Luxury department store in Paris La Samaritaine shines in new splendor

Status: 23.06.2021 2:09 p.m.

It is one of the most famous shopping addresses in the world: La Samaritaine in Paris. The legendary department store was lavishly renovated for 16 years. Today it opened its doors again.

From Stefanie Markert, ARD studio Paris

“O lala!” – Emmanuel Macron is visibly impressed by the sight: Gustave Eiffel’s gray-blue iron staircase spanning five floors with 16,000 gold leaves has been originally restored. Many of the 1700 employees of the department store stand on the landing and applaud the president. He accepted Bernard Arnault’s invitation. The billionaire and boss of the luxury goods company LVMH owns the Samaritaine. He renovated the building complex for 750 million euros and is now attracting customers: “Perhaps you can also shop on the Internet. But there you can’t touch the products, you can’t see them, and you can’t have lunch in such a wonderful atmosphere.”

A water pump as namesake

In the Samaritaine, this is most spectacularly done in the “Voyage” restaurant under the historic glass dome, surrounded by a 115-meter-long peacock frieze in Art Nouveau style. But actually shopping is hip here, emphasizes Head of Marketing Nathalie Montaldier: “You are on the fourth floor – all women’s shoes, from sneakers to luxury. The special thing: when you try them on you have a fantastic view of the Gothic cathedral Saint-Germain-L’Auxerrois . A unique experience.” In 1870 Ernest Cognacq founded the Samaritaine. Before that he had sold fabrics on the bridge next door – the famous Pont Neuf -, then rented a corner café and expanded his business little by little. At that time the first Parisian water pump stood on the Pont Neuf, and it was called “la Samaritaine” – the Samaritan woman. The pump gave the store its name. Today, historical commercials flicker there on old TVs:

Monsieur wants something?

Yes, nails.

We dont have.

An alligator clip.

Neither clamp nor crocodile.

Haven’t you read the name of our store?

No.

This is not the Samaritaine.

Ah, I see – you can find everything in the Samaritaine.

In the Parisian luxury department store you will find one thing above all: French “savoir vivre”. Image: Stefanie Markert / ARD-Studio Paris

A hymn to Paris

The house no longer lives up to this claim, says manager Eleonore de Boysson, but: “You can find all of Paris in the Samaritaine. Its brands and artists. It’s like a promenade with surprises. A visit should trigger a new Parisian feeling.” And convey the French way of life. The house bakes its own croissants, personalizes champagne bottles and sells cosmetics from collapsible crates that resemble those of the bouquinists in front of the door. Mosaics are reminiscent of the Parisian passages and yellow lanterns of the street lighting in the past. Parisian flair en passant.

The luxury department store is a hymn to the city. It offers the largest beauty department in the European Union – 600 brands and products from three-euro hand gel to perfume in a giant crystal bottle for 150,000 euros. Up to five million customers are expected each year. Parisians, French and of course tourists. On the lower floor, the head of marketing points to a long rolling carpet like at the airport: “There was direct access from the parking lot to the department store. We have redesigned this tunnel. This is where the bus tourists will arrive.”

The complex includes a luxury hotel with a 1000 square meter suite. Even the smallest room there costs 1500 euros per night. But there is also a day nursery and almost 100 social housing. Samaritaine General Director Jean Jacques Guiony explains: “That is the law. When building, around 25 percent of the area has to be reserved for social housing. We were free to move it inside in the Rue de Rivoli building.” The tenants look out over a green, roofed courtyard with the department store’s wellness oasis. The Samaritaine is open 364 days a year. It is only closed on May 1st

Cyprus requires travelers to have a negative Covid-19 test valid 72 hours prior to departure to the country. (Photo: AP) The world’s tourism-driven economy destinations are racing to open their borders and revive economies ravaged by the pandemic. The large-scale deployment of Covid-19 vaccination has given many places new confidence to welcome tourists back. But the moment is still really difficult. The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates that the global tourism industry lost nearly $4.5 trillion and lost 62 million jobs last year. The world aviation industry alone lost $126 billion last year and will lose another $48 billion this year. However, inconsistent regulations to reopen international travel globally could make it difficult for anyone planning to travel this summer. For example, in Cyprus there are restrictions on places considered higher risk, requiring arriving passengers to take a negative PCR test for Covid-19 valid 72 hours before departure and to do so. new test upon arrival. Travelers must also self-isolate until they receive their Covid-19 test results. Europe Europe is opening up gradually. Last week, the ambassadors of the European Union (EU) agreed to allow visitors who have had a full dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, one of the vaccines licensed by the European Medicines Agency or come from places located in the UK. on the EU safety list. But this is a non-binding mechanism, each country can still apply its own rules and it is not clear exactly when this mechanism will come into effect. Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday announced that from the 24th, the country will allow fully vaccinated tourists from the UK and Japan to enter. Visitors from other countries will be welcome back to Spain from June 7. Restaurants and hotels in Greece are preparing to welcome international guests back (Photo: AP) Tourists have started showing up in Greece after authorities this month decided to accept vaccination and test certificates from the EU and 21 other countries. On the Greek island of Naxos, business owners have begun pulling furniture out of storage, cleaning stores and reopening once-stuck seaside pubs. “People here are very optimistic and in fact there have been a lot of bookings in the last two weeks,” said Naxos Mayor Dimitris Lianos, optimistic that visitors will return significantly even by the end of the year. Croatia has also reopened – one of the few places in Europe that Americans can visit this summer. Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have announced direct flights from New York to Dubrovnik this summer. Asia The Covid-19 epidemic is breaking out again in many parts of Asia, causing some countries and territories to pause cautious reopening steps. Hong Kong (China) and Singapore have postponed the “travel bubble” without quarantine for the second time after a new outbreak. Both Singapore and Hong Kong (China) have extended the mandatory quarantine period for many unvaccinated travelers. China has set up Covid-19 control points at toll booths, airports and train stations in Liaoning province, where new cases arose this month – travelers must present test results latest negative for Covid-19. Thailand may have to postpone its plan to welcome international visitors to Phuket this July (Photo: TheBangkokPost) Thailand, which closed its borders to control the outbreak for most of last year, is slowly starting to allow some foreign visitors to enter in the fall under tight control. However, the strong outbreak from the end of March until now has shown no sign of abating, prompting the country to re-impose strong measures such as closing entertainment venues and banning outdoor dining. The Phuket provincial government announced that the plan to reopen to international tourists who have been fully vaccinated from July 1 may not be able to go as planned if the daily number of Covid-19 cases does not exist. down to single digits. Middle East and Africa At the height of the pandemic last year, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) closed its borders and closed its airports to tourists. The capital, Abu Dhabi, still has strict measures including mandatory quarantine even for fully vaccinated citizens returning from certain countries. But the UAE’s largest city, Dubai, has been open to tourists since July last year with a few more restrictive regulations. Dubai – home to the world’s busiest airport for international travel – is drawing visitors from Europe to its beaches, bars, hotel pools, restaurants, cinemas, parks. leisure and spa. However, Dubai still applies social distancing regulations and requires mask wearing. Egypt is trying to attract more foreign tourists Meanwhile, the largest Gulf state Saudi Arabia does not allow tourists to enter the country. Saudi nationals from this month have been allowed to travel abroad if they have been vaccinated against Covid-19 or have recovered from Covid-19. Egypt is trying to attract more foreign tourists even as it faces a new wave of disease outbreaks. The country does not impose new restrictions on beaches, cafes and restaurants in hotels catering to tourists. Egypt even lowered the price of the tourist visa fee, although it still requires a negative test result for Covid-19 before entering. Latin America and the Caribbean The Caribbean region is largely dependent on tourism. In the last year, visitors to the area have dropped by two-thirds to levels not seen since the 1980s. Bermuda has been one of the hardest hit, with an 84% drop in arrivals. Some islands, including Bonaire, Martinique and Montserrat, remain closed to most countries. Elsewhere, return travelers are limited with epidemic prevention regulations including electronic trace management. Several islands, including St. Vincent and the Grenadines, created “bubble resorts” to attract tourists. Cruise lines are planning to bring tourists from the US to Caribbean ports this summer. Mexico remains open to international visitors (Image: AP) Mexico does not apply no-fly regulations, does not require travelers to be tested or quarantined upon arrival in the country. Therefore, although the number of visitors decreased, it remained stable, especially in coastal destinations. But, this has increased the rate of Covid-19 infection, forcing authorities in some places to impose restrictions in public places. USA and Canada The US currently still bans most travelers from Europe, China, India, Brazil and elsewhere. Guests, including US citizens traveling on international flights, must have a negative Covid-19 test before boarding the flight. The US State Department continues to advise citizens not to make unnecessary trips abroad. The border between the US and Canada remains closed to non-essential travel until June 21. In the US, domestic aviation has returned to near 2019 levels, but the smokeless industry is slowly showing patience with restrictive regulations. “As we’re seeing vaccination rates increase and Covid-19 incidence decline, from an economic standpoint, reopening,” said Tori Emerson Barnes, executive vice president of the American Travel Association. International travel is extremely important.”

The Can Tho – Con Dao high-speed train route is put into operation again On April 19, information from the Can Tho Maritime Administration said that the Can Tho – Con Dao high-speed train route will officially come into operation from April 21. Accordingly, the Can Tho – Con Dao high-speed train route and vice versa will be exploited by Mai Linh Tay Do Joint Stock Company. In the immediate future, Mai Linh Express train will operate 2 trips per day (Can Tho – Con Dao and vice versa). The ship will depart from Ninh Kieu Tourist Port (Ninh Kieu District, Can Tho City) to Ben Dam Port (Con Dao District, Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province). Mai Linh Express high-speed train is a 2-hull ship with a capacity of about 300 seats, the journey from Can Tho – Con Dao is nearly 200km, the ship will take about 3.5 hours to 4.5 hours to travel each way. and so. This is an important waterway, helping to create favorable conditions for people and tourists to access a new, convenient and cheap mode of transport from the mainland to the island compared to traveling by plane. Previously, the Can Tho – Con Dao high-speed train route operated by Phu Quoc High-speed Train Joint Stock Company had to stop operating from the end of August 2020. The reason was due to the reaction of the people living. along the Hau River. People believe that when the boat ran, it created big waves that caused landslides on both sides of the river and affected fishing activities and small vehicles on the river. Can Tho – Con Dao expressway will run on Dinh An channel Regarding this issue, a representative of Mai Linh Tay Do Joint Stock Company said: After receiving comments from the Traffic Safety Board of Can Tho City, the National Traffic Safety Board, as well as localities, the company decided to operate with small-engine vessels. Specifically, Mai Linh Tay Do operates trains with a capacity of about 300 guests instead of 600 guests and only uses 2-engine trains instead of 4-engine trains, in order to limit the waves generated when the train runs. At the same time, from the proposal of the Can Tho Port Authority, Mai Linh Tay Do chose to go through Dinh An channel and then to the sea instead of going on Tran De channel. The reason is that Tran De channel has a small riverbed, many people’s activities such as fish farming, fishing… Besides, in order not to affect the people living on both sides of the river, instead of the ship going 32 knots (about 60km/h), the ship will reduce the speed to only 17 knots in the Hau river area (equivalent to about 60 km/h). about 30km/h) to limit wave generation. In addition, the unit will coordinate with localities to notify people about the time frame for the train to pass so that people using small vehicles that are not eligible to travel on the maritime channel will limit travel. A representative of the Can Tho Port Authority said: The Mai Linh ship’s operation on the Hau River maritime route through Dinh An channel is completely in accordance with regulations. Besides, it is against the current regulations of the people to close the sign, close the bottom, drop the net, etc. on the navigational channel, which is against the current regulations, including the use of small vehicles, which do not ensure safety factors. will also not be allowed to participate in maritime traffic. In the coming time, Can Tho Maritime Administration will continue to coordinate with localities to propagate to people about this.