French designer Matali Crasset has created this Paris hotel in collaboration with Patrick Elouarghi and Philippe Chatelet, where visitors check-in, order food and exchange tips on the city with other guests via the hotel's online system and a plethora of screens throughout the building.

The HI matic hotel allows guests to choose and change music in the public areas, collaborate on an ever-evolving city guide and collect meals from an automatic machine in the restaurant.

42 rooms are spread over five floors, envisioned as cabins where the specially designed furniture systems can change function throughout the day as required.

See also: Dar Hi hotel in the Tunisian desert by Matali Crasset

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Photographs are by Simon Bouisson.

The following is from the designers:

HI matic by Matali Crasset with Patrick Elouarghi and Phillipe Chatelet

HI matic, an urban eco-lodging facility. HI matic, when sleeping in Paris becomes easy. Located in the Rue Charonne, a stone’s throw away from Bastille. Welcome to South Bastille where restaurants, organic shops, store concepts, specialized book stores are blooming. Young designers meet here, young chefs open their restaurants, you can cruise around and meet your friends. The area is as popular as it is trendy, a condensed version of Paris in Rue de Charonne. This is where HI matic has been established, a new urban eco-logding concept.

Matali Crasset has collaborated once again with Patrick Elouarghi et Philippe Chatelet to inject a new vibe in the Paris lodging. With 42 cabin rooms, HI matic combines the codes of an urban hotel with that of a country lodging. Economical, ecological and automatic, this warm cocoon in the heart of the city revives the best Japanese Riokan, the youth hostel or the rest house. An ecological accommodation with a precise choice of materials (wood, rubber, natural paintings) that entice areas of conviviality and sharing.

Contemporary in its layout, warm in its the choice of living areas, affodable in terms of price and sincere with regards to environment awareness, Himatic is what was missing in quality city accommodation. It is adapted to current needs, ideal for green attitude addicts or more casual ecologically concerned individuals.

HI matic is a small hotel perfect for a city like Paris. It answers the need of the characteristics of urban tourism, for short and longer stays, a pied à terre for those who come regularly to the Capital for business or leisure trips. For a day or a year, you will want to come back to HI matic to enjoy a good night’s sleep! Because everything here is simple, informal and friendly.

HI matic is 100 % internet the web site created by the hotel without any intermediary, dealing directly and simply with the hotel. You are welcomed and guided in the same simple way. You live the experience in full autonomy as comfortable at the HI matic as you are with social networks.

HI matic, the pied à terre experience:

Hi matic has to be experienced as a direct link to the city. You can live your stay in a simple and casual way, free to move in an explanatory environment. Turned towards the exterior because of the lobby that is open to the street with large windows but also a protective cocoon in the interior. It allows you to rest in comfort and to regenerate while getting acquainted with Parisian life style. An hotel to rest, and catch your breath before plunging back into the urban rhythm. Staying at HI matic is enjoying the pied à terre experience in Paris. You move in with all the autonomy and freedom, you are never alone, for you are sure to meet friends in a new community with whom you can share each other’s experiences and tips about the city.

Flexible Cabins

The first impression when you discover the rooms is an appropriation of space. The 42 rooms occupy 5 floors and are conceived on a model of a cabin. Space is available and flexible. All is done to allow you to spend time. Each cabin offers all the services of a comfortable room. Flexible in its play with spaces and elements, the experience of living closer to the ground is what gives you that impression of freedom. Nothing is hung on the walls, the cabin is its own structure that leads to all services. The cabin has an extension that is a small desk. The bed is on a platform with its memory shape mattress that was custom-made. It is in the centre of the cabin. At night it becomes a large and comfortable bed for a good night’s sleep. During the day it’s a sofa for lounging, dining, working ... A real freedom of action that entices you to possess the room as if it were a cabin made for children. Fluency, autonomy, simplicity: the client is in a universe without formalities while very structured.

The automatic dispensers and the restaurant:

When you arrive you are swept by the sound music of the label Kompakt and you can enjoy the rhythms of the HI radio. The lobby as well as the restaurant is conceived to favor encounters, meetings allowing for tips to be exchanged before going off to discover the city. You can meet people, you can leave messages, addresses. The ipad is at your disposal to discover music selections and to see various practical informations, it is a communal tool. HI matic is networking within the city. A giant map of Paris is present in the meeting point. ParHI Link is fed by important people chosen by their expertise in music, art and cooking.... they will share their experience of the city. it might become Paris’ best city guide.

HI matic shop:

The HI matic shop is conceived like a gift package available 24/24. This playful boutique proposes a selection of useful, pleasurable and practical objects ready to use. Guides, books, cd’s, toothbrushes and other necessities are available in an original dispenser. A real organic breakfast is available in the restaurant from automatic dispensers. You are free to take whatever you please and place it on your tray and then seat around the large communal table.

The new born of HI Life:

After the HI hotel in Nice and Dar HI in Nefta in Tunisia, HI matic is the new project of the HI life group. As usual, Matali Crasset, Patrick Elouarghi and Philippe Chapelet want to offer an accomodation concept shakes up conventional hotel business codes. They came up with new ways to welcome you and to allow you to live together in a hotel. They have managed to create very diverse entities from urban city hotel to the eco-retreat in the desert. HI matic adopts Matali’s beliefs about hospitality which were her main concerns when she first began -ie hospitality column.

“When Jim comes to Paris”. HI matic respects the same logic as the Hi hotel in Nice in its contemporary, dynamic yet friendly dimension. A living experience that will be renewed at your next HI Life destination.

HI matic
71 rue de Charonne
75011 Paris France