Paris’s Luxurious Relais Christine

Disclosure: I was a guest of Relais Christine for one evening. All opinions are my own.

After staying in the discreetly luxurious Relais Christine (a Relais Chateau property) in Paris I may never stay in another hotel room again. I certainly won't look at them the same way.

Imagine your taxi rolling up to a discreet street and as soon as your feet touch the ground you are whisked away and enveloped and cocooned into your own private room with either an idyllic private garden or a view of Paris’s famous rooftops.

You are surrounded by products that are distinctly French and your every need is accounted for. We were treated like the royalty that the 17th-century townhouse was named after the daughter of Marie de Medicis and Henri IV.

I never wanted to leave.

We visited during the holiday season so our entrance was marked by this ethereal arch of light leading to the front door. The hotel's atmosphere is that of someone's home – who wouldn't want to visit their Parisian relatives here?

We were taken to our room where we simply fell in love.

It being December, it was cold outside and a little rainy, and all we wanted to do was snuggle up in the comfy living area and read a book, listen to the Marshall radio or take a nap!

But why nap on the delicate couch when there was a fluffy (yet firm) bed calling my name?

One of the most delightful features of our room was the wonderful views of the famous Parisian rooftops.

Every detail was taken into consideration. We were under the roof which might lead you the think that the bathroom would be cramped, mais pas de tout! There was a full tub which you can see below AND a huge shower room, it was incredibly designed from an architectural perspective!

And while our room was fabulous, when you see the rest of the “house” you'll be hard-pressed to leave the gorgeous salons, lounges, and library.

Relais Christine's decor is exquisite, you can imagine that even without the extra holiday touches, you'll want to sink into any number of luscious chairs or couches!

Or grab a book from the library and pretend to read as you pinch yourself that you are truly in the lap of luxury, that you could sit there all day studying the works of whichever poet or artist or historian that you happen to grab off the shelf, all while drink cup after cup of coffee, or tea, or the quite decadent hot chocolate the staff will graciously ply you with.

The Maison does not have its own restaurant (more on that in a bit) but they do serve an extensive breakfast spread in an additional salon area that is equally as sumptuous as the upper salon.

We quite comfortably enjoyed our breakfast amongst the opulence! I could get used to this!

We had the opportunity to see a few of the 48 rooms that make up the intimate universe of Relais Christine. There are a variety of rooms from cozy to deluxe leading up to suites with a private garden.

The team at Relais Christine engaged decorator Laura Gonzalez to transform the rooms that exemplify French romanticism, there is a beautiful balance of modern contemporary materials from icons like Pierre Frey and Hermes mixed with timeless classic furniture.

After seeing the other rooms, I wanted Laura to decorate chez moi! I absolutely love the mixture of textures and patterns in the fabrics!

The hotel is steeped in history. The townhome was built on the remains of an abbey. Founded in 1231, the Saint-Denis College of the Grand-Augustins Abbey was created for the king's most important abbots.

Nothing is left of that site except the 13th-century arches in the vaulted ceiling which you can see when you enter the oasis of Relais Christine's exclusive Maison Guerlain spa.

Maison Guerlain doesn't just drop their products and run. When they select properties to work with they take part in the design and detail of the products and services curating their treatments with a level of personalization that it is unrivaled in luxury space.

And if you geek out on history as I do, particularly French history (bien sûr), then you will love the collection of limited edition and historical bottles of Guerlain perfume that they have on display.

So, let's talk about the whole restaurant situation. At first, I was unhappy that there was no on-site kitchen, but now I've seen the light, and I can tell you that I didn't miss it. I did get my favorite and the most important meal of the day, breakfast in the morning in the hotel.

So there is that. And well, the hotel is right in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, which has absolutely amazing food.

In fact, right next door to the hotel is a bistro where Mr. Misadventures and I had one of our best meals our entire week in Paris. Lunch at Le Christine was an unexpected bonus. Here is just a small sampling of our meal that started with a glass of champagne and ended with a rich noisette (find out what a noisette is in my how to order coffee in Paris post).

A delightfully grilled endive served with a few nuggets of duck confit, pickled pears, and the piece de resistance, Roquefort sorbet. Oh, my!

And the most perfectly prepared pork chop I've ever eaten with a single slice of parsnip and a dab of the most delicious mustard I’ve ever tried. A regional specialty called moutarde de brive from the town of Brive. It's violet and made from overripe black grapes, something new and delightful!

The Relais Christine is in Paris's 6th arrondissement. I recently interviewed neighborhood local Eileen for my Paris Profile series about her top picks for this area, there is plenty to see, do, and eat at the doorstep of Relais Christine! With all that just outside the secluded doors of the Maison, I really did not miss not having a restaurant on the property at all!

We returned to Paris in the spring to visit the Relais Christine in warmer weather, there is an accessible rooftop and they have their own bees!

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I chose Relais Christine from the J.MAK Hospitality collection. I met Jon Makhmaltchi at an event a few years ago in San Francisco and immediately felt an affinity for his fantastically curated collection of properties around the world. As he puts it, his global collection matches “hospitality with personality” and having stayed in 2 of his selected properties, I have to tell you I couldn't agree more.

He and his team are consummate professionals and I highly recommend you explore his offerings.

Relais Christine itself is a member of the Relais & Châteaux family. I've had the privilege of staying at a few other properties in the US and France in this group and I have never been disappointed.

All the staff was extremely attentive, but I want to say a special thanks to Ms. Maren Gremels who spent an abundant amount of time showing Mr. Misadventures and I the property as well as sharing its history.

She also answered a myriad of questions we had for her, and ever so patiently! She is passionate and professional and a fine example of the generosity and geniality of the Relais Christine family.

If you are looking for an extraordinary place to stay while visiting Paris then look no further than Relais Christine. Its unique atmosphere and 5-star service in the comfort of a stylish and luxurious home are the perfect combination of ingredients for a perfect stay.

Relais Christine is located at 3 Rue Christine in the 6th arrondissement of Paris.

How about you? Have you stayed at a magical hotel like the Relais Christine? Do share!

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AUTHOR BIO

Andi Fisher

I am married to a French man, lived in France for 3 years, and have been to Paris more than 50 times. I am always a tourist so the information, tip, and tricks I share are created to help you!