A timeless hotel
Built in 1861 by Jules Hardouin-Mansart, it was once a financial centre under the reign of Louis XV. With views over the Orangerie gardens, the Pièce d'Eau des Suisses and the Château, Le Grand Contrôle is an invitation to stroll, to travel through time and to relax.
More than two centuries later, after a complete restoration and transformation into a hotel and restaurant by our Pradeau Morin teams as general contractors, this private mansion offers its guests an exceptional moment, where dreams and reality intertwine for a moment.
The project management for this exceptional project was entrusted to the interior designer Christophe Tollemer, the architect Pierre Bortolussi, and the architectural firm CALQ.
An exeptional
renovation
The work, entrusted by Lov Hotel Collection to Pradeau Morin, involved the extensive renovation of 3 listed buildings.
Today, in place of the 3 former buildings, stands the palace, comprising 14 rooms, a spa/pool and a restaurant under the Ducasse banner, covering a total surface area of almost 3,800 m². Each of the hotel's 14 rooms has been decorated in a unique, elegant style inspired by the 18th century, using authentic colours and fabrics, carefully selected period furniture, chandeliers, works of art and numerous decorative elements.
This project, combining history, extensive renovation and luxury, was a real challenge for our teams.To build the swimming pool, they had to excavate the ground between two of the three buildings. Building the kitchens also meant digging up the right-hand side of the Grand Contrôle, so that the kitchens would be located underground and the restaurant on the ground floor. The foundations were also rebuilt, and this meant rebuilding certain walls that were not at the same level.
The teams reinforced the structure using a combination of wood, metal and concrete. The floors of the building formerly known as "Petit Contrôle", dating from the 18th century, were removed and then treated in situ, before being reused. A geothermal system was also installed for part of the heating production system. As for the cooling system for the rooms, this had to be taken directly from the water table beneath the Château de Versailles, in view of the building's historical constraints, which prevented the installation of air-conditioning units within the building.
An royal establishment
The interior spaces have all been rethought and refurbished by the famous architect and designer Christophe Tollemer, inspired by the Petit Trianon, Marie-Antoinette's property in Versailles. Each room has been covered in wall hangings with original motifs, recreated by the House of Pierre Frey, a luxurious environment that takes us back to the splendour of Versailles in its heyday.
Guests of the hotel have access to top-of-the-range services (a Valmont spa, a swimming pool, a gourmet restaurant) as well as numerous advantages such as exclusive access to the château and the park, including areas usually closed to the public.
In brief :
First phase (2016-2017): clearance and demolition
Second phase (2018 - May 2021): construction
Project owner: Airelles Collection
Assistant project owner: ACPH
Project owner: CALQ Architecture
Project manager: Aireilles
Monuments Historiques architects: Bortolussi; 2BDM
Design architect: Agence Christophe Tollemer
Crédits photos : Renne Kemps