Kimberly Cohen, Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Maisons Pariente.
Andreas B. Krueger
With a boutique collection of five-star family-run hotels in Provence, Saint-Tropez and Meribel – with an exciting opening in Paris in 2022 – Maisons Pariente is quickly becoming a major force in French hospitality. The fashion and real estate entrepreneur Patrick Pariente, together with his two daughters Leslie Kouhana and Kimberley Pariente, is the driving force behind the brand. Together with her father and sister, Kimberley is committed to creating hotels that offer attentive yet discreet service, the epitome of luxury.
How did you first become aware of the hotel industry? And what, in your words, makes French hospitality unique? I’ve always been passionate about traveling, discovering new places, new hotels and meeting new people.
My family originally worked in the clothing industry. My father co-founded the Naf Naf brand and when he sold his company he invested in real estate. Hospitality was the logical step for us. The most fascinating thing about this industry is the work that goes into every project. This industry allowed us to combine all of our skills. We used our understanding of design and fashion, our ability to anticipate customer needs, our passion for travel, our expertise in real estate and of course our love for hosting.
France is known for its good taste, a country of luxury and elegance, but also for mastering an old savoir faire. The uniqueness of French hospitality combines great design with delicious food and wine, first class service and creates this unforgettable experience that highlights the joie de vivre.
What gap in the market led you to found Maisons Pariente? Our consumption patterns have evolved a lot, and luxury hospitality has not been spared this change. A few years ago, the five-star hotel market was dominated by hotel chains that standardized their offerings regardless of the location of the hotel. The approach has been institutionalized.
Customers are now looking for authenticity, real experiences and a real connection. We wanted to create a different type of hotel, a luxury hotel with an ultra-personal approach: relaxed but with a high level of service; designed like a large family holiday home in which our guests can feel comfortable; a familiar, but never too familiar atmosphere.
What is Maisons Pariente for those who may not be familiar? Maisons Pariente is a family-owned luxury French hotel collection that was born out of a desire to reevaluate the hotel experience. Maisons Pariente offers a different kind of hospitality than if you were at home, but with attentive and discreet service, family values, generosity and an anticipation of customer needs.
Our collection has a clear positioning of exclusive five-star hotels that are designed as private homes and guarantee privacy. Each address has its own identity.
As of today, the collection consists of three hotels. Crillon Le Brave is a hideaway in Provence and is located at the top of a magnificent medieval village overlooking Mont Ventoux. The hotel is an oasis where guests seek the tranquility, charm and authenticity of the south of France. Lou Pinet is located in the most famous French village, Saint Tropez. The hotel style reflects the Saint Tropez spirit of the 60s and 70s. The Cuckoo is located in Meribel, right on the slopes and in the heart of the three valleys, one of the largest ski areas in Europe. The hotel offers panoramic views over the breathtaking slopes and combines traditional Alpine style with contemporary design.
We are also working on our first urban hotel, Le Grand Mazarin, in Paris in the heart of Le Marais, which will open in March 2022.
Kimberly Cohen
Andreas B. Krueger
Which technological innovations will help you and your company through Covid-19? Covid-19 forced us to reinvent ourselves and find solutions to replace many hotel services without depriving the customer. For example, we introduced our Media Reader, which allows our guest to continue reading the news from a tablet without using print journals. We have decided not to use regular cleaning products and have prioritized the use of alternative cleaning methods such as the steam cleaner.
How specifically do you expect the hotel industry to change after Covid-19?Our vision of the world has changed. A year ago no one could have imagined that the whole world could come to a standstill, paralyzed by a virus. More than ever, people need to reconnect with one another, with themselves and with nature. Travelers are looking for an experience, not just a hotel room. Therefore, hotels have to adapt their offers. People are becoming more attentive and trying to make smarter decisions, especially when it comes to travel. And again, hotels have to adapt and become more socially responsible.
I read that you made it your business to make sure hotels feel like a home away from home – how does that translate during a guest’s stay? Maisons Pariente is all about personalization and making sure we don’t standardize. We prefer to work with renowned residential architects rather than architects who are known for their hospitality as this ensures that our guests feel at home. We envision each hotel as if it were our own private homes and design them with a mix of contemporary design with vintage and historical pieces. Ambience and atmosphere are really important, and we create this through the dishes, signature flavors and choice of amenities in the bedroom. The restaurant’s menus have been carefully put together so that guests in the south of France can choose something refreshing and light, and some comforting things to do when they stay in the Meribel Mountains. Everything that guests see in the hotels has been approved by either me, my sister, or my father. Everything has been personally tested – including the mattresses and pillows – to ensure we provide our guests with the highest quality experience.
What’s the story behind the company name? We thought about the essence of what we wanted to convey: the concept of home. Pariente is my maiden name. When guests book a stay in one of our hotels, they are not just booking a stay in a hotel, they are allowing us to accommodate them in one of our properties.
