Coming soon to the Château de Versailles...
Wednesday, January 5, 2011 at 3:22AM Tweet 
Orangerie at the Palace of Versailles, by Urban at fr.wikipediVersailles' Hôtel du Grand Contrôle, a dilapidated mansion built in the 1680s as home and offices for the king's treasurer, is getting a multi-million dollar makeover. In 2012 it will reopen its doors as a five-star luxury hotel.
Standing a mere 100 years from France’s most renowned cultural landmark, the Hôtel du Grand Contrôle was evacuated during the French Revolution and has been falling into disrepair ever since. Unable to afford the $7.3M (5.5Es) price tag to restore the building to its former glory, Versailles administrators have handed over this treasured piece of French cultural heritage to a private operator, a rare occurrence in France, indeed.
Ivy International SA, a Belgian hotel concern, will renovate the 23-room mansion in cooperation with France's chief architect for historical monuments, Frederic Didier. A percentage of the future hotel’s profits – to be called l'Hotel de l'Orangerie – will then return to Versailles in the form of rent in a lease agreement to last 30 years.
The Hôtel du Grand Contrôle boasts views of Louis XIV’s sumptuous Palace as well as his Orangerie, the greenhouse that housed the king’s tropical citrus trees. Louis XIV was a great admirer of orange trees, in particular. He enjoyed the way their scent perfumed the air.
If you’ve ever dreamed of living like a king, even for a day, now just may be your chance!
Click here for more news from National Public Radio.
And here for news from France24.
Reader Comments (1)
Hi Sarah, I've a little something for you over at the blog.