Saint James Paris

Saint James Paris is located in the 16th arrondissement within a secluded 19th century neo-classical château, surrounded by landscaped gardens, close to the Bois de Boulogne, the Trocadéro and the Arc de Triomphe. The Fondation Louis Vuitton is close by as is the Musée d’Art Moderne with the hotel offering complimentary cycles to explore the area. Built on what was once the site of the first hot air balloon landings in open countryside, it was first a former home to a French president, Adolphe Thiers, later housing scholarship students to his Foundation, before becoming part of the Saint James Club. Now run as a club and a hotel, it has been most recently revitalised by designer Laura Gonzalez turning it back into the feel of a grand private French residence with an achingly perfect design vision. There are 22 rooms, 26 suites and four apartments, dressed in an individual style masterfully melding contemporary ideas with Art Deco and traditional elements, geometric shapes mixing with floral wallpapers and sumptuous fabrics contrasting with Versailles parquets and custom carpets, adorned with antique details. There are also flights of fancy nature inspired wallpapers, be-curtained four poster beds, soaringly high ceilings and custom furnishings with Marshall Bluetooth speakers and Guerlain amenities. Some rooms also enjoy spacious terraces overlooking the gardens with rooms sizes starting at 20 square feet up to 79 square metres for the largest prestige suite and 130 square metres for the largest apartment, sleeping up to seven people. 

Romantically styled in greens, creams and ivories, the all-day dining Bellefeuille restaurant, under the toque of Michelin starred Executive Chef Julien Dumas, serves up a menu of market-fresh ingredients using suppliers operating in an eco-responsible manner or produce and honey harvested from the property’s own gardens. It enjoys a grand setting, with ornate cornicing, mouldings, antique mirrors and a period fireplace with a whimsical wallpaper of a fairy tale landscape. Cane furniture and palms in large planters feature predominantly in The Terrace with its gazebo, opening out onto the gardens and serving alternative summer menus. For a swift bevvy or two or a quick lunch, The Library Bar is the quintessential English double height library, replete with ancient tomes, winding staircases and an ornate coffered ceiling. For pampering, head to the subterranean Greco-Roman style Spa Gherlain with its three treatment rooms (including a couples’ suite) offering signature treatments, a serene lap pool, a whirlpool, Hammam, sauna and fitness centre open to hotel guests and club members.