Living in Paris means not needing to find a room for the night, but I do like to keep up to date with new openings for when I need to make recommendations. It’s been interesting to see how popular hostels have become, but most are huge spaces and parts of international chains, with locations that look the same in every city.
Les Piaules is not like that. It feels more like a boutique hotel, even if it can still cheaply squeeze you into a dorm for eight people. What sets it apart is not the rooms or the beds, but the atmosphere. It’s housed in a converted 1930s art deco style office block to start with, but it also has a cosy bar that is open to everybody. Perhaps best of all though is the rooftop terrace, reserved only for those staying at the hostel.
The neighbourhood is a cool one, with perhaps the city’s best nightlife nearby. It’s also just a 5-minute walk from my home, so I sometimes pop along to the bar. With its international globe-trotting atmosphere, it feels like I’m travelling in my home city!
