New Parisian Hotels, or Rethinking the Concept of Hospitality through Contemporary and Historic Architecture: Between Management Strategies and Post-Covid-19 Commercial Realities[Les nouveaux hôtels parisiens ou comment repenser le concept d'hospitalité par une architecture contemporaine et historique: entre management et réalité commerciale post Covid-19]

In Paris, new hotel developments actively accompany the broader process of globalisation, shaping behavioural patterns as well as technological and cultural innovation within one of the world's major tourist destinations. They function as a metaphor for evolving customer expectations, not only in the sphere of luxury but also in the efficiency of experiential services related to well-being and innovation, oscillating between minimalist aesthetics and more flamboyant design expressions. Contemporary hospitality strategies increasingly rely on sensory and digital marketing as central tools for customer loyalty and the consolidation of sustainable growth within a highly competitive environment. This environment remains sensitive to external urban dynamics, including episodes of social unrest in central districts, which may negatively affect the urban experience, as well as major festive and religious events such as the 2024 Summer Olympics and the reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral. In this context, a transformation is underway in both team management practices and the very notion of hospitality, situated at the intersection of architecture, interior spatial design, and the economic realities emerging in the post-Covid period. Increasingly, hospitality in the French capital extends beyond accommodation to become a comprehensive, experience-oriented system conceived as a spatial and cultural narrative. This hybridisation of practices, concepts, and architectural forms produces a distinctive aesthetic, situated between heritage and modernity, and rarely fixed between memory and innovation. In parallel, recent hotels adopt experiential design logics characterised by fluid, decompartmentalised spaces that function as living environments, integrating co-working, dining, and event activities. The hotel thus evolves from a mere lodging facility into a social and cultural hub, open not only to visitors but also to local residents, echoing practices already observable at the end of the nineteenth century. The Covid-19 crisis has accelerated these transformations, a trend also observable in countries such as Spain and Italy. However, new challenges have emerged, notably in terms of flexibility, security, and the personalisation of services. While the digitalisation of customer journeys has been widely implemented, it may, in some cases, recede in favour of renewed forms of customer relationship management rooted in more traditional interaction. At the same time, hybrid offers combining work and leisure have become increasingly prominent. The economic model of Parisian hotels has adapted accordingly, relying on revenue diversification and marketing strategies centred on ancillary services such as bars, rooftops, spas, and cultural or MICE programming, all of which now contribute significantly to financial equilibrium. Nevertheless, this upward shift in quality and complexity generates substantial constraints. The costs associated with heritage renovation remain high, while competition—particularly from short-term rental platforms—is intense. Furthermore, the expectations of international clientele remain unstable. In such a context, management must continuously arbitrate between architectural ambition and economic viability, ensuring that the proposed experience is both distinctive and sustainable. Finally, these new hotel forms contribute to a redefinition of urban tourism. By enhancing the attractiveness of less central neighbourhoods, they support processes of gentrification while reinforcing the overall appeal of the city. Hospitality thus emerges as a strategic instrument, simultaneously cultural and commercial. Ultimately, contemporary Parisian hospitality is structured around a permanent tension: between past and innovation, image and performance, and architectural narrative and market constraints. Main Theme of the Seminar with academic and professional speakers.