Our Story

Our majestic residence began its life as home to the Thiers Foundation, created in 1892 by the widow of former French President, Adolphe Thiers. An ardent philanthropist, she decided to support brilliant young students by attributing scholarships and comfortable living conditions. Thanks to the generosity of this remarkable woman, the building served as a boarding house for elite groups of French students, foreshadowing its future as a hotel. At the time, the 16th arrondissement of Paris had a country feel to it. Parisians of the Belle Époque marvelled at exoticism in the Jardin d’Acclimatation, while hot air balloons were launched from the capital’s first aerodrome, in a field just across.

The years went by and in the 1980s the foundation moved out. The building was then acquired and transformed by Peter de Savary who created another Saint James Club after London, Antigua and Los Angeles. The library and former study room became iconic venues, symbols of French cultural and intellectual life.

Transformed into a hotel & club in the 1990s, the Saint James was acquired by a French family and joined Relais & Châteaux in 2011. In 2021, a full renovation of the property was conducted by the architect-designer Laura Gonzalez.