Jacques Garcia

The Designer: Jacques Garcia

Jacques Garcia

The Profile: Now in his early 60s the elegant Jacques Garcia has been an architect and decorator for over thirty years but really came to worldwide prominence in the 1990s when he masterminded the design of the Costes Hotel, one of the first boutique hotels in Paris and then designed a private apartment for the sultan of Brunei in the heart of the French capital. Since then he has transformed a whole host of hotels. Designated a knight of France's prestigious Légion d' Honneur Garcia has turned part of his own lovingly resorted chateau into an exclusive hotel.

The Style: Garcia's signature style is an exotic mix of 17th and 18th century references based upon his French heritage. He is a perfectionist who takes time over the smallest touches. Opulence is a keyword. However, in the Shanghai Costes Hotel in China Garcia has used his European eyes to design the hotel in a contemporary manner yet still incorporating a modern Chinese style. Marrying its bold, rich reds with chandeliers which reflect Garcia's European style. Jacques Garcia's most recent project is the redesign of the mythical Mamounia hotel set amongst gardens in Marrakech. Garcia has refurbished and maintained the traditional feel of the hotel and given it a more obviously Moroccan style. Garcia's home, Chateau du Champ de Bataille, has eighteen lavishly decorated bedrooms. "I wanted people to feel the way I feel at home," said Garcia of his decision to become a hotelier. The castle acts as a museum for the designer's impressive collection of antiques.

Shangai Costes Hotel China Restored Mamounia Hotel Mamounia Hotel Marrakech