You'll Soon Be Able to Stay (and Eat World-Class Food) at the Palace of Versailles
A Parisian B&B where you can have your cake and eat it too.
Looking for an opulent, world heritage-listed B&B stay in Paris that'll make you feel like a pre-Revolution French monarch? The Palace of Versailles is opening a hotel and restaurant, where you can have your cake and eat it too.
According to The Age, the world-famous 17th century palace has hit a spot of financial trouble, and is opening a hotel on the premises to raise much-needed funds. With more than seven million people wandering through the iconic grounds every year, it sounds like they're doing okay. But the state-owned palace has seen funding cuts from €47.4 million (around $70.7 million) in 2013 to €40.5 million (around $60.2 million) in 2015 — a hefty decrease when you're trying to renovate palatial Rococo apartments.
Enter LOV Hotel Collection. The French-based hospitality group have just won the tender to transform the three 17th century buildings in the palace grounds right next to Louis XIV's beloved Orangerie into commercial accommodation. The Grand Controle, Petit Controle and Pavillon buildings — former treasurer and officers' mess buildings just 100 yards from the main palace — will be converted into 20 luxest of the luxe boutique hotel rooms.
What's more, the 'hotel' — if you can call it that — will also house a world-class restaurant. Renowned Michelin-starred French chef Alain Ducasse is locked in to open a fine dining venue on the premises. Exactly what the restaurant will be like remains to be seen, but we're thinking levels of opulent cakery like this:
"There will be no other hotel in the world like this one," according to a Versailles palace spokesman. "This is an emblem of French history and a cultural landmark. It will be an authentically royal experience." Guests will apparently be able to eat cake, drink French champagne and generally live like a House of Bourbon monarch during their stay. One thing you can probably expect? One heck of a price tag, and a tidal wave of cashed-up honeymooners.
Renovations are expected to cost upwards of €14 million (that's $20 million plus), and should be finished sometime in 2018. Stay tuned.
Updated: April 11, 2016.
Via The Age and CTV News. Top images: Dollar Photo Club.
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