Airelles Château de Versailles, le Grand Contrôle

First a shout out to our butler Charles for making my family’s experience a wonderful one. A stay at this hotel is a once in a lifetime experience. This hotel adjoins the palace of Versailles and used to be the abode of the finance minister. The private tours alone make a stay at the hotel worthwhile. It is a dream to be able to visit the hall of mirrors without throngs of visitors. Even though the clientele seems to be mostly couples, the hotel bent over backwards to cater to my young children. The tours can be tiring for children, but my six and eight year old enjoyed the golf carts in the gardens, the row boats and picnic by the grand canal. The older one loved horse back riding while my six year old had fun at the beautiful indoor pool with toys the hotel gave her. The children loved the doll house and stuffed animals in their rooms. The hotel itself is beautiful. The stay was idyllic. If you can swing it visit it. Only caveat, don’t do the royal feast if you have time to visit other restaurants around. Not that it’s bad, there are just better food. The hotel is not immediately kid intuitive, like beautiful glass ware is breakable and kids don’t need a tasting menu. However small things like this were easily modified. This is a once in a life time experience highly recommend

I would’ve loved ending my trip in Versailles instead of Paris! The stay was beyond amazing; I would rate it 100/10! After that, we visited the Mandarin Oriental, and let me tell you, the service was outstanding there but it was no airelles ! The beds, pillows, and views were simply breathtaking. Sleeping was like sleeping on cloud 9. The concierge letiesha took care of planning our itinerary, so I didn't have to worry about a thing! From the tours to the dinners, everything was perfect. And every night, we were surprised with a special gift on our bed from pajamas to special treats and tea! Even our departure was handled with such care! Letiesha was amazing. Let me tell you, this was luxury at its finest... I usually could find at least one thing off... But not this time... This is for my girls: when doing the palace tour, wear comfortable shoes...!

This property should be on your bucket list to complete your “Best of the world”. From the moment we entered the grounds of Versailles palace, the staff of Airelles treated my husband and I to a completely immersive experience that surpassed many of our stays throughout the world. Our butler, Hugo, provided outstanding service as we were treated to special insights into the Versailles palace. The food was superb as “The feast” dinner was a highlight of our culinary travels. And the ability to tour the property after closing hours was unbelievable.

Airelles Le Grand Contrôle is an exceptional retreat that masterfully blends 18th-century grandeur with impeccable modern luxury! Nestled within the Château de Versailles grounds, the hotel offers a once-in-a-lifetime experience with exclusive after-hours palace tours and personalized service. Every detail, from the period-inspired décor to the refined Alain Ducasse dining, is thoughtfully curated to transport guests to the time of Louis XIV. The serene spa and sweeping views of the Orangerie complete an unforgettable and truly regal stay. We cannot wait to return again!

This was part of a trip to celebrate our Silver Wedding Anniversary. We could not have made a better choice. The entire experience was wonderful. The quality of the decor, the service of the staff (particularly our butler Thomas), and the food, were all absolutely exceptional. We requested adaptations to the Royal Feast as we prefer to eat plant based meals - the chefs created some amazing taste experiences - this was not the “tasting menu with the meat and fish removed” which is so disappointingly prevalent in so many restaurants (including sadly some with Michelin stars). It is obviously not cheap, but if you can afford it as a special treat, do not hesitate, particularly if you have an interest in French history. The private tours were both of extremely high quality, and we were privileged to be able to visit Versailles in this manner.

We stayed two nights, and each provided masterclasses in history in comfort and luxury. Imagine a private guided tour of the Hall of Mirrors with only a few other guests of the hotel? How about use of a golf cart to explore the grounds? All part of the nightly room rate. To maximize the value, carve out a time when you can enjoy an immersive experience.