When my daughter and I planned our trip to France, the Palace of Versailles was high on our bucket list of places we wanted to go. Some displays at the Palace are only offered on select days. We built our trip itinerary around visiting on a Saturday to see the Musical Fountain Shows, the Carriage House, and the Evening Illuminations.
Because we planned to be at the Palace fairly late, the best course of action was to book a hotel in Versaille instead of stressing to catch a late train back to Paris.
BOOKING OUR STAY
I decided on the Waldorf Astoria Trianon Palace Hotel in Versailles. This grand hotel would fit our boujee on a budget theme perfectly. Saturdays fill up fast and availability was already limited 7 months before our stay. I was unable to use a Hilton Free Night Certificate to reserve the room because no Standard Rooms were available, so I ended up using points instead. A lot of points! This hotel stay was meant to be a luxury experience, so I just didn’t care!
My Hilton Aspire credit card includes a $200 Hilton Resort credit that can be used twice a year for hotel charges, spa treatments, or onsite restaurants. The Waldorf is classified as a Hilton Resort so we would be able to use the credit during our stay!
Tip: Before we arrived in France, I contacted an American Express Concierge to have them secure reservations at the La Veranda Restaurant on our behalf. It made the process so much easier.
ARRIVAL
As soon as we walked in through the doors, I could tell this hotel would be amazing. In the center of the lobby, a grand chandelier topped a famously photographed 3-section green velvet sofa drawing us into the hotel.
The Guest Service Team at the Waldorf Astoria Trianon Palace were fantastic. They were friendly and efficient and thoroughly explained the layout and amenities when we arrived.
The WA consists of 2 separate buildings, the Pavillion and the Palace. The elegant Palace Building houses the Restaurants, the Pool, and the Spa. Standard rooms booked with Hilton points are generally only available in the Pavillion Building. I was excited when we checked in and were upgraded to a suite in the Palace Building thanks to my Hilton Diamond status.
We arrived on an early train because we had an 11:30 timed entrance at the Palace of Versailles. We had no expectation for our room to be ready that early but were glad to be able to leave our bags at the hotel’s reception while we were visiting the Palace.
THE ROOM
Let me just say OMG! Our room was outstanding. The first thing we noticed, were the French doors which flooded the room with natural light and opened onto a lovely balcony with a view of the courtyard. Beside these doors was a cute seating area with a table and gold velvet chairs. The table contained a thank you note addressed to me, along with some complimentary sparkling water and a box of macarons. I love it when a hotel recognizes your loyalty to their brand.
Our comfy twin beds were arranged side-by-side across from the sitting area. The massive room also included a large 3-door armoire with storage drawers, an umbrella, a minibar, and an espresso maker. Nearby, there was still plenty of space for a full-sized desk and chair in case you needed to work.
Another closet was located near the entrance of the room. It had an interesting tree design on its doors. Inside was a safe, a shoe shine kit, an ironing board and iron, and more storage space.
I felt like Cinderella and our room was big enough to host the ball!
WHAT A BATHROOM!!!
This bathroom was a dream. Another set of double French doors opened to a balcony across from a deep soaking tub. A gorgeous floral mosaic floor tile pattern carried throughout the entire bathroom including the shower. There was so much natural light for getting ready and the double vanity had enough space for all our grooming supplies.
The shower had both a rainfall shower head and an adjustable hand-held wand. The bathroom had plenty of fluffy towels, thick white robes with slippers, and Aesop shower amenities with an intoxicating herbaceous scent.
This was such a perfectly luxurious space we had to spend a little time soaking in the tub and relaxing. To top it all off we had a fantastic view of the Palace of Versailles from our balcony!
BAR/RESTAURANT
As I mentioned, the Waldorf did their best to recognize my Hilton Diamond status. In addition to the treats and a personal note left for us in our room, we were given vouchers at check-in for a pre-dinner champagne cocktail at the Gordon Ramsay Bar. The drinks and service there were both top-notch.
Velvet sofas and comfy chairs lined the main floor corridor providing abundant areas to sit and enjoy cocktails and conversation. Outside, cafe lights stretched across the patio leading guests to its champagne bar.
At last 7:30 came and we were seated for dinner at La Veranda. We began by ordering a Burrata salad with tomatoes and a bottle of Sancerre. The wine also paired nicely with Maggie’s huge pot of muscles with frites and my yummy fish with asparagus, truffles, and roasted potatoes.
We both love cheese and wanted to try different varieties while we were in France so I requested the “Chariot de Fromages” which was a fun experience. We finished the night with a citron tart. What a fantastic dinner!
Our final bill for this wonderful meal was $205.00 which worked out perfectly for using up my $200 Hilton Aspire Resort Credit!
CHECKING OUT
Sunday morning we enjoyed a leisurely seated breakfast at La Veranda. Breakfast was complimentary with our stay and included an extensive buffet and made-to-order items. I had yummy sauteed button mushrooms with my perfectly cooked scrambled eggs and way too many freshly baked croissants.
But all good things must come to an end eventually. We had a train to catch back to Paris so it was time to check out and stroll through town to the train station. The park-like boulevard to the station was lined with trees and filled with bicyclists, joggers, and families taking a Sunday morning walk together. We saw several people carrying bags from the boulangerie filled with freshly baked baguettes. So French.
THINGS WE LOVED
- The WA is a Hilton property bookable with points or a Free Night Certificate
- The hotel is listed as a Hilton Resort so you can utilize the Resort Credits from the Hilton Aspire card
- The hotel is conveniently located just a 10 – 15 minute walk away from both the Palace of Versailles and the Versailles train station
- The WA can easily be reached from Paris by train or in about 30 minutes by car
- This place is so elegant and oozes with old-world charm and luxury
- We had a great view of the Palace of Versailles from our balcony and with the doors open we could even hear a lovely concert performance. The balcony would also provide a nice view on the nights the Palace has fireworks.
- You can order custom picnic baskets to enjoy in the hotel gardens
Oops..we accidentally left our swimsuits in our bags back in Paris so we didn’t get to check out their impressive swimming pool. We had a busy itinerary on this trip but next time I will book 2 nights so there is plenty of time to enjoy the pool and spa!
OUR REVIEW
If you are visiting Versailles this hotel is a must. I felt like we were actually staying in a Palace. Our room was spacious, comfortable, and filled with every creature comfort we could desire. Our bar and dining experiences were delightful and the hotel staff were friendly and helpful.
I seriously did not want to leave! It was definitely a Five Star experience and I hope I get an opportunity to stay there again.
RANKING OUR HOTELS FOR THIS TRIP
This was the 2nd hotel of the 5 we stayed at during our trip to Paris. After our trip was completed, we decided that we would rank them. It was a tough decision because we stayed in some terrific hotels, but the Waldorf Astoria Versailles was my top pick. Although Maggie also loved this hotel, she only rated the WA as her number 2 hotel on this trip. Stay tuned to see what could possibly top this extraordinary hotel and be her number 1 pick.
Dream, Plan, Save, and then have amazing and unforgettable Adventures!
The World According to Dev 
