French fashion family launches hotel brand
April HutchinsonThe new hotel group is aiming to have three hotels operational by the end of the year, with a fourth to come later in Paris.
Patrick Pariente and his family were the founders of French fashion brand Naf Naf and have 15 years of real estate development experience, as well as having developed L’Apogee Courchevel, a hotel now managed by Oetker Collection.
Now entrepreneur Pariente and his daughters Leslie Kouhana and Kimberley Pariente are developing the Maisons Pariente brand, which will be also be run by experienced hotelier Frederic Picard as managing director.
In 2018, Maisons Pariente purchased Hotel Crillon le Brave in Provence – a hotel well known in the UK – and implemented a full refurbishment, with the 33-room hotel ready to reopen on May 1.
This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the hotel, which is a collection of original buildings at the foot of Mont Ventoux in Provence.
The reception area, public spaces and outdoor pool have also been enhanced by respected French interior designer Charles Zana, while the two restaurants have also been renovated.
These include a new fine-dining venue, Restaurant La Madeleine under Michelin-starred chef Julien Marseault and La Table du Ventoux for casual dining. A gym has also been added.
“We had enjoyed very much developing L’Apogee so decided then that we would actually like to create a hospitality business,” Kimberly Pariente told ttgluxury.
“My father then saw Crillon Le Brave and fell in love with the hotel two years ago, and we discovered it was being sold by its British owners.
“We are maintaining its authenticity, but will update the culinary offering and also try and improve on the arts and culture related to the hotel, encouraging guests to explore the area more, whether that’s on electric bikes, or in vintage cars, as well as making the hotel more family-friendly.”
St Tropez scene
Meanwhile on May 13, Hotel Lou Pinet will open in St Tropez, five minutes from the Place de Lices and close to sought-after beaches.
The hotel was four-star but will be taken up to five-star level and see its room count reduced from 40 to 34, with another refurbishment by Zana.
There will also be an outpost of Riccardo Giraudi’s famous Beefbar, which can already be found in Paris, Monaco, Mykonos and other global hot spots; with the focus on the finest cuts of beef alongside grilled fish, ceviche and carpaccio.
Hotel Lou Pinet sits in private gardens, which have been enhanced by Mediterranean landscaper Jean Mus.
“We wanted to keep the old charm of St Tropez that people know it for, respecting all the detail and also putting some of our family’s art into the hotel too to give it a homely feel,” added Pariente.
“We hope people may also combine the two – Crillon Le Brave in Provence and St Tropez.”
A third project, Hotel Le Coucou, is being built from scratch in Meribel in the French Alps and is set to open this December.
Created by acclaimed Paris-based interior designer Pierre Yovanovitch, it will have 55 guest rooms, two private chalets with pools, two restaurants, a six-room spa with pool and two kids clubs for toddlers and teenagers. The slopeside hotel will be ski-in, ski-out and include a high-end equipment hire and storage area.
“There is nothing like this in Meribel, especially not a hotel with ski-in, ski-out access,” said Pariente. “We will be introducing standards that just do not exist there at the moment.”
The UK is expected to be a big market for all three hotels, with the group being represented here by Boutiquologie.
Maisons Pariente is also hoping to open a hotel in the district of Le Marais in Paris in 2021.
April Hutchinson
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