Hi Matic

This eco-friendly design hotel, part of Hi’s stable of concept destinations in France and Tunisia, is set in a tall, narrow town house moments from the stylish rue du Faubourg St Antoine. You’re given a door code before you arrive, and check yourself in at machines in the lobby that dispense your access card, but the approachable staff can always be found for help and advice. The décor is pure Ikea – raised wooden seating units in the reception area, stainless steel dispensers for guidebooks and toothbrushes, rollout beds, bright blocks of primary colours and all-of-a-piece bedroom designs – but this is far from unpleasant. In fact, Hi Matic offers a genuine sense of calm and retreat in central Paris, and the concessions to eco-friendliness – recyclable wooden cutlery, etc. – don’t intrude unnecessarily on the hotel experience. A very good bet for mid range accommodation in the city.