Emmanuel Laveran
, Saturday, June 1, 2024

Hotels of the month

Saint James Paris, a château-hotel and private club

Located in Paris’s opulent 16th arrondissement, between avenue Foch and avenue Victor Hugo, the Saint James Paris hotel is housed in a 19th-century mansion rarely seen in the capital. Meet the owner.

saint james paris spa guerlain © matthieu salvaing

The pitch | Saint James Paris, an elegant private hotel nestled in greenery

A cross between a palace and an English club, the Saint James Paris, a private club and 5-star hotel, is housed in a private mansion in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The building, erected in 1982 and then transformed into a hotel in the 1990s, was given a facelift in 2021, with new decor by interior designer Laura Gonzalez, a new Michelin-starred restaurant and new gardens reinterpreted by landscape architect Xavier de Chirac. This year, the Relais & Châteaux member hotel puts the accent on well-being, unveiling a grandiose 400 m² Guerlain spa spread over two floors, with three treatment rooms, a gym, a hammam, a sauna, a jacuzzi and a 15-meter pool under a glass roof.

How is the hotel?

The one and only château-hotel in Paris, the Saint James offers a sumptuous setting in a late 19th-century neo-classical residence. The view of the fountain and the building's facade is enough to transport guests into the unique, romantic ambience of this exceptional hotel, which is both a luxury hotel and a private club. Passing through the lobby, you reach one of the most beautiful bars in Paris, nestled in a library and accessible only to club members during the day. At Bellefeuille, the hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant, Grégory Garimbay takes us on a journey from the hotel garden to the Atlantic Ocean, with impeccably sourced produce (99% of the vegetables come from the hotel's kitchen garden in Seine-et-Marne). Guests will be able to enjoy these top-flight creations in the evening, in the recently renovated dining room with its green ambience, while lunchtimes are reserved for club members.

The only château-hotel in the city of Paris, the Saint-James offers a sumptuous setting in a late 19th-century neo-classical residence.

What are the rooms like?

The hotel's 50 rooms and suites are characterized by their eclecticism, with Art Deco touches here and there, Japanese wallpapers and Art Nouveau floral motifs. Some have duplexes, and two have garden terraces. The bright, high-ceilinged rooms (some of them almost 4 meters high) are decorated with warm materials such as velvet, Versailles parquet, antiques and works of art.

Saint-James Paris - Suite © Matthieu Salvaing

What makes the difference?

The romanticism of the place, where the decor elegantly highlights the volumes of the neoclassical architecture.

The hotel's 50 rooms and suites are characterized by their eclecticism, with Art Deco touches, Japanese wallpaper and floral motifs

Good to know?

When the weather's fine, enjoy lunch on the host's terrace or a drink in thebar under the gazebo.

The room to book?

One of the bedrooms with a four-poster bed.

Where is it?

In Paris, in the chic 16th arrondissement, a stone's throw from the residential Avenue Foch.

Things to remember

Unquestionably our favorite hotel in Paris 16, the Saint James Paris is a sumptuous neo-classical hotel surrounded by a flower garden in the heart of Paris. One of the capital's most exclusive hotels.

Practical