Secrets of Paris

St Christopher's Inn & Bar
68-74 Quai de la Seine, 19th
M° Riquet

www.st-christophers.co.uk

When I first saw the photos of this newly-built youth hostel on the Bassin de la Villette (top of the Canal St-Martin), I thought, “wow, that looks cool” (I know, real deep). But I’m such a cynic. A youth hostel that’s not crammed into an old rotting building? They weren’t scheduled to actually open until 2008 so I called and asked if I could have the hard-hat tour. The friendly bilingual director and site manager Romain met me one cold and sunny November morning for a trek around the constriction site. Sitting right on the water next to a cute park and across from a historic building recently converted into student housing, this is the first purpose-built hostel in Paris with a capacity for 300 people. “Hostels in other European cities generally get client ratings on websites of 85-95%, but hostels in Paris typically get 65-75%,” says Romain (this I can confirm). “We’re going to change that.” St-Christopher’s is a chain of hostels that already exist in England, Scotland, Berlin, and Amsterdam. They actually started out as a pub that opened up a hostel, and expanded from there. There will be a “Belushi’s” pub on the ground floor next to reception, open to the public, with a view over the water.

Rooms are HUGE by Paris standards, with fewer beds in each room than most hostels cram in. They are not just plain metal-frame bunks either, but custom-made beds with privacy curtain, a light, a ladder (I have no idea how people leap up onto the top bunk in most hostels) and – I love this – metal basket lockers that slide out from under the bed so you can lock up your stuff when you’re out. There’s no lock-out, no curfew. Beds are made (free linens) and showers are free. Woman’s only floor costs a bit more but you get towels and toiletries included. Top floor has private rooms with balcony overlooking canal, pricier but worth it. No A/C, but ventilation.

Internet café/lounge and free WiFi for clients. A basement “club” room for parties, film screenings, or concerts. A sauna. Holiday Inn takes up half the building, if you decide you want a “real” hotel.

As for location, I would normally say “non”, but it’s actually becoming a very cool part of Paris, the walk from line 7 metro is fast and not through a scary area, there are great cafés and shops nearby, the huge MK2 cinema, the Parc de la Villette (which has open-air cinema festival and music concerts all summer long), and a bike rental & chocolate shop right across the street.

 “It’s really going to be open by January?” I ask, stepping over a worker with a power drill. “Sure!” he replies. Book now.