The J.K. family made their name in Florence and this former embassy is their first hotel outside Italy. Set on the the Rue de Lille, a serene, tree-lined avenue filled with ministries and antique dealers (and the Musée d'Orsay is a few doors along at number 62), the location is desirable and sophisticated - much like the rest of the hotel. Interiors are dressed in plum velvet, marble fireplaces and flea-market finds hauled back from Saint-Ouen, with plenty of black and white tiling and steel-framed windows for the contemporary touch. Downstairs is a marble lap pool, sauna and steam room, and restaurant Casa Tua does a cacio e pepe that ruins you for other versions.
There's no front desk. Instead, you're welcomed at a writing desk in a run of drawing rooms with marble fireplaces, cashmere throws and stacked Assouline books, and poured a drink while someone fetches your key. A Warhol hangs in the bar, where the Negronis come ice-shatteringly cold and the aperitivo snacks include Martini-infused parmesan. The restaurant, Casa Tua, sits under a glass roof with doors onto a planted patio. Villoresi's Alamut scent follows you about in a trail of amber, musk, precious woods, allowing a little bit of Florence into Paris.
No two rooms are the same, and the jump between categories is big. The smallest Classic is really only suitable for one person, but the Superior, Prestige and Deluxe are much more spacious. In the grander suites you'll find handmade Italian four-posters and deep, jewel-hued carpets to sink into, and in some, fireplaces and separate lounge areas. Bathrooms are black-and-white marble with heated floors, twin basins and Dyson hairdryers in stamped leather boxes. One suite even uses a bronze puzzle-box in place of a wall. We'd ask for a J.K. Master.
Start with the d'Orsay, then wander one street south to rue de Verneuil, where Serge Gainsbourg's house has been left exactly as he had it, black felt walls and all. The Carré Rive Gauche puts a hundred galleries and antiquaires on your doorstep, and Rue du Bac delivers Chapon's chocolate and Angelina's Mont Blanc within a five minutes walk. Ask about the Saint-Germain food tour, the pastry class with a chef, or the private boat that shows you 90 minutes of the city from the Seine.
The after-hours visit to the Musée d'Orsay. It's on the street, so you get the Impressionists all to yourself - and then you're back at the bar for a Negroni in 10 minutes.
Breakfast is à la carte, with pastries arriving as they come out of the oven, so it runs slowly and beautifully. If you've booked a timed museum slot, order the night before and allow a full hour.
The hotel is spread across two buildings, so from some rooms the walk to the pool means crossing the public areas in your robe. Ask for something on the spa side if that makes you wince.
Start with a recommended trip or create one from scratch
J.K. Place Paris can be booked with Timbuktu as part of a tailor-made France trip, rather than as a standalone room reservation. Start online, customising one of our recommended France trips featuring J.K. Place Paris or get advice and suggestions from one of our France specialists who will design the trip around your dates, check availability and handle every booking for you.
Stays at J.K. Place Paris start from around $440, or US$440, per person per night as part of a tailor-made trip. The exact price depends on your travel dates, room type and the shape of the rest of your itinerary. A Timbuktu travel specialist can give you an accurate quote for your dates.
Postcard-perfect architecture, world-class food and wine and all that unapologetic, effortless glamour.
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