Boutique Hotel Brand Maisons Pariente Braves the Paris Market

25.08.2023 - 13:47 / skift.com / Leslie Barrie / Paris

The idea behind the family-owned boutique hotel brand, Maisons Pariente, when it launched in 2019, was to create intimate luxury hotels — each in extraordinary places.
 
“Rather than build vacation homes, we designed homes that have everything to make you feel like you’re invited to a friend’s house,” said Kimberley Cohen, co-founder of Maisons Pariente.

A very chic friend that is.
 
After opening properties in Saint-Tropez, Tuscany, and at the ski resort of Méribel, the French brand is now taking a big chance on Paris.

Hotel Le Grand Mazarin, a 61-room property slated to open June 15, is in Paris’ vibrant Le Marais district. It’s Maisons Pariente’s first hotel that’s not in a leisure destination and their first property that will be open year-round.

It’s also located in a city where critics abound.
 
“For Paris, it was a very big challenge for us,” said Cohen. “We are Parisian, so we know how Parisians are sometimes very difficult.”

Achieving a “homey” vibe that’s unique to the brand while also appealing to city travelers and discerning locals will be the company’s biggest test yet. They hope their family’s obsession with details and personal take on hospitality wins over travelers and critics alike.

Maisons Pariente is a brand that has roots in fashion. So, it makes sense that Paris would be the next location on the company’s list.
 
Patrick Pariente, co-founder of the French fashion label Naf Naf, began investing in real estate while running the brand. When he sold Naf Naf in 2007, he turned his full attention to real estate. Pariente’s two daughters, Cohen and Leslie Kouhana, eventually joined in.
 
Their first hotel venture was creating the five-star L’Apogée hotel in Courchevel, which they handed over to the hotel management company Oetker.

“We kind of like gave away our baby,” said Cohen.
 
After that, they wanted full reign to not only create but also operate their properties — much like the Haselbacher family with their Almanac Hotels brand.

Thus, Maisons Pariente was born.

In some public and guest rooms, the hotel embraces an aesthetic dubbed “maximalist.” Many hotel designers have recently embraced an eclectic “more-is-more” aesthetic, immersing guest senses in a profusion of color, pattern, and texture, as Skift recently noted. The look and feel aims to help the hotel stand out from its Parisian competitors. The brand’s properties in resort destinations are a bit simpler and more relaxed.

Is it more challenging for hotels to “make it” in Paris, compared to smaller cities? After all, in the luxury segment that Maisons Pariente wants to play in, consumers have sky-high service and culinary expectations set by some of the best hotels in the world.

“Paris is chock full of incredible hotels and a