Ennismore brand Mama Shelter has a distinctly Gallic slant to its pipeline, with three out of six upcoming hotels in the next couple of years appearing in its home market of France.
Part of the Accor group, each hotel will pay homage to the local culture, while maintaining the lifestyle brand’s fun and creative characteristics.
French trio
The French trio comprises Mama Shelter Rennes, Mama Shelter Dijon and Mama Shelter Nice.
The Rennes hotel will be the ninth Mama in France, the 17th worldwide and home to the first ever Mama Skin Spa. A former banking property where currency was once minted, the site will house 119 bedrooms in various sizes and shapes, with some nestled under the roofing, and some carrying old mouldings and a fireplace. The bathrooms will feature large black and white striped tiles.
Rooftop first
The city’s first rooftop bar is a hotel highlight, showcasing panoramas of the Medieval burg. A large brasserie restaurant also offers city views, and the hotel will also house five workshops.
Relaxation can be found at a swimming pool, with disabled accessibility, a hammam and a sauna. In the basement, several colourful karaoke rooms will be available to hire for groups.
Integrated 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.
For instance, the lobby is home to a large, rounded counter adorned in a mosaic frieze of buckwheat pancakes, a delicacy of the area, in the Odorico brothers’ style, with salted-butter-caramel coloured walls. Plus one of the ground floor lounges is decorated entirely in pink and embellished with lobsters, mussels, seaweed and oysters, inspired by local seafood platters.
Historic renovation
Serge Trigano, co-founder and president, said: “At Mama Shelter in Rennes, our teams have successfully met two challenges: to establish a contemporary hotel in a renovated historic complex, many parts of which come under the Bâtiments de France jurisdiction. We also wanted to soak up traditions in this region of Brittany, with its strong personality and highly sophisticated culture.
“Having completed the work, we are now looking forward to sharing Mama’s festive spirit with the people of Rennes and all those who love Brittany. To invite them to experience and feel the city, in its restaurants and bars, which subtly tell its story. We’re also looking forward to welcoming fans of Mama’s in the heart and soul of Rennes.”
Furthering France
Elsewhere in France, Mama Shelter Dijon will open in June 2023. Home to 120 rooms across five floors, there will also be a restaurant serving up a typical Mama menu: a mix of local flavours and signature dishes. A highlight will be the CineMama, the hotel’s very-own private cinema, and a petanque court.
Subsequently, Mama Shelter Nice will join the brand’s portfolio in June 2024 600 m from the city’s Old Port in the central district of Riquier. The property will feature 102 colourful rooms.
Worldwide debuts
The rest of the brand’s current global pipeline through to the end of 2024 comprises Mama Shelter Zurich in Switzerland, Mama Shelter Dubai in the UAE and Mama Medellín in Colombia.
The brand’s first Swiss site will open its doors in November 2024. With 178 rooms, it will be located in the shopping district of Oerlikon. Ahead of this, Mama Shelter will debut in the Middle East with its new Dubai property, scheduled for completion in late 2023. It will be home to 197 rooms and 204 apartments, a range of dining outlets, a terrace with four swimming pools, an outdoor CineMama and more.
Then the first Colombian Mama will deliver in early 2024 within the El Poblado district. It will have 150 rooms, a restaurant, a bar, more than 3,000 sq m of coworking space, 500 sq m of meeting rooms, and a swimming pool located on the first floor of the rooftop.
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More than simply rooms or restaurants, Mama Shelter is a living and meeting space, a true urban refuge that’s not just beautiful, modern and lively but also popular, friendly and sexy.
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