Live Like an Actual King in This Hotel on the Grounds of Versailles
Everything at Grand Contrôle is period-appropriate, from the furniture to the food to the way you’re treated.
Photographer: Renée Kemps
Our server begins breakfast by pouring a golden-hued bouillon from a gilded, hand-painted pitcher into a delicate crystal cup. He’s wearing a long, floral cutaway coat and Burgundy culottes. “Messieurs-dames,” he explains, “the king used to begin each day with a glass of vegetable broth before eating anything else. We invite you to do the same.”
A second server, in a voluminous skirt and floral bodice, places a generous platter of freshly baked pastries at the center of the table. When the morning feast ends and all the early risers make their way out, staff members stop what they’re doing and stand in near-salute to offer guests warm wishes for their afternoon.