You can now stay at the Palace of Versailles as first ever hotel opens – but will set you back £1.5k a night

YOU can now stay at the Palace of Versailles for the first time, with a new hotel opening on the grounds of the famous chateau.

It is the first hotel to open on the palace grounds in it's 340-year history – so don't expect a stay to come cheaply.

The five-star Airelles Château de Versailles, Le Grand Contrôle features 14 regal suites across three of the buildings on-site, each named after important guests and advisors to the former king.

Guests can take advantage of the hotel swimming pool and spa, as well as exclusive access to parts of the chateau not usually open to visitors.

Each suite comes with a private butler as well as access to the boats and golf carts for navigating the huge 679,536sqft of grounds.

Guests get a complimentary private tour of the Estate of Trianon every morning, as well as a daily afternoon tea inspired by Marie Antoinette.

Other exclusive experiences include a private tour of the Hall of Mirrors with 357 mirrors lining the walls.

The Hall of Mirrors is famous for being the location where the Treaty of Versailles – which solidified the end of the First World War – was signed back on June 28, 1919.

The on-site restaurant offers classic French cuisine inspired by former French ruler Louis XIV, who was was in power for 72 years, with fancy dishes such as foie gras and truffles.

The Palace of Versailles, which was formerly a hunting lodge built by Louis XIII in 1623, was eventually turned into the huge tourist attraction that it is today over 100 years, and usually attracts 10m visitors a year.

One-night stays start from €1,700 (£1,450), so you will have to start saving now.

And while France remains on the UK's amber list, meaning Brits have to quarantine when returning to Britain, the country is welcoming UK travellers back from next week.

The country has announced that any Brits who have received both doses of the vaccine will be able to visit France without needing a "compelling reason" following the new rules enforced on Monday.

Fully vaccinated Brits will just need an antigen test, and can skip the quarantine on arrival – Brits with one jab or no jabs will still face seven-day quarantines.

If you don't fancy leaving the UK, you can rent your own castle in Britain.

We've rounded up some of the best castles open to guests, starting from just £9 each per night.

Or, find 15 other friends and family and you can have a whole castle to yourself for £15 each.

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