Palace of Versailles - Symbol of Europe's wealth and power
The Palace of Versailles (French: Château de Versailles) is located about 20 km west of Paris (France). This place was once the residence of the French kings (and queens) Louis XIII, Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI. With its massive scale, sophisticated architecture and lavish decoration, the Palace of Versailles is a symbol of the supreme power of the French feudal dynasties and is known as the most magnificent palace in Europe.
King Louis XIV decided to build the palace in 1666, and it was completed in 1682. He is often called “Louis the Great”, “Louis the Great” or “The Sun King” (le Roi-Soleil) because people want to describe the highest political power of a monarchy as well as the achievements that the king brought to the world's art history. During the reign of King Louis XIV, France was at the top of Europe and the world with brilliant literature, art, and the authority to govern the country.
Versailles is a masterpiece of architecture combining 17th and 18th century French architecture and Baroque style. The palace consists of 2,300 rooms located on a land area of over 63,000 m2with many auxiliary architectural works harmoniously combined in a complex. The architecture of the palace follows the standard rules of classicism such as the symmetry of the works, the corridors with many columns. The special thing about the Palace of Versailles is that it is located in the middle of an open field, without surrounding ramparts because King Louis XIV wanted to show that he was a powerful and influential monarch, without needing high walls and deep moats to protect himself.
Inside are large rooms including: The King's Great Room, The Queen's Great Room or The Mirror Room,... Of which, the Mirror Room is considered the largest room of the castle with a length of 73 m and covered by 17 extremely large mirrors.
Not only is it a residence for kings and nobles, the Palace of Versailles is also a historical museum that preserves and displays 6,123 paintings, 1,500 sketches, 15,034 carvings and 2,102 sculptures. To have a massive and splendid Versailles like today, the king had to spend a huge amount of money and a huge workforce of about 3,600 people and 6,000 horses to transport construction materials.
The first hotel on the grounds of Versailles
In 1979, the Palace of Versailles was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and attracts millions of tourists every year. And when the Le Grand Contrôle hotel opens early next year, visitors will no longer have to leave the palace at night.
Plans for the Le Grand Contrôle hotel date back to 2015. "To match the royal setting of the Palace of Versailles, the hotel will lean towards an 18th-century style, with architect and interior designer Christophe Tollemer responsible for the design."
Le Grand Contrôle, built by the Airelles Hotel Group, will feature 14 rooms and suites, an Alain Ducasse restaurant, a wellness center, and an indoor pool. Room rates have not yet been announced, but reservations will open in December. It is the only hotel located within the grounds of the Palace of Versailles.
While in the hotel, guests can look out over the Orangery, a building planted with a variety of trees such as orange, lemon, bamboo, palm and pomegranate trees, along with the large Pièce d'Eau des Suisses swimming pool area.
The Airelles Group - the owner of Le Grand Contrôle hotel - currently owns three other hotels: Les Airelles, a renovation of the historic Courchevel palace in Les Trois Vallées (France); La Bastide de Gordes, an 18th-century castle in Provence, southeast (France); and Mademoiselle Val d'Isere, a hotel in a ski resort in the French Alps (France).
