embracing excess at France's best-kept secret
Versailles is one of the most renowned places in the world. It’s an indoor and outdoor museum with a storied past; it’s a palace with sprawling gardens that’s the world’s largest. The new Airelles Château de Versailles, Le Grand Contrôle, ushers in a fresh wind. Luxury beyond compare, certainly, but also the intimacy and warmth you’d find in a family home. We roam through the grand halls, the impressive lounges and plush rooms and chat to General Manager Julien Revah about the magic hidden behind its gates.
The ethereal early-morning fog in Versailles unfolds, enveloping the surroundings in a delicate mist. A mist that weaves itself into a low overcast hovering above the nearby forest trees. We’re standing at the terraces of Airelles Versailles with the Lake of The Swiss Guards on our left and the infamous Hundred Steps on our right. It feels like someone could appear at the horizon and make their grand entrance descending these steps at any moment. A bird chirps, but everything else remains quiet. It’s a tranquil day in a tranquil corner of Versailles in what’s also called Le Grand Contrôle, the former ambassador’s home. General Manager Julien Revah comes to greet me and shares his thoughts as we take in the view, “The season doesn’t really matter; it’s an astonishing place. The area, the gardens, the skies, even when it’s raining. Every day, it’s like an ocean view; every single minute the sky just seems to marvelously change with the colours and the clouds.”
Later, as we glance out of the windows on the first floor, a little cart transporting carefully bundled-up orange trees drives by, and Julien adds, “Well, if I had to pick a season, it would have to be spring. Right now, in winter, our 1200 orange trees are stored in The Orangery. Once the temperature rises, they’re taken out. It looks like a ballet, and it signals that summer will soon be here. The scent of those trees in full blossom is something else.”
Julien has been here from the very beginning, envisaging what this place could eventually be. Back in 2016, it was a near ruin. Julien notes, “I remember looking at the building, which had been unoccupied for twenty years, and knowing all too well this was going to be a challenge.” But how things have changed since that moment. Today, Le Grand Contrôle is not just a grand historic landmark; it also feels homey, as if you’re visiting a relative’s place in France. “If I take my drawings, our dreams from back then, it’s exactly as we imagined it.” A private residence like no other. Today, rolling into town from a busy train station, the public instantly flocks to the illustrious Versailles, its gilded gates gleaming in the sun from afar. I, however, take a turn left and walk through a beautiful residential street to find Le Grand Contrôle all the way on the end.
Renovations began in 2019. “Since it’s a listed property, still owned by the Palace of Versailles, it was quite a challenge to get everything approved before getting started,” explains Julien. The proposal: to recreate an 18th century interior but keep things modern. Le Grand Contrôle was built in 1682 as a private home for Louis the 15th before being transformed into the Ministry of Finance in 1724. That’s where the name Grand Contrôle derives from - it was also the office and home of the Controller General. After the French Revolution, the Army took over, and, in the 1990s, the building was returned to the Palace of Versailles.
We take a seat inside, as waiters float by in their traditional tailed jackets and tall stockings. When I tell Julien it feels like somewhat of a living theatre, he nods. If we could move the other guests in their contemporary gear out of eyesight, we easily could believe we we’d been transported to a bygone era or onto the set of a period drama.
Every little detail is anchored in late 18th-century décor. “We had a female art historian come on who did a lot of research. That’s when we found out that this Ministry was very powerful at the end of the 18th century.” He pauses for a second to show me two paintings on the wall, portraits of Mr. Necker and Mrs. Necker. “They were Swiss and a real power couple with a very modern way of thinking. They also worked very closely with the King and Benjamin Franklin to finance the American Independence War. The pinnacle of their reign became our reference point for the restitution of the décor. Late 18th century, also called the Louis XVI Style.” More than nine hundred pieces of furniture were bought in auctions – the white porcelain trinket on the table beside me, cupboards, stools … “When you walk in, you might be fooled to think that it’s all original and we just restored it, but we carefully recreated it.”
The best local artisans were commissioned to craft the wood panels, redo the original wooden floors and work on the plush velvet seats and the golden cornices on the doors. “You know what’s special?” asks Julien. “Those beautiful chairs with gilded wood and tapered column legs are signed by Jean-Baptiste-Claude Sené, a renowned chair maker. If you visit the Palace of Versailles, you will find his designs there as well, but you can’t sit on them. They’re like museum pieces, but here they’re part of our home at Grand Contrôle.” These crafts are still very much alive, valued and supported in France. Upstairs, on the second floor, the apartments are decked out in exquisite wallpaper featuring nature scenes, special antiques and custom-made pieces. The colour palette in the audience rooms, and platters of macarons scattered about, remind of Marie Antoinette.
A royal feast for breakfast, lunch and dinner is served up by none other than star-chef Alain Ducasse, who researched 18th-century gastronomy, put his own twist on things. He works exclusively with in-season produce. “You’ll find no strawberry here in winter,” emphasises Julien.
Beneath the earth's surface, a hidden sanctuary awaits: an underground spa accessed through stone steps and candlelit passages. Additionally, the guest experiences, co-designed by Julien, are out of this world, one of them being exclusive access to the Palais of Versailles after hours. Just imagine wandering the halls of this golden, legendary palace with a private party or, better yet, all on your own. And then, when the property is blanketed by evening, to find your way home to Le Grand Contrôle. Undoubtedly, an unforgettable experience.
Kaira van Wijk
If you've heard of Vogue, ELLE or FD Persoonlijk, then you've probably read some of Kaira's sharp, incisive words. Born in Götenburg, Sweden, with an Indo-Dutch background, this worldly journalist captivates both on and off the page. Though she's a minimalist when it comes to packing, Kaira knows how to get the most of her favourite places (Amsterdam, Oaxaca, Lisbon). When we're looking for excellent design and amazing restaurants or for off-the-grid inspiration, Kaira's inevtiably our gal.
