Suíte Josephine Baker

Picasso tried to capture you in oils, Hemingway in words, Calder in wire. But defying categories was your speciality. Everything you tried, you transformed – danseuse, chanteuse, héroïne de la résistance. A familiar face at the Lutetia, you were our very own American in Paris, taking the city by storm. Your smile lit up the Folies Bergère and soon, all of Paris. It still does, and nowhere more than in the Joséphine Baker Suite.

Curtains pull back to reveal a chic Jazz-age salon, as much stage set as sitting room. Shimmering oak floors complement a velvety Deco rug in plush pumpkin and silver. Generous leather chairs, Moderne table and an inviting settee are eager audience, awaiting their first performer. The bespoke lanterns stand ready like spotlights, but can't compete with the abundant sunshine, pouring in through oval windows and arched French doors. Throw them wide, to step out on the elaborately carved landing – your own Art Nouveau terrace, directly facing the Eiffel Tower.

A grand bedroom enjoys lavish views of the city, expanses of polished hardwood, richly woven carpeting and pure Maison Thiebault bedding. The master bath is its own suite of hand-sculpted marble. After a luxurious soak, the designer tub has an adjoining terrace – just one of countless Joséphine touches.

Master architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte selected the exquisite woods, period furnishings and loveliest corner of the Lutetia for this suite. But Joséphine Baker's irrepressible joie de vivre is its true designer.