NEW OPENING
Look out for our special report on La Samaritaine in Spa Business Q4
by Megan Whitby, assistant editor
I
n the heart of the French capital, bordering the Seine, the iconic Parisian department store La Samaritaine reopened its doors recently after a prestigious ceremony hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron. Luxury goods conglomerate LVMH (Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton) owns the site and has poured nearly €500m (US$587.5m, £425.6m) into the project during a 15-year overhaul. Situated between the Louvre and Notre-Dame, the building was built in 1870 and features a mixture of Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles. La
PHOTO: SYLBAIN BARDIN
LVMH unveils two spas in its overhaul of iconic Parisian department store
@MATTHIEU SALVAING
The store now boasts Europe’s largest beauty floor
La Samaritaine’s renovated interiors blend Art Nouveau with Art Deco style 16
Samaritaine has since reopened as a DFS-operated luxury department store, offices and social housing units along with a decadent five-star hotel – operated by LVMH’s hotel brand, Cheval Blanc. The 72-key Cheval Blanc Paris is home to a Dior Spa (another LVMH subsidiary) boasting six treatment rooms, each with a unique design influence and finish. Designed by Peter Marino, the spa is inspired by the spirit of a Parisian apartment and includes a swimming pool encrusted with waves of handcrafted mosaics. However, the jewel in La Samaritaine’s crown is its vast beauty wing – claimed to be Europe’s largest beauty floor in a department store – which is home to the new Spa Cinq Mondes à la Samaritaine. Founded in 2001 by Jean-Louis Poiroux and Nathalie Bouchon-Poiroux, Cinq Mondes is a premium French skincare and spa brand found in 35 countries with a philosophy rooted in the duo’s shared passion for innovative, sustainable formulations and traditional medicines.
