Checking In is Coveteur's review series of the best, buzziest, most fashionable hotels and properties around the world.
Paris has no shortage of hotels that promise charm, convenience and proximity to the Eiffel Tower—but the Sax Hotel delivers all three while flying relatively under the radar. The first Parisian outpost of Hilton's luxury-focused LXR Hotels & Resorts, the property transformed a neo-Gothic 1899 landmark once home to the Ségur telephone exchange into a stately, hidden-gem stay. Tucked quietly into the 7th arrondissement, it’s the kind of place you might miss if you weren’t looking for it (which I almost did my first time arriving). After a whirlwind Paris Fashion Week that involved at least five meetings a day, brand dinners and events in the evening, and zero time to catch my breath in-between, the Sax became my soft landing pad; a little pocket of calm in the center of chaos.
The location alone deserves its own applause. I was coming off a few nights another hotel on the other side of the bank that had a more central-Paris-by-way-of-Opera energy, but Sax’s setting in the 7th felt more like a quiet escape. The cobblestoned lined street was dead silent each night when I arrived back at the hotel post-cocktails, which I more than welcomed. Location-wise, I could get to Place Vendôme or the Marais in under 15 minutes, but when I returned to the hotel at night, it felt like an exhale to enter a calm, tree-lined street instead of a bustling café-lined street.
The Room
Sax Hotel Paris
Parisian hotel rooms are rarely known for their square footage, and Sax, with its 118 rooms, is no exception. However, my compact room still provided more than enough room for my friend Ilana of Ness Studio to arrive with a full-size massage bed and do a lymphatic massage for me one morning. Also important: there was plenty of closet space. The decor was a rich-neutral color story, complete with mahogany side tables and a marble table that welcomed me upon arrival with an assortment of mini desserts and hand-written note. The black-and-white marble bathroom injected the room with a luxurious feel, with a waterfall shower that pelted my back satisfyingly at the end of each long day, instantly resetting my nervous system and putting me in a Zen state of mind before I collapsed in the king-sized bed. Every inch felt considered: bathroom lighting that was bright enough to do my makeup, a cloud-like bed where I had some of the deepest nights of sleep, and a nighttime silence that feels rare in a city that never actually stops humming.
Room service, though, could use a touch of the magic. After one particularly long day, I ordered a rigatoni to the room, which was fine, but uninspired. The chocolate cake, however, redeemed the experience: dense, dark, and perfectly rich without being too sweet. My advice? Order dessert, skip the pasta, and consider Sax’s in-room dining more of a late-night snack option than a culinary experience. To be fair, the lack of an expansive menu might be intentional. This is Paris, after all, a city where you can walk ten minutes in any direction and stumble into a meal that changes your life. Sax seems to understand that most of its guests are here to eat out, not in. Plus, all you need to do is the the elevator upstairs for a top-tier dining experience...
Food & Drink
Faith Xue
Faith Xue
If you do nothing else at Sax, book dinner on the top floor at Kinugawa Rive Gauche. The restaurant alone is dimly lit, sexy, and feels like the ideal spot to take someone you're trying to impress or just gaze into the eyes of adoringly. I had dinner there with the Dior Beauty team one night, and it was one of those evenings that remind you why Parisian restaurants always win on atmosphere and vibes. Menu standouts were the miso black cod, wagyu beef sliders, shrimp tempura rolls, and the mochi desert—little pillows of sweetness that our entire table agreed was the crowd pleaser.
The tables glowed under flickering candlelight, the sushi platter arrived displayed like a work of art, and just as dessert arrived, the Eiffel Tower began to shimmer—a perfect view, framed by the restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows. The entire restaurant audibly gasped, and a number of guests (including me) got up from their tables to go outside on the open-air balcony and take photos and videos to text to loved ones and post on Stories.
Sax Hotel Paris
The restaurant doubles beautifully as a morning café, where I found myself lingering longer than planned each day. In daylight, the same space that felt romantic and sultry at night transforms into a cozy, pink velvet-lined respite. The soft-boiled eggs were cooked to textbook precision, and there's someone standing by to make you the crepe of your dreams (strawberry and nutella for me). This was undoubtedly the best part of my stay each day; starting each morning in the restaurant for a leisurely breakfast with a direct view of the Eiffel Tower just set the right tone for the rest of my day, and it's an experience I highly recommend to anyone staying at Sax.
Final Thoughts
Two other standouts about the Sax that I didn't get to enjoy: the garden-style Le Jardin de SAX, which looked like an idyllic spot to do a working lunch, and the lower-level fitness and wellness center, which is open 24 hours and is perfect for a late-night steam. Unfortunately, between previews, re-sees, and dinners, I never made it past reception.
Would I stay again? Absolutely. Sax is the perfect escape for travelers who plan to be on their feet exploring the city all day, and want an peaceful place to unwind each night (though it's also the perfect spot for a sneaky nightcap on the roof at Kinugawa). Plus, it's an under-the-radar fashion person gem: On my last morning, as I pulled away in my Uber to the airport, I looked out the window just in time to see Adwoa Aboah exiting the hotel and getting into a car. A perfect Paris ending!
