31-07-2025
The Very Best Luxury Boutique Hotel Groups In Europe
The bar at Le Grand Mazarin hotel in Paris Vincent Leroux
In the last decade, a series of very enchanting places to stay have emerged. They contain some of my favourite luxury boutique hotels in Europe. They wait for the right property in the correct area. They get the food right. And service. Starting with one perfect hotel, they have added others only when it feels right. They don't market themselves. Like all the best hotels, they've let the market discover them, but it's time to get the word out.
Il Sereno hotel looks out onto Lake Como in Italy Patricia Parinejad
Founded by Patrick Pariente, the entrepreneur behind the Naf Naf fashion brand in the 1970s, alongside his daughters Leslie Kouhana and Kimberley Cohen, Maisons Pariente launched in 2019 with the intention of creating a series of highly individual hotels. Locations dictate the tone of each hotel. Hotel Crillon Le Brave in Provence offers guests a gentle experience of Provencal rural luxury, while Lou Pinet in Saint Tropez is a sunny, party-minded in St Tropez, the heart of the French Riviera. Le Coucou in Méribel provides an alpine luxury experience in one of France's premier ski destinations.
Lou Pinet hotel in St Tropez is awash with sunny charm. Maisons Pariente
In 2023, Maisons Pariente expanded into the competitive Paris market with Le Grand Mazarin, located in the historic Marais district with 61 rooms. Now a quartet of quintessentially French hotels, art - each of the hotels has a significant collection - plays a central role in the hotel experience. Food too is important; Lou Pinet has a Beefbar while at Le Grand Mazarin, Boubale - translating as 'my little darling' in Yiddish looks to France's relationship to the Middle East, especially Turkey, for inspiration. I've never known anyone who doesn't love staying in one of these hotels.
JK Place Capri brings art, culture and staggering views JK Places
JK Places was founded in 2003 by hoteliers Ori Kafri and his father Jonathan Kafri. Originally resolutely Italian, JK Place Capri provides island life and a beach and JK Place Rome occupies a prime location near the Spanish Steps and Via Condotti, positioning guests within walking distance of Rome's premier shopping and cultural attractions. Each property maintains the brand's signature aesthetic of combining contemporary design with local cultural elements. For its first non-Italian hotel, JK Place Paris, which opened in 2020, the Kafris chose to locate on the Left Bank market, combining Parisian charm with proximity to museums in a quietly desirable neighbourhood. Next up, JK Milan on gallery-filled Via Borgospesso, which is due to open later this year or early 2026.
A bedroom at Experimental Cowley Manor in the Cotswolds Mr Tripper
Started in 2007, the Experimental group defies easy categorisation. Its portfolio includes urban locations (there are three hotels in Paris alone) to the Experimental Chalet Val d'Isère, which operates at 1,850 meters altitude as well as Cowley Manor, a manor house in the heart of the English Cotswolds. All are mid-market, keep distinct personalities and are centred around slightly off-beat destinations, in historic buildings and above all, maintain a sense of fun.
A bedroom at the Experimental Hotel in Menorca. Karel Balas
Created by three childhood friends, Romée de Goriainoff, Pierre-Charles Cros and Olivier Bon, there are now 12 different hotels, nearly all of which have well under 100 keys. Covering most of Europe, including Venice and Ibiza, Experimental also operates cocktail bars and restaurants that have a wider global reach, allowing the founders to test the market before expansion. The two in New York suggest that a move into the US is likely.
Le Sereno in St Barts lives up to its name with a sense of peace. Sereno Sereno Hotels: Lake and Sea
With just three properties, Sereno Hotels is the smallest - and the one that has branched out of Europe, albeit to an exceedingly French enclave in the Caribbean. On Lake Como, Milan-based designer Patricia Urquiola has created a modern interpretation with Il Sereno. The hotel features an intimate collection of just 40 suites, all showcasing modern Italian design and architecture. Nearby, Vill a Pliniana, housed in a 16th-century villa is an exclusive hire property with 17 bedrooms, a private boat dock and a spa. In contrast, the whitewashed, decidedly gentle Le Sereno on St Barts, with 39 rooms and three villas, offers genuine serenity on an island packed with party hotels.
