by Maisons Pariente, a one-of-a-kind collection of family-run hotels across the France, will change the way you think of travelling forever.
Can you keep a secret? Neither can we. That’s why we’re letting you in on an exquisite collection of hotels found in hand-picked locations around France.
They’re called Maisons Pariente and they are the brainchild of Patrick Pariente. After selling his ready-to-wear line, Naf Naf, Pariente shifted focus to luxury hotels with daughters, Leslie and Kimberly.
Locations in Saint-Tropez, Méribel, and Provence each boast a unique vibe and aesthetic inspired by their one-of-a-kind locations. Directrice Commerciale, Stéphanie Lancien, talked to us about how each location is selected, what makes each Maisons Pariente location so special, and her own personal favourite!
So, what makes a Maisons Pariente experience so unique?
We have an internal saying that says we are “familial but not familiar” and I think this gives a good idea of why we are different. The idea was to create hotels where our guests would feel like if they were at home or at their friends’. You feel comfortable from the minute you arrive, and you are a bit nostalgic when you leave. The food is stunning, the staff very welcoming. We love to use the words authentic, generous, and warm.
Maisons Pariente hotels only exist in a handful of locations. What goes into the selection process for a new location?
It is a combination of two things. The first one is linked to the Pariente family’s history and to the places where they used to spend their holidays as a family. They used to go a lot on holidays with their grand-parents in Saint-Tropez.
And the second thing they want to find are incredible locations where you are blown away as soon as you arrive. This is what happened with Crillon le Brave. They had never heard of it before. But when they went to see the property, they simply fell in love.
Each hotel has a very distinct look and feel. How is each unique aesthetic created?
There are too many hotels around the globe where you could be anywhere. The guideline is to create a design that belongs to the location where we are. We want our guests to feel like they are in Provence, in Méribel and in Saint-Tropez.
With this in mind, we work with designers that are from the region, or come from the region, or have a special bond to it. For example, Architect Charles Zana with whom we worked for both Lou Piet and Crillon le Brave is from Provence. So, he knows the codes, the fabrics, the colours.
This is very much a family business. How does that play into the creation of the spaces?
Patrick and his two daughters do complement each other, and they each add something different to a project.
Mr. Pariente was the founder of the fashion brand Naf Naf, so he has that self-made man mindset where nothing is impossible. He is also an art lover and collectionneur, so they will take extra care of the artworks, the furniture, the fabrics.
Kimberley has travelled the word and worked in the US for a fashion brand that she created, so she really has her artistic eye on every hotel.
And Leslie is our President. She worked in real-estate before joining the family business, and she is the one implementing the strategy. She is also a mum of three boys, and they travel the world together. So, she is very careful how we welcome families in our hotels and what to do for them.
And what is your personal favourite location?
Mine would be Crillon le Brave. I have never seen a hotel like that before! I mean a hotel that is a village, made of nine houses. I am blown away by dramatic settings and landscapes, and also by places where you feel history. I love being far from cities and hear nothing but nature noises. I find it all there!
