Waldorf Astoria Trianon Palace Versailles

It’s hard to find a hotel more spectacularly located than this one. The Waldorf Astoria Versailles – Trianon Palace stands right where the city of Versailles meets the Parc de Versailles, and is oriented to face the park that surrounds Louis XIV’s Royal Estate, an idyllic view by any standard. And the hotel itself is something of a feast for the eyes — the Trianon Palace building dates back to 1910, and has been exceptionally well maintained.

Though updated over the years the Palace’s rooms remain handsome, combining neoclassical architecture and contemporary colors, with modern comforts and gorgeous stone and tile bathrooms. The top-floor rooms are especially unique; some are slanted, up under the mansard roof, and some have views of the Château itself from picture windows or private terraces. (Others face a garden or a courtyard; book a “park view” room to ensure you’re facing the estate’s grounds.)

Sadly, that’s not the whole story. The 1910 Palace is joined by the Pavillon, built in 1990, and in every way a mere shadow of its older, more elegant counterpart. The two insist on doing business under the same name, but we cannot in good conscience recommend the Pavillon rooms unless a lower price is your only concern. It’s also worth noting that while the Guerlain spa is a large one, and the indoor swimming pool also exists, both are somewhat lacking in charm, and are similarly unworthy of the Palace.

Redemption, though, comes at the table. Breakfast on the terrace, with a view over the Parc de Versailles and its flocks of grazing sheep, is a delight, and La Véranda, a highly competent brasserie, is open for lunch and dinner as well. The main event, of course, is the Michelin-starred Gordon Ramsay au Trianon, five or seven courses of exquisite fine dining with its own views of the park; this is the sort of thing Louis XIV had in mind all along.