Waldorf Astoria Trianon Palace Versailles

A couple of weeks ago I stayed for 3 nights at this property. Well located on the edge of the Royal Domain of the Palace of Versailles at the end of a quiet, tree-flanked avenue, the grand old 1910 main building was an impressive sight as our hotel-booked Tesla pulled up outside the entrance. Incidentally, for EUR150, although the driver was friendly and professional, I would expect functioning climate control to avoid the windows having to be periodically lowered to clear the windscreen…















The hotel’s public areas are not expansive but are suitably elegant; the small circular lobby gives way to a long corridor off which are the reception, concierge, two Gordon Ramsay restaurants and the spa by Guerlain.









Check-in was quick despite a short initial wait, with the receptionist explaining the hotel layout before pointing us in the direction of our room in the newer Pavilion building just across the garden. It’s barely a minute’s walk, but in inclement weather, some form of cover other than the provided umbrellas would be welcome.









All of the property’s standard rooms are pretty similar in design; those in the Pavilion building tend to be larger but have lower ceilings than those in the main building. Our Pavilion Room with Garden View on the first floor was spacious, one notable oddity being the location of the refreshment centre in the far corner, housed in an equally odd cabinet with oversized door that wouldn’t stay open of its own accord and banged shut loudly (so loudly that I’m sure I could hear it shutting in other rooms too). The headboard and furniture surrounding it was also oddly off-centred.













There were a few maintenance issues such as the pendant lamp’s cover showing exposed wires, frayed wires to the floor lamp and worn out leather to the desk chair. Although the room was clean, a stray slipper under the chaise longue was unwelcome, and I had to request for the bathroom bin to be replaced as it smelt horrid.

The bathroom was as equally spacious as the room, although the shower was an over-bath affair. It was powerful but angled oddly and on one occasion somehow partially flooded the adjoining entrance area. Robes and slippers were provided, and amenities were by Salvatore Ferragamo. The mirror was not anti-steam.











The room offered a pleasant enough view of the hotel’s gardens and across to the main Palace building; aside from the few niggles outlined above, it was a comfortable base for our trip.



The aforementioned refreshment centre included two small bottles of Evian replaced daily and a Nespresso machine. The minibar held one of each item; a little stingy for a room clearly designed for two people.





I had to print some documents and was directed to a couple of desktop computers below the main staircase; I couldn’t get either to send anything to the printer successfully, but the concierge kindly printed the documents for me. In a gesture few hotels adopt, the reception didn’t charge for stamps to post a couple of items either; this was really welcome and was indicative of the overall helpful and professional service throughout the hotel.

The property features two Gordon Ramsay restaurants; the fine dining Michelin-starred Gordon Ramsay au Trianon, and the slightly less upmarket but still refined La Véranda by Gordon Ramsay. We ate dinner one evening at the latter, which was excellent. Breakfast is taken in the same restaurant and offers most items you would expect with the exception of Bircher muesli. In addition to the buffet (which one morning was placed in the corridor outside the restaurant), a live egg cooking station is available. Breakfast was included in our rate and (perhaps because of this) there was no ŕ la carte menu offered, which is perfectly fine when there’s a decent buffet.







When it came to check-out, reception was able to accommodate a 90-minute extension to the usual 12:00 deadline, only 30 minutes shorter than would’ve been ideal.

In summary, this is a solid property in a great location for exploring Versailles. The pace of life feels calm within its walls, and despite a few minor grumbles the property lives up to its reputation as one of the best ‘resort’ properties surrounding Paris.