Le Louis Versailles Château

The “Versailles Château” in the hotel’s name is a reference to the neighborhood, not to the famous palace itself — Le Louis Versailles Château Hotel-MGallery is set just ten minutes’ walk from the Palace of Versailles itself, and offers a taste of palatial grandeur on a slightly smaller and more intimate scale. (The last bit of the name signifies that this is part of Accor’s MGallery collection, which combines unique hotel properties with polished, professional service.)

Le Louis is a 19th-century hotel, as its façade makes perfectly clear, but its interiors have been updated to keep pace with the times. The lobby bar, beneath an arched glass atrium and a modernist chandelier fit for a Sun King, is a contemporary space in tones of emerald and gold, a theme that carries on, though more subtly, into the rooms and suites, many of which feature parquet floors and trompe l’oeil ceilings.

There’s just one restaurant, the perhaps surprisingly contemporary Alcôve, serving modern French cuisine in a colorful, elegant setting. This and the lobby bar are the only food and beverage venues, but thanks to the hotel’s smallish size — and its central location — they’re more than equal to the task.