The planning file for the future palace hotel at 202 rue de Rivoli has gained a new chapter. An initial building permit, referenced no. 075 101 20 V0020, was issued on 29 April 2021, under the property’s former owner, at the time of its closure. A second permit, referenced PC 075 101 25 V0038, has since been filed with the City of Paris, this time under the joint venture bringing together Pharrell Williams, Mohari Hospitality and Omnam Investment Group, which acquired the hotel in 2024. This second application confirms that the original 2021 project has been revisited and adjusted under the new ownership, in line with programme changes previously reported by the trade press. On its project page, architecture firm Valode & Pistre, still overseeing the restructuring on behalf of client Omnam, lists the project as “in design study.”
The Ministry of Culture’s Mérimée listing, updated on 24 July 2026, sheds further light on the building’s exact heritage status, listed as a Monument Historique by decree of 23 September 1960. This protection does not cover the entire building but specifically designated elements: the façades onto rue Saint-Honoré and the courtyard, the roofs of the street-facing building, the vaulted passage between the street and the first courtyard, the façades and roofs of the main courtyard block, the former garden, as well as the façades and roofs of the wings onto the second courtyard. The whole is also included within a listed site (site inscrit) under a decree of 6 August 1975. Notably, the official listing dates the main construction phase to the last quarter of the 17th century and also links the building to the address 211 rue Saint-Honoré, in addition to 202 rue de Rivoli.
The project involves a complete renovation of approximately 14,000 sqm, for a five-star hotel with 106 rooms and suites, featuring restaurant and bar spaces, a pool, a spa and a fitness area. The restructuring is organised around three principles: streamlining circulation in the ground-floor public spaces, redesigning rooms for comfort in line with prestige-hotel standards while optimising floor-level circulation, and developing an upscale service offering worthy of a Parisian palace hotel.
The building’s majestic 43-metre façade, reinterpreted in keeping with the architectural spirit of the neighbourhood, will now house rooms overlooking the Tuileries Garden. The stone porch, a preserved heritage feature, regains its original function as an entrance to the cour d’honneur: it becomes the entrance to a restaurant spanning the street and the inner courtyard. The lobby, meanwhile, is relocated to the north wing of the Charles X building, offering guests, upon arrival, an open view of the Cour Saint-Honoré and the historic façade of the Château building.
The main restaurant is set on the ground floor of the Château and Madagascar buildings, opening onto the Cour Saint-Honoré, with adjoining salons able to host private receptions and exclusive dinners. The bar and lounges, meanwhile, look onto the Cour Rivoli, designed as a green haven combining terraces and gardens. The vaulted cellars, fully restored, house the wellness area: a pool, spa, fitness room and treatment rooms. A retail space opening onto rue du 29 Juillet is also set to connect the hotel to neighbourhood life.
The programme also includes four upscale residences, fitted out in the north wing of the Charles X building, with their own address and independent entrance on rue du 29 Juillet, allowing occupants to enjoy the hotel’s services while preserving their privacy. Trade press reports have cited an estimated transaction value of between €180 and €200 million, a figure never officially confirmed by the parties involved.
For Pharrell Williams, Menswear Artistic Director at Louis Vuitton, this represents a personal investment through this joint venture, separate from LVMH’s activities. The artist is already familiar with the hospitality sector, having opened the Goodtime Hotel in Miami Beach in 2021 with David Grutman. The Parisian property’s final name, reopening date, operator and rates have not yet been disclosed.
At a Glance
Saint-James & Albany, 202 rue de Rivoli / 211 rue Saint-Honoré, Paris 1er — future five-star hotel
First building permit n° 075 101 20 V0020, issued April 29, 2021
Second permit n° PC 075 101 25 V0038, filed in 2025 under new ownership
Architect: Valode & Pistre — project status: in design study
Client: Omnam
Historic monument status: partially listed (inscrit MH) since September 23, 1960; site inscrit since August 6, 1975
Restructured surface: 14,000 sqm
Facade length: 43 meters
Planned capacity: 106 rooms and suites + 4 private residences
Wellness area: pool, spa, fitness, treatment rooms in restored vaulted cellars
Owners: Pharrell Williams, Mohari Hospitality, Omnam Investment Group (acquired 2024)
Estimated transaction value: EUR 180–200 million (unconfirmed)
Opening date, brand name, and operator: not yet disclosed
