Where do chic and savvy Parisians go to pamper and indulge themselves? The culture of well-being and beauty thrives in Paris, not only at the instituts of internationally known product brands but in the hands of individual practitioners who work in smaller, more unassuming settings. In Pampered in Paris author Kim Levesque profiles fifty of the city’s best spas, salons, and boutiques—each provides extraordinary services, and, equally important, welcomes visitors whether or not they are fluent in French or familiar with European practices.

Kim includes places that provide a range of services: not only traditional French treatments, but internationally inspired Thai, Chinese, and Indian therapies, as well as more modern ones like chromotherapy and ancient ones like thermal baths. In Pampered in Paris, you’ll find treatments to fit every taste and budget.

Kim also tells you exactly what to expect at each venue—grandeur, simplicity, or something in between—and offers advice on how to navigate the cultural nuances of spa etiquette, so that anyone will feel informed and comfortable. She also includes a glossary of expressions to explain and clarify differences in French spa and salon terminology.

Choosing among services can be overwhelming, so the author provides complete descriptions and recommendations for dozens of treatments and services that are the best known, the most frequently recommended, or that are unique to an establishment. The same with products—she singles out the ones that shouldn’t be overlooked if you want to take a little bit of the French beauty experience home with you. You’ll also find a list of inexpensive pharmacie products that are well known, and widely used in France.

Aux Bains Montorgueil
55, rue Montorgueil, 2nd arr.
Telephone: 01 44 88 01 78
Métro: Les Halles or Sentier
Tuesday to Sunday 10 am to 9 pm

An authentic Moroccan hammam that enjoys a cult following of French movie stars and international travelers, Aux Bains Montorgueil transplants the exoticism of North Africa into the heart of Paris. Owner Armand Gabbay opened the hammam to the public in 2004—until then, it had been his family’s private retreat, where they often hosted members of Morocco’s royal family who were vacationing in Paris. Its location at the end of a paved courtyard off the bustling rue Montorgueil helps preserve its intimate ambience; Gabbay’s English is impeccable, and he offers a hospitable welcome to his globe-trotting clientele.

Aux Bains Montorgueil’s décor is decidedly authentic—it’s all imported from Morocco. The opulence here is unmistakable: sumptuous colors and precious gold accent the spa. Just off the reception area is a relaxation room with royal blue and gold banquettes; rich, red curtains hang the length of the room. Heading down a narrow, candlelit stairway, guests enter an oasis of well-being, where vibrant pink doors open to bathrooms with golden sinks and private showers tiled in traditional blue mosaics. Traditionally, the hammam is divided into two or three rooms of varying temperature which become progressively hotter. In the hottest room, a hand-painted frieze of an Arabic love poem is scrolled across the wall and rose petals float in a fountain. After twenty to thirty minutes of hot steam, the skin is ready for exfoliation. Authentic gold coins decorate the walls of the gommage space. A petite pool filled with cool water provides refreshment after the intense heat of the hammam.

The spa uses all organic products, from its black soap to the argan oil. The Rituel Marocain, which includes access to the hammam, exfoliation with black soap, and a one-hour massage with warm argan oil, is a good introduction to the Moroccan culture of well-being (155€). The women working here are not formally trained, but were raised in Morocco, where a visit to the hammam is a weekly beauty ritual for women—the tradition is handed down from generation to generation.

Guests are greeted with green tea made from fresh mint leaves, and are provided with Moroccan pastries after their services. Aux Bains Montorgueil books up well in advance, so be sure to reserve early.

Sensation Spa
8, villa de Saxe, 7th arr.
Telephone: 01 47 34 26 19
Métro: Ségur or Ecole-Militaire
Monday through Saturday 10 am to 8 pm
www.sensation-spa.com

Located between the Eiffel Tower and Montparnasse, Frederic Bonfils and his team have created a peaceful retreat in Sensation Spa. The exterior is unremarkable—it looks like a brick apartment building on a quiet cul-de-sac—but entering the building reveals a calming sanctuary where a truly talented masseur and his team work to heal and nurture. Before massaging professionally, Bonfils traveled the world in search of the best massage techniques and began massaging by intuition. After realizing that he was offering treatments to dozens of friends and associates each week, he knew he had found his calling. Now Bonfils trains, at his own school, more than eight hundred students per year for Sothys, Hotel Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme, and other highly regarded spas.

The space is a Zen haven. Statues of Buddha, river rocks, bamboo, and other artifacts from Bonfils’s stays in Asia nestle in discreetly amidst neutral colors. The treatment room that faces the Japanese garden is especially tranquil, as it allows natural light into the space. For a taste of the Tao, the Massage Tibétain aux Bols Chantant is a nurturing and balancing experience. The music of the Tibetan bowls is said to stimulate inward reflection and promote relaxation (90€, 1 hour). The signature treatment at Sensation Spa is the Massage Créatif, which combines the gentle motion of a California massage with the toning effect of the Swedish technique. Bonfils’s unique style also includes elements of shiatsu and reflexology. The combination is unorthodox, but the result is intuitive, very personal, and built on classic fundamentals (85€, 1 hour or 110€, 1½ hours). Sensation Spa offers facials, body wraps, and treatments under a Vichy shower. A small hammam is also available for up to six people.

Bonfils’s spa reflects his cosmopolitan sensibilities; he speaks English and is particularly sensitive to the American and Asian sense of modesty.