When: March 2019
Business or pleasure: Business
Paid or Sponsored; I’ve paid for 2 nights myself at a media/industry rate.
I’m familiar with the 25hours hotel brand as I’ve stayed at their hotels and various cities before; Hamburg, Frankfurt and Zurich. In short, I love everything they do. Their hotels are full of innovations and they are continuously at the forefront of adapting to new trends and in some cases breaking new grounds.
Their designs and ethos are very unique, and I really don’t think that you can compare them to anyone on the current market. I know their brand’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but I don’t think that they are aiming to appeal to everyone. They very much know the type of people they’re after and for that audience it’s working.
I was familiar with the brand and the location. The hotel only just opened (7th of Jan. 2019) so I was curious to see how they are creating a momentum for their brand as a newcomer in an otherwise crowded and competitive market such as Paris.
I live in London, so I travel with the Eurostar train to Paris. Which means that the train station I arrive to is the Gare du Nord in Paris. The official name of the hotel is 25hours hotel Terminus Nord. Do you see where I’m going with this? The hotel is actually right across the street from the station. From the platform to your room in 5 minutes! Of course, Gare du Nord is one of the busiest train stations in Europe, so they connect with all the other international train services such as the Thalys, TGV and the RER. Not to mention that Montmartre and the Sacré-Coeur is 10 – 15 minutes walk from the hotel.
Paris isn’t exactly a huge city and it is pretty easy to get around with taxis, metro or my favourite way of transport is pay as you go bikes and scooters. In addition, the hotel has their own bikes that you can use on a “first come first served” basis.
Quirky, unique and fun! From the second you walk through the entrance you know that you are somewhere special. A guy immediately jumped out from behind the “bell boy” desk and grabbed hold of my bags and he pointed me to a fruit infused fresh water tank to grab a glass while I was checking in. Pretty much 5* treatment.
Instead of the usual (boring) lobby, you walk past a mini African bazaar. A mini market of beautiful coffee table top art and photography books as well as all sorts of playful and colourful souvenirs. Next to the reception is a fully-fledged coffee bar provided by the NENI restaurant on the first floor. The whole entry/lobby area is total eye candy. It’s a small heaven for Instagrammers. Interesting graffiti style artworks/murals on the walls and wherever you look your eyes will always catch an interesting decorative object.
Oh yes, of course they have a theme. All 25hours hotels around the world are carefully designed and each of them has an underlying story. The stories are what make it so special to stay in them as you very quickly become part of it. Those of you who aren’t familiar with the 10th district of Paris, this area is predominantly populated by African, Middle Eastern and Asian people. A real eclectic mix and a wonderfully diverse cultural hot spot. 25hours hotel Terminus Nord has fully embraced the colourfulness of this area and created a home for the “Neighbourhood Heroes” portrait series and have worked with local artists to create an impressive wall art “gallery” in the communal areas of the hotel.
The theme of the hotel of course carries on into the rooms. This is not a small hotel, it has 237 rooms in 7 room categories. I stayed in a Medium+ room on the 5th floor. When I opened the door I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The room has two massive glass doors looking out to the front. From one of the windows I was hit by an almost surrealistically close view of the Gare du Nord station building and the other one was zooming in on the Sacré-Coeur. It almost felt like I was in a TV studio and I was seeing painted backdrops to create the sensation of being close to these iconic buildings. Oh, and not forgetting a private balcony that stretches all the way along the room and beyond. Did I hear someone say Instagram shoot?
Hey, I’m a film and photography geek and I travel with a lot of equipment. For me, the fact that there are 4 x USB plug points in this room just made my day! 🙂
And my concerns about this potentially noisy area was quickly defeated by opening and closing the “magical” balcony doors. I’ve got no idea what these doors are made of, but their noise cancelling capability is second to none. As far as everything else, just have a look at the pictures below:
Of course. I had breakfast included in my room price and I also tested a dinner service. The restaurant on the 1st floor of the hotel is called NENI. Breakfast consists of a delicious buffet spread with a middle eastern twist. (pictures)
The dinner was a truely middle eastern affair. Inspired by Persian, Arabic, French and Russian influences, the Molcho family’s restaurant concept is all about sharing life’s precious moments while you are sharing delicious plates. Served in Balagan style (pleasant chaos), everybody can sample a little bit of everything, as you would when enjoying a meal at home or at a friend’s house.
Learn more about the family and their culinary adventure here.
Beyond all of the above, the SAPE Bar. I would recommend this drinking hole even if you are not staying at the hotel. It perfectly complements the NENI restaurant. The design of this bar is fantastic! Get your Instagram game on, this is one photogenic bar! J I love the DJ booth and the vinyl record collection on the wall. BTW, did you know why it’s called SAPE? It’s a humorous twist on the elegantly dressed Africans, called sapeurs. The bold, eccentric and vibrant colours of the sapeur promotes freedom and happiness.
Not really. 25hours hotel Terminus Nord is everything I imagined and more. They know how to create unique experiences and how to stand out from a crowded market without forcing to be different. They really cater for all ages and their restaurant and bar are great places to hang out – even for the locals.
Of course. Have a look at the pink stairs and the powder room behind NENI on the first floor.
