Louis Vuitton CEO Michael Burke has unveiled plans to transform the company’s Paris offices into a hotel complex and giant retail store.
After its new LV Dream concept store, Louis Vuitton wants to expand even further and is planning its first hotel and its largest store in the world. And it’s still in Paris.
Since the end of 2021, LVMH has been transforming the capital’s first arrondissement into a veritable temple of lifestyle, with the inauguration of the Samaritaine and Cheval Blanc hotels and then the first Parisian branch of Cova and its Italian pastries. And today, the Parisian brand is hosting an event to inaugurate its experimental space called LV dream. This is the first step towards the ambitious transformation of the headquarters.
The concept store will be open for one year starting today. Afterwards, work will begin to turn the Paris headquarters into a hotel space, between the rue de Rivoli and the banks of the Seine.
The new hotel is expected to open within five years and will represent the essence of the House, with its own identity and services.
In an interview with WWD, Michael Burke revealed that Bernard Arnault, head of the parent company, is just beginning his real estate ascension, with projects such as new offices, stores, housing, restaurants and cultural activities in the area. “My dream was to create a renaissance of Paris’ original commercial downtown,” the CEO said. “This has been Bernard Arnault’s vision from the beginning, and we are halfway there. It will take another 10, 15 years to get it to where we think it should be.“
For Vuitton’s CEO, these new structures are synonymous with a rethinking of the role of city centers: “Where do people live, where do they work? All that is changing right now. We are rewriting the history of 21st century cities as we speak, and brands like Louis Vuitton must be part of that. This goes far beyond a store,” he explained. Aware of environmental issues, he does not forget the essential: “From an ecological point of view, it is madness to have all these buildings that are only occupied 20% of the time.“
All of these projects reflect a growing interest among luxury and fashion brands in hospitality, the object of increasing customer spending: “Food and lodging are clearly in the future of Louis Vuitton. And our specific approach is that each of these experiences is absolutely conceptualized. It’s not about taking an individual’s food tastes and sharing them with the world. Today, it’s about creating unique culinary experiences,” said Mr. Burke.
While waiting to discover its future luxury hotel with a French flair, Louis Vuitton invites you to come and retrace the history of the house with LV Dream, while tasting delicious pastries from Chef Maxime Frederic
Read also >The CEO of LVMH goes shopping for real estate in Paris
Featured photo : ©Press
