Review of J.K. Place Paris

J.K. Place Paris is located on the Rue de Lille in the 7th arrondissement … the Rive Gauche – or Left Bank – of the city. It is just a few special moments walk to the River Seine, the Louvre (10 minutes) and Eiffel Tower (15 minutes). Just across the river and the sumptuous Jardin des Tuileries awaits. The nearest bridges to the hotel are Pont de la Concorde and Passerelle Léopold-Sédar-Senghor.

From Paris Orly Aiport, the hotel is 10.5 miles (17 km), from Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport 21.7 miles (35 km) and just 25 minutes by taxi to Gard du Nord and the Eurostar. 

The hotel is discrete, private, cosy and while too many hotels boast the “home from home” moniker, J.K. Place Paris lives it. The front entrance is in keeping with the residential street on which it stands. Apart from the obligatory shiny name plate and ever-helpful & jolly doorman, you would not believe that you are entering one of the finest hotels in the French capital.

This boutique hotel has just 29 rooms & suites but each were meticulously designed. Everything has its place, and every need is satisfied.

The hotel offers seven categories – from a Classic Room, right up to the Signature Suite.

There are multiple views on offer - from a courtyard to the Rue de Ville. The windows are thick, the curtains are full-length and plush - so wherever you are, there is no external bother.

Each room & suite is classically designed but with contemporary features. So, you will see amazing cornicing surrounding the ceilings but with modern artworks peppered on the white walls. Stunning.

The bathrooms – mostly half-baths (without a bathtub) - are exquisite. Swathes of black and cream marble dominate – along with huge mirrors. The floors are heated which is delightful in the morning. The shower rooms are sizeable and a lovely touch is that there are huge bottles of shampoo, shower gel, conditioner AND an exfoliating scrub that leaves your skin silky smooth. The toilet room is complete with a bidet (how French) and the toilet roll is “hidden” in its own compartment in the wall. It’s so … cute!

There are two washbasins and more large, fluffy towels than you could ever need. With a Dyson hairdryer and ample space & mirrors for makeup to be applied, the bathroom is an ideal pre-day or pre-evening preparation area. A nice touch – something that most luxury hotels have dispensed with - is that J.K. Place Paris anticipates that you may have left your basic amenities at home and provides them anyway. No calling down to Concierge in a panic at midnight for a replacement toothbrush. 

Every room or suite has a proper walk-in wardrobe/changing room. There is easily enough space for a fortnight’s worth of outfits, there is a safe and of course, pressing iron and shoe cleaning accoutrements.

The main event – the bedroom – is perfect. Contemporary designed four-poster beds are covered in crisp white sheets and accompanied by a comfortable duvet and dive-into pillows.

Each bedroom features a mini-bar filled with complimentary soft drinks. The coffee and tea making facilities are a delight with twee china cups and dinky silver spoons. There is a large flatscreen television on the wall which connects to your telephone or other devices. Of course, super-fast Wi-fi is present all through the hotel.

There is at least one large comfy-cuddle seating area with additional chairs, and central table on top of a deep pile rug. Where there is an exposed wood floor – it’s parquet, naturally! Ah, and there are books – many books. The hotel is filled with books – mainly Assouline – arguably the finest travel-related coffee table books in the world. You may be in Paris, but with every one of these books you open, you are transported to another land. It’s wonderful!

Every morning and evening you will find that a hotel-fairy has flown into your room to deliver gifts – from face products to Champagne … and amazing desserts to stationery.

If you are lucky, you will have a balcony or a terrace … there to enjoy at any time of day.

Children are furnished with their own J.K. Place amenities. Yes, Paris is a city for lovers but families are more than welcome too!!

Every guestroom in J.K. Place Paris is a “home” – not just another hotel room. 

If service really is king then J.K. Place Paris is a veritable Palace.

From the moment you step over the threshold to the moment you leave (“please take some water for your journey”), you are swathed in hospitality-grade cotton wool. Every J.K. Place Colleague – from the wonderful housekeepers to the Italian General Manager– have a genuine smile and a warm demeanour. No request is too large … or small … and if they can’t, they know someone who can!

The Front Desk and Concierge are on duty 24/7, with Paris and beyond at their fingertips. Yes, they would love you to enjoy the hotel’s Lounge Bar or a meal at Casa Tua but they are there to gladly book a table at Tour d’Argent or Le Fouquet as well.

In the basement, the hotel hides its fitness centre, spa, and pool.

The Wellness Spa by Sisley features two treatment rooms – where highly trained & trusted aestheticians beautify and relax guests to perfection. The spa menu is wide, varied and booking in advance is highly recommended.

J.K.Paris now uses the American brand Noble Panacea for its signature treatments. Noble Panacea is a cruelty-free company and does not carry out any kind of animal testing to analyse its products nor does it include any ingredients from animal origin. Treatments include: The Brilliant Signature Facial, The High Tech Glow Facial and The Lifting & Sculpting Facial.

The Fitness Room is filled with every piece of training equipment you could ever need. The Technogym machines are the highest/latest spec and a delightful pommel horse provides a fun distraction. Personal fitness trainers and yoga instructors are just a call away …

The pièce de résistance is the subterranean marble & tile, 9-metre x 5-metre swimming pool. Yes, you will not be able to beat your all-time 100-metre dash, but you can enjoy a gentle aqua-stroll in a superb, warm pool. Numbers are kept to a minimum so you will never feel “crowded”. After your dip, you can relax on a lounger and read … or sleep! A sauna is available to sweat out the tensions of the day.

On the ground floor are a couple of courtyards that are covered by enormous parasols. Here you can enjoy a light meal, a café au lait peut-être avec a cheeky Davidoff cigar.

The main Lounge of the hotel is a focal point. Here’s another place to sit & relax with a flute of Champagne or chatter with companions about your day.

One of the main tourist attractions in Paris is the River Seine and there is something quite special about sailing down it at night – taking in the famous sights, no more than the Eiffel Tower which sparkles & lights up on the hour until 11 p.m.

The J.K. Boat is a 40-metre long private-use vessel that takes up to 50 guests at it sails up & down the river. It features a fully equipped kitchen, private cinema and 4 rooms. On the upper deck, you can indulge in a spot of yoga, scratch that painting itch or just sit back with a Negroni and enjoy the surroundings.

J.K. Place moves at your pace – whether you wish to sit in a quiet corner leafing through the latest issue of Vogue or host a huge dinner party …

Well-mannered pets are welcome by the hotel – prior arrangement is necessary.

J.K. Place Paris is so achingly trendy that it if it were a model, it would be in the “super” league.

The interiors were designed by the renowned Italian architect and designer Michele Bönan. He has blended contemporary with classic French styling in perfect harmony. The use of rich fabrics, bespoke furnishings – married with carefully curated artwork – have helped create a very special boutique hotel.

From the Assouline books to the cuddly J.K. Place cashmere throws – everything smells, feels, and bears the tenets of understated class. You will see a plethora of antique pieces picked up from Paris’ most famous flea markets. No expense has been spared. You will have to seriously overcome the urge to purloin items!

Oh - check out the lovely black & white statement flooring in the corridors and Casa Tua.

The most asked question about J.K. Place is what the “J.K.” stands for! Well, the hotel group was founded in 2003 by Eduardo Safide, Ori Kafri … and Ori’s father Jonathan Kafri … J.K. …!

Paris is packed with hotels that boast a Michelin-starred restaurant or sometimes even two! J.K. Place Paris realised that with just 29 rooms & suites and a very discerning international clientele that it needed to do something different but with the same high quality.

Enter Casa Tua – “your home”. The finest Northern Italian cuisine is offered to guests with no fanfare – the food speaks for itself. The best ingredients served up by chefs in an open kitchen. The chefs can see you – judge your mood, judge your taste, and tailor the cuisine to you. It’s a very personal affair which works. And all this under a glass roof!

Other Casa Tua restaurants can be found in Aspen and Miami.

Breakfast is filled with pastries, coffee, healthy meals, hot dishes and trop du beurre et du pain!

Supper is a boisterous affair … all these incredible dishes from burrata to lobster tagliatelle arrive one after another accompanied by Champagnes or other incredible wines. The risotto is a masterpiece … this is an authentic slice of Italy in Paris. Sit at a table with a velvet banquette or even dine al-fresco – at any time of year! The Casa Tua courtyard is covered and heated! It’s a veritable culinary adventure.

The Lounge Bar is where you can enjoy a cocktail, Champagne, whisky or just a glass of water, surrounded by friends – the bar staff. Yes, there are vintages from Bordeaux but there are also fresh Chiantis. If the Bar doesn’t have the vintage you prefer, Concierge will scour the city for a bottle – it’s that kind of place.

The Lounge Bar also serves comfort food and also “finger food” which includes slivers of Prosecco-marinated pineapple, quail egg canapés and mini sea bream burgers.

J.K. Place as a group takes sustainability seriously. The kitchen will source the freshest & finest ingredients from sustainable farmers - as close to the hotel as possible. Obviously, some of Italy’s finest has to come from the Homeland! All waste is recycled meticulously. Casa Tua and the Lounge Bar offer delicious organic wines. Plastic water bottles are not used – instead bottles made from glass - and paper cups (in the gym for instance) - are given.