Chic boutiques meet medieval history in Saint-Germain-des-Près, the epitome of Parisian lifestyle on the Left Bank, where the splendid Relais Christine can fittingly be found. Named after the daughter of Marie de Medici and Henry IV, the building is 17th-century but sits on the site of a former 13th-century Augustinian monastery – and entering its secluded courtyard, stepping through its vine-covered doorway, one can’t help but feel as if the hotel is about to bestow some of the city’s most treasured secrets.
No two of its 48 rooms are quite alike, each eliciting a certain individuality – perhaps thanks to a Toile de Jouy print, sparkling chandelier or bold decorative wallpaper – with quietly confident élan. Meanwhile, beneath its 13th-century vaults lie a mosaiced jacuzzi, sauna and Guerlain spa where expert treatments revolve around the perfumer’s fragrances and skincare; and behind the townhouse, a magnolia garden seems to occupy a wonderful world of its own, much like Paris itself.
