11 February 2026
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Nowhere does opulent design quite like Paris. And no one does it quite like Jacques Garcia. The 78-year-old French designer, whose credits include redesigns at the Louvre and work on Key hotels from Marrakesh to Monaco, is particularly prolific in Paris. His name in the City of Light is synonymous with a certain romantic style of luxury, one defined by rich fabrics, jewel tones and, in particular, a signature use of red velvet — and lots of it.
Garcia’s celebrated design is maximalist, a style defined by a medley of patterns and colors, and it’s also inarguably expert and naturally divisive. Not everyone swoons over silk and taffeta, particularly those who prefer their luxury sleek and minimal. But there’s no debating that a Garcia hotel has a certain Parisian look and feel, and a stay at many of his hotels is like being transported back in time to a glorious Belle Époque evening.
Or a present day romantic one. For those with decadent tastes, these four romantic Paris hotels by Garcia are our picks for a couple’s stay in the French capital. For a full look at what else may suit you here, head to our Complete Hotel Guide.
Maison Souquet
What it’s all about: Its racy history and luxurious Belle Époque style make Maison Souquet one of Paris’ sexiest stays.At Maison Souquet, a former maison close — also known as, ahem, an upmarket brothel — run by a certain Madame Souquet, Garcia has doubled down on the building’s notorious past with sumptuous interiors that evoke the heady days of the pleasure-seeking Belle Époque, that late 19th-century era of optimism and rich design. Like its older sister Maison Proust below, each of the 20 guest rooms has a story to tell, in this case of the famed courtesans who inspired the jewel-toned fabrics and patterns, from peacock features in Rita’s room to bold stripes in La Païva’s, all complemented with gilded highlights.
The three ground-floor salons are wonderfully maximalist, from the One Thousand and One Nights-themed salon to the ultrafeminine winter garden — richly layered with floral fabrics, flirty tassels and of course Garcia’s signature velvet — to the atmospheric bar, where hidden references to the hotel’s past are woven into the design.
The final touch is the seductive subterranean pool and hamman, crowned by a midnight blue ceiling decorated with celestial golden designs and available by appointment only for a moment of quiet privacy à deux.
La Réserve Paris
What it’s all about: Paris’ smallest palace hotel is one of only nine Three-Keys in the city, the pinnacle of privacy and service in a palatial setting.Discretion underpins La Réserve Paris, the smallest of Paris’ usually grand palaces, a name bestowed upon only the very best French hotels by none other than the French government. Although Garcia has worked his magic once again in the 40 rooms — most of which are spacious suites — the decor is quietly luxurious compared to his usual extravagance, with silver and golden silk walls married with herringbone parquet flooring, antique furnishings and just the subtlest flourishes of red velvet.
In contrast to the classically romantic rooms, the spa sports a rather sexy shade of glossy scarlet red and is home to a large tranquil pool and treatments courtesy of Swiss brand Nescens. For the ultimate date night, book a table at the hotel’s pièce de résistance Le Gabriel, one of only nine Three-MICHELIN-Star restaurants in Paris, and cap off the evening with a nightcap at Bar Le Gaspard, a cozy if-you-know-you-know address for lingering over late night drinks.
Maison Proust
What it’s all about: An opulent One-Key address that takes its cues from a more virtuous way to spend the evening than its sister hotel Maison Souquet: with the famed tomes of writer Marcel Proust.Each of the 23 colorfully appointed rooms and suites pays homage to a figure from Proust’s Belle Époque world, with Garcia’s signature use of plush fabrics luxuriously accessorized with original paintings, gilded moldings and wall panels of butter-soft embossed Cordoba leather. The opulent style continues in the ground floor salons, designed to evoke the elegant literary salons of Proust’s day, from the velvet-clad winter garden to the sexy low-lit bar, where you might find ex-Ritz Paris bartender Colin Field shaking and stirring his creations on Friday evenings.
But if the salons transport guests to another time, then the subterranean spa transports them to another place: Garcia enlisted the King of Morocco’s own artisans (who also crafted his palatial hotel, La Mamounia) to create a spa fit for a king or queen, with beauty treatments courtesy of La Mer and traditional tadelakt walls and geometric-tiled columns surrounding the centerpiece shimmering blue pool.
L’Hotel
What it’s all about: Beloved by Hollywood royalty and actual royalty for its intimate, low-key atmosphere and charming Saint-Germain-des-Prés location.“This wallpaper and I are fighting a duel to the death. Either it goes or I do.” Oscar Wilde’s famous last words were reportedly uttered before he died at L’Hotel, then the much less glamorous Hotel d’Alsace, back in 1900. He would surely approve of the interiors now, though, after a Garcia makeover in the designer’s signature opulent style. A spiral staircase curves upward to just 20 guest rooms and suites, lavishly dressed with decorative wallpapers and swathes of silk, taffeta and velvet in gemstone shades.
Three suites, including one dedicated to Wilde himself, come with private balconies and views across the iconic Parisian zinc rooftops of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. The hammam pool and steam room are hidden away under stone vaulted ceilings, and can be privatized just for two, with massage treatments available for extra indulgence. By night cozy up over cocktails in the plush Empire-style velvet setting of Wilde’s Lounge, which also hosts regular jazz nights.
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Hero Image: The Salon des Petits Bonheurs at Maison Souquet, a quintessential Jacques Garcia design. © Courtesy of Maison Souquet, Hotel & Spa
