SLO Hostels
Good atmosphere, and comfort to boot
SLO has opened a new hostel in the centre of Nice. SLO is reinventing the hostel concept in cool designer style.
by Eve Chatelet
“We’ve known each other since high school,” says Julien Routil, speaking of his life partner Charlotte Bollard and their friend Pierric Soum. After exploring the business world for a bit and enjoying globe-trotting road trips, the three joined forces to launch their first hostel, in Lyon, in 2014. They had noticed that France had no new-generation hostels like the ones in other major European capitals, even though the French youth hostel movement dates back to the 1930s. “In other countries, ‘hostel’ is a word used for what we in France call auberges. They provide dormitory accommodation with shared facilities such as kitchens and laundry rooms. They are frequented by young people travelling alone or in groups, and they have a very international ambience. In France, the youth hostel model hadn’t kept up with the times. We were among the first to introduce comfort and design worthy of a quality hotel, and events and services to give guests a more comprehensive experience of the host town.”
Light and space
“Some hostels put the focus on the bar and a party vibe. Ours have more of a ‘slow travel’ vibe, taking the time to live, meet people and spend some friendly moments in a light, spare décor. In Nice, we fell for the Art Deco façade of this old hotel in Rue de Paris and its lively city centre neighbourhood. We've completely renovated the hotel,” says the enthusiastic Julien Routil. The team worked with a design agency to produce a new kind of bunk bed – a pleasant space with a curtain for privacy, a secure storage unit, wall plugs and USB plugs, a reading lamp, etc. The aim is to provide "a bedroom within a bedroom”, optimising the experience of shared space. SLO is convinced that hostels are the future of low-cost urban hospitality, along with ecological sustainability. “The building is in process of getting the ‘sustainable Mediterranean building’ label. Our bar serves coffee ground in Nice and beer brewed in the Alpes Maritimes. The buffet breakfast foods are local and organic as far as possible. We work with local tourist industry partners to offer guests city tours. Once or twice a month, we organise events in the hostel: exhibitions, concerts or second-hand clothes sales.” As well as digital tourist maps and top tips posted on the Hostel Life blog, the team at the hostel suggest their own favourite places. A whole new way to discover Nice.
Localisation Lyon et Nice
Création 2014
Activité Hôtellerie - restauration
Collaborateurs 50 salariés
Capital social 160 000 €
(ca du groupe 3,8 millions d’euros)
