Did you know that Texas was once its own country? No, this isn’t a joke, but a fun fact — that Texas used to be even recognized by England and France as an independent country. So what does this have to do with the Hotel 1, Place Vendôme in Paris? The answer is: everything, as the building once served as the Embassy of Texas. Fast forward to today, to a faded plaque designating the Texas embassy, the building has its next chapter. It’s a pretty discreetly glamorous one too. The building itself is owned by the Scheufele family, known more commonly for their jewelry store Chopard. So naturally the Hotel 1, Place Vendôme sits literally above hundreds of millions of dollars of jewels.

There is no address in Paris that does more talking before you’ve even checked in. The beauty of the 1, Place Vendôme is how insider it is and how shielded it is from the outside world. Everyone knows the Ritz, which is a few doors down. Fewer people know that tucked behind a wrought-iron gate is a five-room, ten-suite hotel owned by jeweler Chopard. So if you know, you know. This is 1 Place Vendôme, and it might be the most discreet grand hotel left in this city.

Atmosphere

The 1, Place Vendôme is a private mansion first, and a hotel second, which changes everything about how you feel when staying there. There’s no buzzing front desk, public restaurant or anyone but the chic clientele who stay there. Pierre-Yves Rochon spent six years on the interiors, and it shows, in the kind of quiet, layered luxury. For those who don’t have aristocratic friends with mansion homes in Paris, this is the next (or some would say, even better) alternative. There is a special energy from the time you arrive that you know how privileged you are to be at the 1, Place Vendôme. You arrive, you disappear upstairs, and for the length of your stay, Place Vendôme quite literally becomes your front yard.

For a place that has only 15 suites and rooms, the library, lounge, bar, secret cigar room, living room and conservatory are expansive. I’ve stayed at nearly every notable hotel in the Vendôme area, and none of them make you feel as cocooned as this one does. Every aspect of the hotel is about the attention to detail, from the Chopard clocks, Lalique fixtures and exquisite finishes throughout.

One thing to note is that the hotel isn’t for everyone, as while it’s a grand hotel, it’s not a grand scale hotel. That means that it’s meant to feel intimate, and it’s a very special clientele who choose to stay. It’s essentially the antithesis of The Ritz down the street, which has become a site as visited as the Champs-Élysées. I like to think of it as the Ph.D. level of hotels, for those who have been to Paris more times than they can ever count. This is where you want to bypass the public and feel like you’re staying in a home.

Rooms

One of the many aspects of the 1, Place Vendôme is that each room is unique, and inspired by jewels in a nod to Chopard. With fifteen keys total, this isn’t a hotel with a standard room or generic layout. Instead, each exquisite room and suite is individually designed with the sense of place of an 18th-century mansion. I stayed in the Paraiba suite, which is an ode to the jewel found in the region of Brazil by the same name.

Unlike a hotel that’s been refurbished over and over again, the 1, Place Vendôme was a complete gut renovation, made to look classic. The advantage to this is that everything is fresh and immaculate, and the room layouts provide for all the modern practicalities. Even the keys to the room look old fashioned, but have an electronic chip. The layout of my suite had a large living room and an extra powder room for guests. My bedroom was a deep magenta jewel tone, and had stunning Lalique wall sconces shaped like birds. When I walked in, it just felt like Paris.

Photos won’t do justice to how beautiful my suite was, which is representative of the other rooms. My bath was particularly luxurious, with marble you can tell was top of the line. My shower had intricate mosaic tile work done like roses, which is nicer than 99% of any home shower. They spared no expense on the fixtures and appointments throughout. It was all just a stunning jewel box. I’ve stayed in many impressive suites in Paris, some triple the size. But my room was just so special at the 1, Place Vendôme.

Dining, Spa + Gym

The hotel keeps a single restaurant and a library bar that is open to guests only. There’s also a secret cigar lounge that even aerates from the floor, which is all Swiss engineering. There’s not really a closing time as the team adjusts to the guests. The common areas stay true to the mansion’s whole ethos: intimate, unhurried, and a piece of your own Parisian residence. With that said, they are expansive for the footprint of the hotel. It always felt intimate, but never small.

For fine dining, there’s a restaurant on request within the hotel with a special Chef’s Table. It was closed during my visit for the summer holiday, but it is a place where you can entertain friends for a unique meal. I mainly spent my breakfasts at the hotel, and the food was top level in its execution. It may sound silly to wax poetic over an egg white omelet, but I still wonder how they achieved the dense texture. Each day, I had a green juice, steamed spinach and a perfect plate of French cheese, served on custom Bernardaud China. Every detail was executed and presented flawlessly during my meals.

The spa and the gym are on the top floor of the hotel. First, the gym is simple, but like the rest of the hotel, thoughtfully equipped and just pretty. For the spa, practitioners are brought in on request, and I was surprised at how extensive the treatments were. There’s a facial massage in particular, that is made for lymphatic benefits, which goes beyond skin-deep. Because they generally don’t have someone just waiting around, plan your treatments before you arrive.

Service

With small boutique hotels, you run the risk of overbearing service. That’s not the case at all with the 1, Place Vendôme. They have mastered the art of elegance-yet-warmth, and attentive but not intrusive. This is Swiss meets French service at its best. I live in a doorman building in New York, and felt quite at home with the authenticity of the team who greeted me.

Nothing here runs through a hotel switchboard. Instead, it runs through people who know your name and learn your preferences. Requests get handled effortlessly and immediately, bypassing the long line at the concierge at larger hotels.

The other part of the service is the housekeeping, which was impeccable. Every inch of the room was even cleaner than my own house. It also helps that the hotel isn’t overrun with guests, so there isn’t as much wear and tear.

Overall: 9.2/10

FAQs

Q: Where exactly is Hotel 1, Place Vendôme?

A: As its name suggests, the hotel is at 1, Place Vendôme, 75001 Paris, in the 1st arrondissement. It faces the Rue de Castiglione between the Ritz Paris and Hôtel Costes. Notably it is right above the Chopard store.

Q: How many rooms does the 1, Place Vendôme have?

A: The 1, Place Vendôme has just five rooms and ten suites, each individually designed.

Q: Who designed the 1, Place Vendôme?

A: Interior architect Pierre-Yves Rochon designed the Hotel 1, Place Vendôme. He designed the property for its owners, the Scheufele family of Chopard. The flagship boutique sits beneath the hotel.