There’s been a big debate online recently about the quality of hospitality in the West.

Several prominent X users like levelsio have lamented that the resentful disparity in socio-economic status between guests and staff, combined with repeated inefficiencies in basic service have opened the door for a new kind of hotel with automated front desk and concierge services that save time and money.

Paris, in particular, is renowned for bringing up the rear when it comes to value for price. Small rooms and apathetic staff are not on anyone’s wishlist when they look at the price tag for their romantic voyage to the City of Light.

When you experience this, it can understandably trigger the “burn it down and start over” sensation that Pieter Levels and others on X have shared.

To me, this reflects a broader theme we’re grappling with in the face of “ai disruption” across just about every industry.

Whether in a hotel or at Amazon HQ, the status quo is on the chopping block. There’s a significant portion of day to day ops truly at risk of automated replacement.

In hospitality, this is because the magic is never found in the mundane. So many properties are optimized to provide a service, whereas the best provide an experience. One that holistically encapsulates the place and the people who make it truly unique.

I discovered such an experience last week at Saint James Paris.

Saint James is the only chateau hotel in Paris. A stunning standalone property tucked away in the quiet residential 16th arrondissement, where you’ll find more mothers with schoolchildren than Americans on iPhones.

The sheer physical nature and aesthetic of the place demands a differentiated approach in a crowded Parisian market.

Fantastic architectural bones make a stunning statement through the courtyard upon arrival.

Recently renovated interiors blend french neo-classical origins with art deco and plant life. Each room is unique, and the public spaces are perfect. I spent many hours in the Library Bar, which is straight from Ron Burgundy’s wet dreams…leather-bound books, rich mahogany, and scotch.

While aesthetics are the foundation to any memorable property, the service makes or breaks the stay.

As we had just arrived from Kenya, we were weary backpackers on our last clean clothes. This leg was an impromptu add-on after a flight snafu, so we literally had no winter street clothes…just tan and green safari gear.

We had trepidations on how we would be received.

The character and demeanor of the team perfectly mirrored the quiet aura of the chateau. There was no judgement towards us dirty Americans. We were met with smiles, discretion, hushed attentiveness, a bottle of Chablis to celebrate our honeymoon, and of course - the staple of any proper Paris property: the resident 17 year old black cat Pilou.

Saint James doubles as a private club, which guests have unique access to, so you get to experience a different side of the city that seems to be fleeting further and further from the center.

You’ll overhear French business lunches, which essentially sound like: “french….french…french….ChatGPT…..french…french, etc.”

You’ll have older Parisian women bring their own pets for tea each afternoon.

You’ll have a group of four friends playing backgammon around the fire.

It’s a nice place, and one I felt compared to share in the face of so much turmoil and turnover in the hospitality world.

Paris is blessed with icons like Le Bristol, Ritz, Hotel du Costes, and many more, each with their own vibe, but Saint James doesn’t try to be any of those. It knows what and who it is and fully leans in. It sits on the outskirts, within 30 minutes of anything you’d want to see, but far enough removed to feel like a countryside getaway.

You can tell the staff enjoy working there, however demanding the requirements, and they’re rewarded with 3 Michelin Keys and a spot on the Relais Chateaux roster - each of which signal the Human-Proof Experience that awaits in-the-know travelers looking for a bespoke, quiet side of the French capital.

As the ordinary is consumed by technology, the extraordinary stands out more than ever, and is worth writing home about.

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Also, here are a few songs I found myself (or others) listening to during the stay:

RP WEEKLY!!!!