I wanted to take friends for a weekend break from London and as is often the case, was worried that they would either be (a) tiny (b) noisy (c) miles away (d) if central, pleasant and roomy, then fantastically expensive, pretentious etc. as I've often found. The Saint James was for me and my friends a terrific surprise. It looks a bit out of the way on the map but it's 10 minutes walk from the Trocadero and Etoile, and 2 minutes from a metro (line 2). Very peaceful. Very friendly indeed. Gracious, impressive and above all - roomy. We had two top floor rooms which were reasonably expensive but nothing like what I saw advertised closer in at the usual grand places. Very comfortable, large and peaceful. It is slightly old fashioned but that suits me very well indeed. No snooty staff in black, no clouds of perfume or loud lounge music. I found it very pleasant to walk a few blocks to get to shops, sights, metro etc. and loved the peaceful neigbhbourhood. I think this is the best hotel in Paris - by a mile. It has transformed my experience of the city! I used to dread booking there either for discomfort or amazing cost - now ... well, I sound like an advertisement. Special mention should go to the extremely friendly and helpful staff - especially in a city rightly famous for poor service. Well done. I will be back many times.

What can I say about the Saint James? The front desk clerks and the concierge were outstanding and answered our questions in a friendly and clear manner. They went out of their way to assist my friend with her special needs. They arranged taxi pickups with a friendly smile and also arranged our day and night trip in and around Paris. The room was extremely spacious and clean. It was truly a home away from home. The staff will go out of their way to accomodate you in every way possible. I highly recommend it.

Having seen most of the Paris highlights my husband and I opted for a hotel away from the main tourist attractions. We booked the St. James through Small Luxury Hotels (.com) which we are members. This allowed for a discounted price on a 35m room (spacious by paris standards), buffet breakfast and room upgrade upon availablity. The per night rate was 300E The upgrade came through as expected (it is low season) and we received a 45+m room. Bedroom w/ king bed, large bathroom w/ full size bath, bidet and dbl sinks, dining area with table and chairs as well as another room with couches TV and stereo. Half bath off of dining area was an unexpected plus! I have friends in Paris with apartments no bigger than this! It was on the top floor with two huge skylights which I felt more than made up for the lack of large windows (we had 2 small windows in the bedroom and 1 "porthole" in the living room). Step outside your suite and you have another private sitting area underneath a ceiling of skylights. Glass sliding door can be opened off of the dining area to expand your living space. I could see myself throwing a small cocktail party here! The hotel had installed a glass roof to provide a "winter garden" for these suites (aka indoor patios). It was beautiful at night to stare up at the stars. From the moment of arrival to the last moment of departure each person greeted us with a warm "hello" and a willingness to assist that one would expect from such a fine hotel. Room service was commendable in efficiency and selection, even at 3:ooam. As American breakfasts go I think one might be disappointed. The eggs and ham (no bacon) has room for improvement. Plenty of other choices if you don't mind cold cuts, fruit, lots of different breads, cereal and cheeses. This hotel offers elite club memberships to locals. Don't be surprised to see the Ambassador of Sweden sitting at the next table over from you at breakfast. Gym was small but well equiped with the usual. Treadmill, elliptical bike, free wieghts, punching bag, incline and yoga mats, TV etc. Also a tanning machine for free use. You'll ned to use the phone nearby to call the front desk to turn it on. Took me 20 minutes of searching for the power button before another guest clued me in. Privacy is limited so don't plan on tanning in the buff. Only one computer for public internet avaiable in the lobby. It was never busy while I was there but I would recommend you bring a laptop if you want "on-demand" access and it's high season. The grounds are outstanding as is the charm of staying in a mansion in Paris. I never tired of walking through the hotel gate at the end of each day. I always forget to take photos until we have scattered our items about. Please excuse the mess!