"On the 45-minute drive from Paris to Versailles, a rainy city day gave way to walls of greenery and autumn leaves. My driver was familiar with this trip: Since the hotel group Airelles opened the only place to stay within the palace grounds in June, he had ferried guests to and from it. He slowed down so I could take photos of the first Versailles signpost on the side of the road, and gave a bit of historical background on King Louis XVI [...] Of the hotel, officially called Airelles Château de Versailles, Le Grand Contrôle, he offered what may be the highest praise for a destination property in 2021: 'Guests always leave relaxed.' After driving through the town of Versailles, we pulled up to a cobblestoned courtyard across the street from the park that holds the lake-like Pièce d'Eau des Suisses. Potted palm trees stood ahead of a brick façade, built in 1681 by Jules Hardouin-Mansart to serve the king’s ministry of finance. Bellmen wearing breeches ushered me into a space that can’t accurately be called a lobby, though it served that purpose. It felt more like the foyer of a grand home thanks to the painstaking restoration work of interior designer Christophe Tollemer, who dove into the palace’s archives to properly convey the style of Louis XVI circa 1788. Royal portraits hung in gilded frames, fringed cushions adorned couches, and LED candles offered soft light from crystal chandeliers. 70 percent of the hotel’s furniture is from the period, my dedicated butler, Laureen, explained as she gave a tour of the ground floor’s common spaces. It was around 4 p.m., so afternoon tea was in progress (a service included in the room rate). Guests bit into many-colored macarons—Le Grand Contrôle has a special partnership with Ladurée—as they lounged on velvet armchairs." - Ella Riley-Adams
