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Soon, five-star luxury travelers with a penchant for historic architecture will have the opportunity to live like Marie Attoinette. French officials recently announced a plan to convert a building on the grounds of the Chateau de Verailles into?a 23-bedroom luxury hotel.
Originally called the Hotel du Grand Contr?le, the building at the Chateau de Versailles was never actually a hotel. From the 1680s, it served as offices and lodging for visiting heads of state. After it was evacuated during the French Revolution, it fell into disrepair.
To prevent the building from falling into ruin and because Versailles does not have the funds for renovation, management of the property was turned over to a private Belgian company.
Officials spearheading what is an unusual project for France are having to do some convincing for the French public, which hasn't yet warmed to the idea. Still, the building will undergo a $7-million+ renovation.
The Palace of Versailles, with its expansive fountain-filled gardens is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. ?The hotel, which will overlook the Orangerie, the greenhouse where Louis XIV stored more than a thousand orange and palm trees, will be called Hotel de l'Orangerie.
It is scheduled to open late 2011 or early 2012. Now, if only you could have your wedding at Versailles.
See also: Trip planning assistance for vacations to France.
