La Samaritaine

La Samaritaine (French pronunciation: [la samaʁitɛn]) is a large department store in Paris, France, located in the first arrondissement. The nearest métro station is Pont-Neuf, directly in front at the quai du Louvre and the rue de la Monnaie. The company was owned by Ernest Cognacq and Marie-Louise Jaÿ who hired architect Frantz Jourdain to expand their original store. It started as a small apparel shop and over time expanded into an ensemble of department store buildings with a total of 90 different departments. It has been a member of the International Association of Department Stores from 1985 to 1992.

It is currently owned by LVMH, a luxury-goods maker. The store, which had been operating at a loss since the 1970s, was closed in 2005 purportedly because the building did not meet safety codes. Plans for redeveloping the building were delayed by complications, as the representatives of the store's founders argued with new owners LVMH over the building's future as a department store or a mixed-use development. After seven years of renovation, it was reopened to the public on 23 June 2021, having been previewed by French President Emmanuel Macron and journalists during the preceding days. Its retail and restaurant offerings now target more upmarket customers. The redevelopment has also added a boutique hotel that includes a penthouse suite with its own private swimming pool. Since 1990 the building has been listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture.