The Most Conscious, Green Hotel In Paris

Perhaps the most conscious and best green hotel in Paris (that we’ve experienced so far), HOY is the ideal place to stay in the heart of charming South Pigalle, in the 9th Arrondissement.

Backstory

The vision of young hotelier Charlotte Gomez de Orozco, HOY embodies everything she wanted in a hotel-but couldn’t find. The Franco-Mexican entrepreneur, whose family has roots in the hotel business, designed HOY intentionally, from the ground up.

Taking its name from the word ‘today’ in Spanish, HOY is so much more than a boutique, green hotel in Paris. A play on words, HOY also stands for ‘House of Yoga.’ 

Focused on today in order to create a better tomorrow, the HOY experience combines wellbeing, good living, healthy eating and celebrates nourishing produce and handmade products created by local partners. 

A hyper conscious home base for visitors to Paris, but also a gathering spot for locals to dine, practice yoga and attend workshops.

There are so many things to love…where to begin??

The vibe

Chic boutique hotel meets yoga studio meets flowershop. 

The moment you walk in the door, you know you’ve arrived somewhere special. 

The first thing you see are flowers; so many that you will undoubtedly think you’ve entered a flower shop by mistake. Indeed part of the hotel’s soul, the onsite Florería provides a warm introduction your tranquil stay. 

Soft lounge music plays in the background as you make your way to the bar, which doubles as reception, complete with bundles of Palo Santo and hotel business cards printed on seed paper.

A relaxing retreat for solo, couples or girlfriend getaways, HOY also welcomes families in connecting or quadruple rooms, but it’s probably best for older kids who can appreciate (and respect) the restorative ambience.

Design

Every design decision has layers of thought and impact embedded in it at HOY, making it the best green hotel in Paris. The 21 rooms were created to be electronic-free sanctuaries that promote healthy habits and they truly are. 

Chemical-free lime paint was commissioned by two local artists to create a neutral colour palette based on natural pigments. Second hand furniture was used as much as possible, from rustic upcycled benches to a stretching bar (complete with morning and evening suggestions for optimal wellbeing).

The elevator doors have a mantra painted on them, encouraging guests to breathe deeply (when not taking the beautifully restored wooden staircase instead).

Although rooms don’t have bluetooth speakers, they do have clever handmade ceramic amplifiers for mobile phones, made by Mery @AlbarelloCeramica from Barcelona, Spain.

The staff walks to La Bonne Composition to pick up your chewable toothpaste while wearing their uniforms from Older, an eco-responsible brand whose fabric doesn’t require ironing or dry cleaning. 

Bath products are composed of 100% ingredients and sourced locally from the Naked Shop, a local partner that only delivers refillable nontoxic toiletries by bicycle. 

We love the Marseille liquid soap with lavender, made the old-fashioned way in a cauldron (according to the traditional Marseille method), from completely natural ingredients. 

Food + drinks

Just beyond the bar on the ground floor, the hotel’s restaurant MESA de HOY is an intimate room, filled with natural light and plants, similar to the entrance to the property. 

Then owner’s Latin American roots guide the vegan menu, with an emphasis on “improving your state of mind, smoothing the appearance of your skin, boosting your energy, increasing your neural activity and helping to prevent many diseases in a holistic way.” If that isn’t forward-thinking, we don’t know what is.

As with most things in the hotel, there is a story, an intention and a purpose behind every decision, reinforcing why this is our favorite green hotel in Paris.

All drinks are made and carbonated onsite; wine is sourced from winemakers who take care of their land and prioritize the environment; honey is sourced from the sommelier’s Italian village and brought back from her annual trip home; and bread is prepared with ancient grains and hand delivered by a local baker.

The water from unfinished jugs (filtered by Japanese binchotan charcoal) is used to water the many plants adorning the restaurant. Candles are made onsite, in recycled glass bottles with compostable wood. To-go coffee mugs are made from coffee grounds (by Kaffeeform). 

In addition to the restaurant, there’s a cozy little nook off the Florería where guests and community members can gather for a coffee over a handful of tables.

Community

Ever conscious of building community and creating a space for gathering, the first floor of HOY is also the location of the Florería, a flower shop run by Chiaki Kokami, a florist with Japanese roots who uses flowers and natural materials to make her arrangements.

On the first floor, the conscious hotel is also home to an onsite boutique where innovative and eco-responsible brands from Paris are featured. Products include cosmetics that respect biodiversity and come from plants grown in France, ceramics that are handmade in Parisian workshops and eco-designed, upcycled and ethical clothing.

Yoga

If you’re looking to escape from the hustle and bustle of Paris and take some time to relax, this is the spot. An intentional and ever conscious hotel in Paris, HOY truly is an oasis of wellbeing, featuring yoga, meditation, sound bath, palo santo cleansing, workshops, massages and more.

At the heart of HOY is yoga (House of Yoga, remember?).

Studio classes are offered by YUJ , the first French yoga brand that is also woman-owned and socially conscious (of course), and has their own line of responsibly made yoga clothing and products.

Known for providing yoga and pilates classes, all studios are equipped with infrared lights that allow heat to penetrate directly into muscle tissue to deeply cleanse, evacuate toxins and gain flexibility. This Japanese method of ‘Infratherapy’ originated in the 1960s and has numerous proven benefits, physical as well as mental.

At HOY, classes are dark and ambient, with killer playlists (shared here) to get you in the mood, whether you’re in full relax mode or ready to flow.

Wellness

Beyond yoga, HOY workshops and masterclasses cover everything from plant medicine to hypno-relaxation,

A full schedule of opportunities is available to guests as well as non-guests. Fancy a Capricorn full-moon sound bath? No problem. Have no idea what that even means? That’s ok too.

If workshops aren’t your thing, you can practice self-care at the spa with treatments that range from the familiar (a classic massage) to the more exotic (colorful body painting) and new age (lithotherapy, the ancestral art of using crystals and precious stones to balance, soothe and revitalize your vital energy).

If we could, we’d stay as long as it takes to try every treatment!

What’s nearby

Located in Paris’ 9th Arrondissemont, HOY is in South Pigalle, or SoPi. Here are some Travara-approved spots nearby.

Plan your trip to this green hotel in Paris

Paris is always a good idea (except in the summer). January is cold and drizzly, but it’s worth it for the lower prices and laid-back local vibe. It’s also when the winter sales take place, so leave room in your suitcase for local specialties to take home. September and October are lovely months to visit also as the weather is warm, the kids are back in school and tourists are lighter.

If you’re taking a long-haul flight to get to Paris, fly nonstop if you can. The airports and train stations all connect to the city center easily via the Metro, as do all neighborhoods. Walking in Paris, however, is the best way to take in all the sights and sounds.

hoyparis.com

MICHELLE ARELLANO MARTIN