Come to Mama

Intrigued by the hype over a budget boutique hotel, Rachel Roberts went to Paris to see what all the fuss is about.
 

"When it comes to blowing her own trumpet, Mama Shelter isn’t shy. This achingly trendy budget boutique hotel chain’s website is jam-packed with declarations of love from media heavyweights including The Financial Times (‘the combination of style, comfort and price makes it hard to beat’) and Travel & Leisure (‘one of the best hotels in the world’). Although I wondered whether a hotel’s design is really capable of giving a ‘new perspective on the world’ as The New York Times claims?

There was only one way to find out – to come to Mama, or more specifically, go to Mama Shelter in Paris, one of five hotels in the small chain. This is the mother ship, so to speak: it was the first to be opened in 2008; the brainchild of Club Med founder Serge Trigano and sons Benjamin and Jeremie. From the get-go, they set out to open hotels in cities they love, but in unique neighbourhoods a little bit off the beaten path – and they’ve stuck to their guns, with more Mamas popping up in Bordeaux, Lyon and Marseille, and Istanbul. Los Angeles and Lille are in the pipeline too.

The Paris hotel is built in the Saint Blaise district, in the 20th arrondissement of the capital. It’s around half an hour on the metro from the touristy part of the city, so it feels like you’re staying in a more authentic area, where you can mingle with Parisiennes going about their daily business. It’s also just 16 miles from Charles De Gualle airport, making it a good choice if you’ve got a late or super-early flight, too.

Be careful not to walk by the hotel as I did (several times). From the outside, it has the look of tower block – a rather bland and unassuming tower block – but don’t judge a book by its cover. Inside, it’s a very different story. French designer Philippe Starck designed the rooms, and his signature style of quirky-modern creates a chic but inviting space to spend some time .

However, unlike some other design-lead hotels, that can be, well, a bit up themselves, there’s a playfulness here; with imaginative touches like the light in the dining area, made from a row of blow-up water rings, all illuminated from within. There’s also table football and cool cartoons on loop on the TV screens dotted everywhere.

They’ve certainly achieved their aim of creating ‘a home where guests can share, meet and exchange in a common arena’. The staff are key to this relaxed vibe. Rather than the stuffy, boring ‘uniforms’ worn by other hospitality workers, Mama staff wear stylish aprons covered with huge badges emblazoned with cool stuff. It feels like you’re staying with a bunch of friends, but just happen to be paying at the end.

I arrived on Sunday evening, ravenous after a day of sightseeing and was disappointed not to get a seat in the brasserie-style restaurant – the place was hopping with guests and locals all tucking into delicious-looking plates of food.

So it was the pizza restaurant for me, but it didn’t feel like I’d settled for second best: my mushroom pizza, drizzled with chilli oil, was top quality.

There are 172 bedrooms and you pay for the amount of space you have – they range from Mama Rooms (15 – 17m2 from €79 a night) to Mama Suite (35m2 from €309). I was given the keys to a Mama Terrace, which at 21m2 and €169, sits somewhere in the middle.

I soon discovered what they mean when they describe the room as ‘hip and comfortable, with the feel of a sensual refuge’. It did have the air of a sexy, urban retreat. My room had a 27-inch iMac with handy photo booth and video booth facilities, and coupled with the infinity mirrors on either side of my huge double bed, it seems that some guests are going to have a little ‘Ooh la la’ when they spend the night here. Though the slightly odd Darth Vadar and Scooby Doo masks on either side of the bed won’t get everyone in the mood!

It’s definitely the kind of place you could hole up for a few days with your paramour and ignore the world outside. But if all you’re craving is a good night’s sleep, the bed – described as five-star – is super-comfy and the rooms have thick enough concrete walls to block out the sounds of other guests fumbling around to get into their rooms at 3am.

The bathroom products are a really nice touch, too. Created by Parisian eco-cosmetic company, Absolution, they feature clever slogans like ‘Mama loves you top to toe’, and ‘Mama only wants what’s best for you’. They feel very luxurious and you won’t have to resort to stealing them either: you can buy them in the shop downstairs. Clever Mama!"

Mamashelter.com
Double rooms from €79

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