Airelles Château de Versailles, le Grand Contrôle

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.

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.

It has been a dream of mine to stay in Versaille at le Grande Controle since first hearing about it. Having been to Versailles twice before, in the 1960s when there was very little furniture but it wasn't crowded, and in the 1990s when it was very, very crowded, I really wanted to visit again and this seemed to be a unique way of experiencing it. It certainly lived up to my expectations. We were only able to afford one night but it was exceptional. The staff were lovely, so kind and helpful, from booking onwards as you are contacted about your itinerary and what you might like to do before you arrive. You can arrive in the morning (check in is afternoon) so you have more time to enjoy the experience. Guests are allocated their own butler, we had Thomas who looked after us beautifully and whom we much enjoyed conversing with. It is both a grand and an intimate experience, more like staying in a very well staffed private house than a hotel. It was our wedding anniversary and we found a delicious patisserie cake and greetings in our room. The interiors are beautifully restored and furnished and our room was delightful with lovely decor - more of a mini-suite really with an entrance vestibule, bedroom and luxurious shower room. I have never slept on such a comfortable bed, like being on a well supported cloud, and found that this was because the mattress and topper are produced to the hotel specification by a specialist French company (whom you can order from if you have the funds - I would if I could!). There was a whole larder of supplies in the vestibule - nibbles, chocolate, drinks, wine, cocktails as well as macarons in our room - there are macarons and such things all over the hotel so you won't go hungry! We didn't have dinner, which is a multi-course gourmet experience, but we did enjoy the food, light lunch, afternoon tea, light supper and a magnificent breakfast (including champagne). The weather was wonderful, warm and sunny more like June than March, and we had a great time touring the gardens of Versailles in a golf buggy and boating on the canal, organised for us by Thomas. It was warm enough for tea on the terrace. It's hard to single out any one thing from this wonderful experience but the tours of Versaille in the evening and the Grand Trianon the following morning were absolutely memorable. We were in a party of six guests, with a guide, and no one else there except for the Chateau staff member who accompanied each tour. Where you go depends on the day and we visited the King's state apartments and the chapel and the Grand Trianon. Other days include the Queen's apartments or the private apartments and the Petit Trianon. Each tour took about 2 hours, we had really knowledgeable guides who were most engaging and didn't mind being asked lots of questions (my husband is an architectural historian), we were not hurried along at all. The atmosphere in the evening was magical as the sun was going down over the c

Best hotel on earth. Service at a Royal level. The private tours were fantastic. It seemed that the Chateau was ours alone. The tea by Ducasse was to die for and the tour of the apartments at sunset , completely private was once in a lifetime. The petite Trianon was opened just for us as was the hall of mirrors. An opportunity to experience the palace the same way royalty did. Except with better food and beds!!

This was an absolute dream come true... I'm still pinching myself that it actually happened! The experience at this hotel is unreal, and the private tours of Versailles--without the crowds--is a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. The hotel is beautiful, the rooms are incredible, and the staff is beyond friendly, helpful and accommodating. The underground pool and spa is so beautiful, the activities available on the palace grounds, afternoon tea, the Marie Antoinette wake-up call, breakfast in the dining room, fresh fruit and macarons in the room, and even personalized luggage tags and pajamas! Wow, just amazing! One of the best, most unforgettable experiences of my life. Ten stars!!!!