An exclusive look inside J.K. Place Paris, hotelier Ori Kafris first property in nearly six years.

Spoiler alert: it was worth the wait.

A teal velvet armchair draped with an orange cashmere blanket.

J.K. Place Paris

Credit: Courtesy of J.K. Place Paris

Assouline art books on a Chinoiserie tea table.

A Classical nude standing on a geometric colorblock carpet.

Some might call it overwhelming but atJ.K.

J.K. Place Paris

Courtesy of J.K. Place Paris

Place Paris, a just-opened hotel that infuses Left Bank eccentricity with Italianbella figura,it’s entirely intentional.

This aesthetic is something of a J.K. Place signature.

It was genius and unexpected and people criticized it because it was too modern.

J.K. Place Paris

Courtesy of J.K. Place Paris

I thought,If this architect is good enough for Ferragamo, hes good enough for us.

I fell in love with hospitality as a student, he told me.

Traveling was always a part of our family.

J.K. Place Paris

Courtesy of J.K. Place Paris

In a hotel, the world comes to you.

You meet people from all cultures, ages, nationalities, religions.

Places particular brand of Italian hospitality and unprecedented luxury.

J.K. Place Paris

Courtesy of J.K. Place Paris

When I asked Kafri this question, he corrected me: Its not,Why Paris?ItsWhy not?

Something happened, he said.

I felt a certain energy, an emotion that I havent felt in my life again.

J.K. Place Paris

Courtesy of J.K. Place Paris

I think Paris was always inside of me.

Kafri hopes to bring a new perspective: Italian identity and heritage is crucial, he told me.

Im trying to hire as many Italians as I can so we dont lose that identity.

J.K. Place Paris

Courtesy of J.K. Place Paris

We need it to feel Parisian, he explained, but with an Italian heart.

The hotel should feel like its full of things you gathered on your travels, Kafri said.

But many elements were inspired by flea market finds.

J.K. Place Paris

Courtesy of J.K. Place Paris

A J.K. Place signature: most rooms havegriffe du lionmarble fireplaces.

The building is centered around a glass enclosed courtyard restaurant.

Soon, the hotel will unveil a subterranean Sisley spa, complete with fitness center and marble-and-tile swimming pool.

(This sounds like a press release talking, but trust me, its not.)

Everyone introduced themselves to me, joked with me, and helped connect me to my fellow guests.

Kafri summed it up: “We want this to be your home.

To book:jkplace.paris, doubles from $885.

J.K. Place Paris provided support for the reporting of this story.