Saint James Paris
43 av. Bugeaud, Paris, Île-de-France, 75116, France
Why We Like It
The hotel took a plum spot set back in the rarified recesses of one of Paris’s toniest neighborhoods and transformed it into an oasis of beauty and peace. Behind the classic gates—and two private pavilions set in former guardians’ cottages—a circular drive enfolds a fountain and sculpted topiary, all nestled within more than an acre of pristine gardens. That means no matter which of the hotel’s 50 rooms you inhabit, you’ll always be met by a ravishing view. The private mansion vibe is no fantasy: this was once the home of a former French president, then a school, and finally a private club, which it remains today. Guests can move seamlessly from spa and pool to full-relaxation mode on the garden terrace over lunch or a drink in the Gazebo bar, to teatime or a pre-dinner cocktail in the swank British-style library, to dinner in the beautiful Bellefeuille restaurant.
Fodor's Expert Review
This renovated, 19th-century mansion with a stone gateway and beautiful fountain feels like a countryside château nestled in the heart of the busy metropolis. A sybaritic spa, exercise room, and what is probably the city's most glorious hotel staircase forge a loyal following of guests who enjoy a clubby, upscale atmosphere day and night (it is also a private club). Belonging to the Relais & Châteaux collection of premium lodgings, the hotel is decorated in sumptuous fabrics, genteel antiques, and period furnishings. A quick 20-minute walk gets you to L'Arc de Triomphe.
You Should Know The Saint James is not one of Paris’s best-kept secrets, meaning a little forethought is necessary for booking spa treatments and dinner reservations—especially in high season—to avoid disappointment. During fashion weeks it’s tough to get a room.
PROS
- Beautiful decor and spacious rooms
- Extravagant breakfast served in-room or in the restaurant
- Fantastic wellness spa
CONS
- Expensive rates
- Residential area quiet at night
- Far from all the major sights
Recommended Fodor’s Video
Room
We can thank star designer Laura Gonzalez for the rooms’ standout gracefulness and luminosity, whose signature mix of contemporary-classic furnishings, lusciously colored fabrics and fanciful wallpapers evoke just the right mix of glamour and repose. Poetic color schemes take the earth as a palette, with rich highlights in turquoise, deep rust, or gold in throw pillows, curtains, and headboards. Classic-contemporary furniture, modern artworks and sculptures in porcelain or marble conjure Gonzalez’s trademark Bohemian-chic style. Even the smallest rooms are bathed in light, and eight top-floor rooms under the hotel’s glass roof offer bright, plant-bestrewn atriums. Two ground-floor rooms come with their own garden terraces. All of the rooms include a fully-stocked cocktail bar with snacks, a tea kettle, and a Keurig coffee maker.
Tip If you can swing it, book a suite. Though lower category rooms are more spacious than what you’ll generally find in Paris, the suites and their bathrooms are exceptionally generous.
Bathroom
Full marble bathrooms project comfort and elegance, with plenty of storage space, showers and bathtubs, and high-end Guerlain bath products.
Lobby
The hotel’s carved wooden doors open onto a soaring, luminous lobby that feels far from the bustling crowds, where plush sofas and a welcoming vibe initiate you into the hotel’s country home atmosphere. Discretion and privacy are central themes here, so don’t be surprised to see guests in conspicuous dark glasses pretending they don’t want to be recognized.
Pool
The 50 x 13-foot pool, nestled within a classically styled marble wellness area with comfy lounge chairs, is open from 8 am to 9 pm.
Spa
The hotel possesses one of Paris’s rare Guerlain spas, covering more than 4,000 sq-feet. Expect signature treatments with the iconic Parisian beauty label’s signature products for restorative and relaxation rituals in three treatment rooms, including a double for couples, plus a sauna and hammam.
Gym
A spacious fitness area offers state-of-the-art equipment and a private coach, and private fitness area, by reservation.
Dining
A highlight of the hotel, this gorgeous dining room—open for breakfast, lunch (guests and club members only) and dinner—is helmed by chef Gregory Garimbay, who holds Michelin red and green stars, and pastry chef Coline Doussin. Refined dishes showcase fresh produce from the hotel's kitchen garden and farm and fine wines from every region of France and beyond. On fine days, head to the Gazebo restaurant and bar, nestled in the hotel’s dreamy garden, where you can take any meal or a leisurely pre-dinner apéro.
Drinking
The stately library bar, a highlight of the Saint James, recalls an upper-crust British club back in the day. Whatever you’re craving you’ll find it here, from a 30-year-old Bordeaux or 50-year-old Cognac, to a lavish English-style teatime, complete with savory sandwiches, Coline Doussin’s exquisite pastries, and a frosty coupe de champagne.
What's Nearby
Getting Around
The hotel is a five-minute walk to the Bois de Boulogne and a 15-minute walk to the Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Élysées. If you can plan ahead, the exquisite Musée d’Ennery a rare collection of Japanese and Chinese art run by the Musée Guimet, is a three-minute walk away. The hotel is a 30-minute walk through the Bois de Boulogne to the Fondation Louis Vuitton.
A five-minute walk away, Porte Dauphine station, the terminus for metro line 2, with correspondence to RER C (the line to Versailles) a stop for the new Tram T3, which traverses almost the entire circumference of Paris. Porte Maillot, serving metro line 1, Paris’s most central line, and three RER lines, is a 15-minute walk away.
Restaurants
At Place Victor Hugo, a five-minute walk away, you’ll find plenty of cafés, bistros, and one of the few good outposts of the famous Ladurée café. The Art Deco seafood brasserie Prunier, a historic landmark now helmed by multiple-star chef Yannick Alleno, is a 10-minute walk away.
Bars
For a drink outside the restaurant, you can hike 20-minutes to the Peninsula Paris’s Bar Kléber, a stately wood-paneled bar where the Paris Peace Accords ending the Korean War were signed in 1973. At Le Rooftop, you can sip a cocktail over stellar views of Paris and watch the Eiffel Tower shimmer every hour after sunset.
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Quick Facts
HOTEL INFO
HOTEL DETAILS
Rate Includes: No Meals
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