, the
gilded doors will reopen once
again as the splendour of the
Queen’s Guard Room and Marie
Antoinette’s bedchamber is
inally unveiled. The rooms are a
feast for the eyes, adorned with
loral tapestries and dripping in
gold leaf. en.chateauversailles.frmost discerning Marie Antoinette feel
right at home.
But all that opulence comes at a cost — a
cool €1,300 (£1,093) a night, B&B, to be exact
— but what really makes this palatial pad
a cut above the rest is the access it ofers.
This is a unique chance to be immersed in
French history and discover the world’s most
spectacular palace once the day-trippers
have scuttled back to Paris. Guests can enjoy
direct access to the beautiful Orangerie
garden, browse the restored library and set
of on behind-the-scenes tours of sites such
as the Petit Trianon, a villa surrounded by
gardens that was a favourite spot of the ill-
fated queen herself.
And as this is France, no grand hotel
opening would be complete without a
culinary ofering to match. Food comes from
master chef Alain Ducasse, who updates old
French classics with his distinctive high-end
IMAGES: ALAMY touch. airelles.com CONNOR MCGOVERN
April 2020 23SMART TRAVELLER