The new venture marks an important step in the brand’s lifestyle and experiences evolution, as it is the first of its kind from a global media group, according to owners French Lagardère Group. The first Maison ELLE is scheduled to open in Paris this fall.
“We are thrilled to launch ELLE into the world of hospitality,” said Constance Benqué, chairman, ELLE International and CEO, Lagardère News. “Our brand’s success to date has been thanks to our innovation, our special relationship with women and we are proud to continue to challenge the status quo, as we enter a new era of travel. Our two concepts, starting with the openings of Maison ELLE in Paris and ELLE Hotel in Mexico will present exciting gateways that will allow guests to see the destinations through a new lens and through ELLE’s vision.”
As a brand, ELLE has been constantly innovating since its inception in 1945 as a pioneering lifestyle women’s magazine and today is considered the world’s largest fashion media brand – now pioneering into different sectors of the lifestyle industry with its foray into hotels, the company reports. At the heart of the brand’s mission is to offer global experiences, translating the brand’s emphasis on style and women’s empowerment values into desirable consumer products. While continuing to develop its traditional sector of activities focused on fashion, beauty and accessories, ELLE has already been expanding into experiential services that can be found on ELLE Boutique, which has unveiled the opening of ELLE branded cafés, beauty salons and spas in many countries.
As the brand continues to look beyond its core publishing business and expands globally in the world of experiential services, the introduction of ELLE Hospitality aims to address its customer's desires with lifestyle-focused destinations and stylish accommodations, through the two new concepts.
Central to the brand’s DNA and heritage, ELLE Hospitality celebrates women, design and craftsmanship, while conscientiously adapting to the environment and culture of each location where they are. The company’s venture into the hospitality industry will become a revival of their existing magazine experience. These hotels will play a strong role in immersing the guests into everything ELLE demonstrates throughout their magazines.
ELLE Hospitality has aligned itself with three real estate and hospitality group partners, who are leaders in their unique locations and also known for developing disruptive and innovative concepts in design, architecture and experiences. These include:
ACTUR in Mexico – ACTUR is a real estate developer that also provides a platform for lifestyle hospitality and development investment in Mexico.
STUDIO V in Europe – The newest hospitality group in partnership with Valotel group dedicated to brands’ conception and unique experiences with a focus on design and development of meaningful living spaces.
Whitney Robinson International in the Middle East is the world’s first 360-degree design-driven hospitality and real estate development company.
The first Maison ELLE—in partnership with Studio V—who will own and operate the hotel under the guidance of hotelier, Pascal Donat, president of French hospitality group, Valotel—is set to open in Paris in the fall of 2022 in the 17th district of Paris, near the Arc de Triomphe. It will have 25 guestrooms and suites and a spa.
Future openings are planned in Paris and also across Europe and China. Maison ELLE, as a concept, aims to provide an accessible and convenient, home-from-home in the heart of its city, for the fashion-forward traveler who is eager to experience it authentically. It is positioned to be affordable for the consumer, who has the flexibility to enjoy anything from a weekend break, to live and working remotely for an extended stay. ELLE brand loyalists and new followers alike, will check into an urban hideaway, styled with chic décor and design influenced by the latest trends, and met with a highly personalized level of service. “Beyond the hotels themselves, our guests look for meaning and a sense of belonging. That’s why today, bringing to life a brand’s emotional connection with the consumer, through hospitality experiences and design, is central to our approach with Maison ELLE,” said Donat.
The first ELLE Hotel in partnership with ACTUR will open in the summer of 2023 in Jalisco, Mexico, where the convergence of an eco-conscious, luxury lifestyle community is currently under development. This project is coming to a stretch of Mexico’s Pacific coast and is setting a new precedent for land development by making environmental protection and sustainability a top priority.
The project’s CEO, Ricardo Santa Cruz, believes we are all “land stewards” and states that “everyone involved in the project is part of a family that is committed to the same goals. We all have a social responsibility to improve the quality of life of our neighboring communities and to safeguard the environmental preservation of the land in which we are living.”
The innovative spirit of ELLE will be reflected through its high-end hospitality concept where artistic designs and craftsmanship come to life, centered around cultural immersion that allows for a regenerative retreat for all. Central to its design concept, ELLE Hotel is leveraging local talent from aspiring female designers and artisans to imagine its guestrooms, suites and communal spaces.
Together with ACTUR, the ELLE Hotel is collaborating with the local community in Jalisco across Mexico on the intricacies of the design, which are soon to be unveiled. Beyond creating luxurious accommodation, it aims to bring a sense of balance, inspired by its natural surroundings and culture, in order to create a retreat that binds mind, body, and soul in a one-of-a-kind paradise. The goal is also to establish curated connections: emotional ones with people, within the community, and meaningful ones with ELLE and its products that reflect the distinctive offerings of the brand.
Tags: AC TUR, Constance Benqué, ELLE Hospitality, ELLE Hotel, Lagardère Group, Maison ELLE, Maison ELLE Paris, Pascal Donat, Ricardo Santa Cruz, STUDIO V, Valotel, Whitney Robinson International
