Underscoring luxury’s current fascination with luxury hospitality, Christian Louboutin has made a personal investment in Experimental Group, a French operator of upscale boutique hotels, cocktail bars, restaurants and beach clubs in Europe.
Financial terms were not disclosed, however Louboutin’s investment yielded a minority stake.
Founded in 2007 by childhood friends Olivier Bon, Pierre-Charles Cros and Romée De Goriainoff, Experimental started with a small bar on a small side street in Paris with a mission of bringing classy cocktail culture back to the French capital. A fourth partner, Xavier Padovani, came on board in 2010, foreshadowing an expansion drive.
Today, Experimental operates 10 hotels in Europe, including Cowley Manor in Gloucestershire, U.K., Menorca Experimental in Spain, and the Regina Experimental Biarritz; six Experimental Cocktail Bars, including one in New York, four Compagnie des Vins Surnaturels wine bars, plus beach clubs in Ibiza and Cannes.
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Other existing shareholders include Jean Moueix and Brookfield Asset Management. Alexis Dyèvre, who is associated with Christian Louboutin in heritage furniture maker Maison Gatti, is also taking a minority stake in Experimental.
Experimental’s hotel openings announced announced for 2025 include Rome in Italy and Val d’Isère and Paris in France.
According to Experimental Group, Louboutin’s investment affirms his passion for travel, style and hospitality – and his “entrepreneurial spirit” syncs up with its raison d’être.
“His international reputation, multidisciplinary artistic collaborations, creativity and intuition will be invaluable assets in supporting our development,” said Bon, co-founder and partner of Experimental Group.
Louboutin designed the 13-room luxury hotel Vermelho in Melides, Portugal, which opened in 2023 and displays the shoe guru’s eclectic and maximalist tendencies.
French luxury giant LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton keeps pushing deeper into luxury hospitality and experiences, having recently invested in the Orient Express brand and Paris bistrot Chez L’Ami Louis.
