Sleep like a King

Part of the Palace of Versailles, once the setting for French state affairs, popular tourist destination and symbol of French decadence, is set to accommodate guests from late 2011. Belgian company, Ivy International SA, is to turn The Hotel du Grand Controle, traditionally home to the palace's treasurers, into a luxury 23-bedroom hotel. The 5.5 million euro (7.3 million US dollars) renovation of the 1,700 square-metre building, which was built in the 1680s by architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart, will be led by Frederic Didier, chief architect for historic monuments. The company will lease the building for 30 years and pay back rent each year to the Chateau de Versailles. This fee will be used to complete necessary renovation work to the building.

The construction of this new hotel was made possible by a 2009 agreement between the French Culture Ministry and the Tourism Department that was intended to boost the economic development of French historical and cultural landmarks.

The UNESCO World Heritage Centre has named the Palace of Versailles as one of the greatest achievements of 18th-century French art.
en.chateauversailles.fr