HI Matic

Class: Budget

Style: Cutting edge

Rooms: 41

Boutique hotels are all the rage these days, but in a highly touristed city like Paris, proving you’re hip and hot is the only way to survive in the crowd of stars. Located in the up-and-coming section of south Bastille, the new HI Matic Hotel designed by Matali Crasset in collaboration with Patrick Elouarghi and Philippe Chatelet is a highly-connected hub for visitors to come and not only relax, but to check-in, order food and exchange tips, and even music with other guests via the hotel’s integrated online system. If you’re a social media junkie you’re probably already tweeting that you’ve found your perfect Parisian hideaway!

To create a unique environment, the designers set out to develop accommodations that would embody both modern urban and comfortable country aesthetics. Boldly colored, yet cozy rooms have been painted with natural paints and outfitted with sustainable wood and rubber furniture and fixtures. And forget about static four posts beds that can’t be moved – the multi-functional furniture can also be rearranged and altered to meet your feng shui.

However, what stands out the most is the hotel’s push to promote guest interaction and information sharing via technological means and social media. The entire hotel is hooked up to one network, and interconnected touch-screens can be found all throughout the building. So while you may not be the type of person who walks up to a table for the day’s news, you can still share what your song dujour is with the neighboring room. Or of course, if you are looking for a buddy to go bar hopping with, one e-shout out is bound to peak the interest of someone in one of the 42 rooms that make up the five-story hotel.