The Mama Shelter is one of the hidden gems nestled in a less traveled area of paris. This get away is a new concept boutique hotel conceived as a project by STARK, and it covers all the bases from convenience to comfort. From the outside the Mama Shelter looks like a modern cubist's dream, steel girders and tall glass windows which stretch from the brick lined streets to a sixth floor balcony view, which catches sights of the not too distant Eiffel tower. I arrived in the early part of the evening to a multilingual, incredibly helpful staff who promptly looked up my reservation, gave me a brief tour of the lobby and restaurant, and then escorted me to my room.

The space is a modern marvel which should be the benchmark of hotel room decoration and design. I found a very comfortable bed with more than enough pillows to satisfy even the most greedy of pillow hogs. Mounted on the wall, instead of the usual flat screen television, is a 24” inch apple I-mac computer, which could be used as a connection to the internet as well as a portal to your favorite television show. The I-mac in your room also has the ability, at your discretion, to take photographs of your room which are then published to a live gallery of photos other patrons of the hotel have taken using the imac’s in their rooms. After unpacking my belongings and taking a shower, i meandered downstairs to the world famous oven baked pizza parlor where I had the most delicious Quatre Fromage pizza, I highly recommend it.

Conveniently located across the street from the Mama Shelter is a bike rental dispensary which I used to rent a bike and take a ride around the cobble stoned streets of this small suburb of paris. I took a fifteen minute ride to the beautiful and historic public cemetery, the ‘Père LaChaise’, which is the final destination for such famous musicians, entertainers, and writers as Oscar Wilde, Edith Piaf, and Jim Morrison. The hotel is conveniently surrounded by many delicious restaurants from Sushi to indian cuisine. I awoke the next morning to a complimentary breakfast buffet that satisfied my every morning desire. The Mama Shelter Hotel left me little to complain about, It’s the perfect place to stay in Paris if you want relaxation with the ever present option for excitement.

-Stryder Bartow

Mama Shelter 109 rue de Bagnolet 75020 Paris, France 01 43 48 48 48 www.mamashelter.com