A fashionable new address: is Louis Vuitton set to open its first hotel?

Louis Vuitton could be the latest luxury fashion house to cross into the five-star hotel space, following in the footsteps of maisons such as Bulgari, Armani, and Versace.

The fashion and accessories brand has taken over an expansive building totalling 22,000m² at 103 avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris, which was previously slated to house the new HQ for the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH)-owned house of Dior. The building “will ultimately serve as the site of a new project for the Maison”, according to Louis Vuitton.

In a move that is perhaps suggestive of its forthcoming use, Louis Vuitton will cover the façade of the Art Nouveau building—previously wrapped with Dior branding—in a temporary installation that resembles an oversized metallic version of its iconic monogram trunk: “This temporary façade is directly inspired by the Maison’s trunks which were once used by explorers and are now carefully kept in its archives”, says the brand.

WWD reports that a construction permit, registered with City of Paris, lists “retail, hotel accommodation, the construction of a basement level and interior courtyard” as purposes for the development.

Louis Vuitton’s Paris Fashion Week show, showcasing the Women’s Spring-Summer 2024 collection under artistic director Nicolas Ghesquière, was hosted in the currently-under-renovation building on 2 October. Models walked down a runway that resembled wooden pallets, with the walls, windows, and ceiling covered in orange. All the materials that are used in the façade construction at 103 avenue des Champs-Elysées will later be reused or recycled.

The transformation is occurring under the leadership of CEO Pietro Beccari, who took the helm at the luxury Maison following a tenure at Dior, where he conceived such projects as the Dior Suite—a luxury apartment atop the Maison’s flagship at 30 Avenue Montaigne, itself a behemoth, multi-use shopping and dining destination.

While the development’s future use hasn’t been confirmed, nor has a reveal date been announced, the renovation is underway as Paris readies itself to host the 2024 Olympic Games.

LVMH’s current hospitality portfolio includes the ultra-luxury resort brand Cheval Blanc, which opened a Parisian hotel in 2021 alongside a huge redevelopment of the heritage department store, La Samaritaine; the luxury hotel, train, and cruise company, Belmond; and Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, with 13 global locations — including a new hotel in Rome.

louisvuitton.com