Mama Shelter Hotel
An option of not paying through one's nose while definitely enjoying the sense of comfort so pleasing to the modern traveller - that is one of the most eagerly cultivated current trends of the hotel industry. The most significant of newcomers fitting the bill is the recently opened Mama Shelter of Paris. The hotel is located in the 20th Arrondissement, housed in a converted building of what used to be a multi-storey car park, quite close to Fleche D'Or, the best indie-rock club in the city.
The most intriguing thing about the place, however, is, without the shadow of a doubt, the fact that it was designed by the French hooligan-designer Philippe Starck who has already established quite a reputation in the hotelier circles having designed the London Sanderson and St Martin's Lane, Fasano Hotel in Rio de Janeiro, Faena Hotel in Buenos Aires, etc. Starck's style is the element which, for a very reasonable price (rates vary from EUR 79 to 200), adds some extra oomph to the whole thing. Mama Shelter is the brainchild of a man whose father was Gerard Blitz, the former Belgian water polo champion and creator of the legend of the French tourist industry Club Med, considered the pioneer of the all-inclusive hotel trend. The concept represents a hybrid of a hostel and a luxury hotel. The seven-storey hotel offers 172 rooms; the location - the 20th Arrondissement of Paris, not so long ago considered quite remote but recently increasingly popular due to its youthful "alternative" atmosphere - is an experience in itself. This used to be the haunting grounds predominantly of those given to existential contemplation: the arrondissement is home to the famous Père Lachaise Cemetery, the final resting place of the likes of Édith Piaf, Oscar Wilde and, of course, Jim Morrison whose grave has acquired the status of a pilgrimage holy site among the die-hard fans of The Doors.
The decor of Mama Shelter represents the quintessence of Starck's style: ceilings, floors and even the lift walls are covered with urban graffiti, an element so dear to the heart of the French hooligan-designer. The PC monitor in the room is haunted by blue chicken legs and bedside lamps are reminiscent of face-pulling twisted faces of fairytale characters. Birds of prey hover above the long table of the restaurant/bar ready to attack; even Hitchcock himself would be proud of a scene like that. The built-in computer screens make it pleasantly easy to enjoy your morning cup of coffee while idly surfing the internet. The rooms are equipped with Wi-Fi internet connection and bed linen worthy of a luxury hotel: all the nice little comforts a discerning and demanding traveller expects from a quality hotel.
Rates: EUR 79 - 100
109 Rue de Bagnolet
www.mamashelter.com
10/2008
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