HOTELS
Mama Shelter to open in Rennes , Brittany - MAMA SHELTER -
In March 2023 , Mama Shelter will be launching their latest hotel in Rennes , amedieval cityin northern France where modernism and tradition meet . Rennesis thesecondlargest city in France in terms ofnumber of students , which givesthe oldcity with antique architecture a bustling atmosphere .
LOCATION Mama Shelter Rennes is centrally located just a fewsteps from Place des Lices and the famous rue dela Soif . It is a five minute walk to the Sainte Anne metro station and only20-minutes to theTGVtrain station connecting Paris Montparnasse to Rennes in 1 hour and 30 minutes . Mama Shelter always seeks to open in cities and neighbourhoods that are onthe rise .
Complying with the instructions of the Architectes des Bâtiments de France [ conservation law ], Mama Shelter Rennes is writing a new chapter without overshadowing the previousones . The hotelwelcomes localsas well as visitors from abroad , and is ideally located in thecentre of a square where passers-by can stroll and wander in . In this square , guests can enjoy the cocktail bar , the lounges and ninefood shops , including a restaurant that are all retailers independent of Mama Shelter . A natural extension of the city and a new district in the historic centre , city dwellers here can stock up on exceptional products or enjoy F & B offerings with the hotel ’ s guests , in a friendly square .
DESIGN Benjamin El Doghaïli , architect and head of the Mama Shelter design studio , has embraced Rennes ’ vibrant heritage and designed the hotel to be at one with its environment . The 119 bedrooms ( including Mama ’ s 5 * luxury bedding ) vary in sizes and shapes , with some nestled under the roofing , and some carrying oldmouldings and a fireplace . The bathrooms are timeless , with large black and white striped tiles , a large spacefortoiletries and organic beautyproducts from the Mama Skin range .
El Doghaïli , in this former banking property where currency was once minted , has drawn on the vibrant local culture . The lobby is home to a large rounded counter adorned in a mosaic frieze of buckwheat pancakes , a classic delicacy of the area , in the Odorico brothers ’ style , with saltedbutter-caramelcoloured walls . Inthe large brasserie
restaurant offering beautiful views over the city , upholsteredbenches witha custom-made fabric evoke the popular saying “ Vouloir le beurre et l ’ argent du beurre ” [ To have one ’ s cake and eat it , too ]. One of the ground floor lounges is decorated entirely in pink and embellished with lobsters , mussels , seaweed and oysters , to evoke the delicacy of local seafood platters . Jumbo-sized Chinese umbrellas showcase the umbrellas mixologists decorate cocktails with , as a reminder that the Breton people are travellers at heart . The pattern on the carpet along the corridors represent the lace of the Bigouden headdresses , the stoat of the flag of Brittany , and the wolf , the fox and the weasel of a medieval songof Burgundy origin .
AMENITIES Guests can enjoy the rooftop with sweeping views of the city . The rooftop , a novelty in Rennes , provides an incredible view of the city ’ s well-tempered character , bourgeois19thcentury buildings , ramshackle 16th century houses , and towers built just like the tapered bell towers of its churches . In the basement , several colourful karaoke rooms willbe available to hire for groups .
Another highlight is the swimming pool , with disabled accessibility , a hammam and a sauna and a Mama Skin Spa -a first for Mama Shelter -a boudoir nestled under stone vaults . Absolution , a French organic cosmetics house , has partnered with Ho Karan , a Breton cosmetics brand renowned forits hemp-based treatments to offer variousrelaxing treatments .
www . mamashelter . com