Saint James Paris, the only chateau-hotel in Paris surrounded by its own gardens, has just completed a total renovation of its interiors and gardens with newly designed rooms and suites, new indoor swimming pool and expanded spa, and new restaurant concepts indoors and out.
“As we open this new chapter of its history, the Saint James embodies more than ever the quintessential Parisian art de vivre,” says General Manager Laure Pertusier, “It’s romantic, magical, illustrious and deliciously intimate; dedicated to Parisians themselves and our guests from around the globe.”
Just off the boutiques and restaurants of Victor Hugo avenue, in the exclusive 16th arrondissement, this peaceful and elegant Relais & Chateaux property a few minutes walk from the Champs Elysees, has been fully reimagined by French interior designer Laura Gonzalez and landscape architect Xavier de Chirac, with a new restaurant helmed by acclaimed chef Julien Dumas.
For the interiors, Gonzalez took inspiration from the garden setting and the building’s 1892 neoclassical architecture. Outside, in the 50,000 square foot gardens, de Chirac created a classical garden that flowers in every season highlighted by a pergola-shaded outdoor bar and patio for warm-weather dining. Inside, Bellefeuille, the new restaurant helmed by Chef Dumas (formerly of the Michelin-starred Parisian restaurant Lucas Carton), is nature-inspired, from the floral IKSEL wallpaper to the tasting menu of carefully chosen, responsibly harvested ingredients.
The hotel’s Guerlain spa – one of only two in Paris, outside of the Guerlain Institute – was completely transformed. The spa, fitness and lounge areas now stretch over more than 4,000 square feet on two floors of the hotel, with three handsome treatment booths (including one double), a fitness room, a hammam, a sauna, a whirlpool and a sublime surprise in the depths of the hotel: an immense 50-foot swimming pool bathed in natural light pouring in through a glass ceiling.
The Saint James Paris’ neoclassical building was originally commissioned by the widow of the former French President, Adolphe Thiers, to house students awarded scholarships from the Thiers Foundation. It later became the home of the Saint James Club, modeled after the private clubs of London, and since 1991 it has been a hotel and club.
This latest reinvention, completed March 2022, honors the style of Europe’s grand hotels but conveys a brighter, more modern and playful attitude. Vintage room keys dangle on display behind the reception desk, which sits in front of an impressive 20-foot tree of life plaster relief wall sculpture, and under a ceiling of frescoes designed by the decorator and painted by artists from the Atelier Roma. The lobby is the heart of Saint James, humming at all hours; its chess table and piano waiting patiently for a guest to sit down and play; its house cat, Pilou, passing through.
