Green Oasis in Paris

Located on the quaint Rue Saint-Dominique, overseeing the Eiffel Tower in the 7th district of the French capital, you’ll find the Hotel Le Pavillon, part of the Green Spirit Hotels group. A proper green oasis of sustainability right in the heart of Paris, here’s why you want to book your stay with them on your next trip to the city of love.

By Little Chilean

@gaby.o

Everyone has a reason for visiting Paris. And by everyone, I mean the millions of tourists that every year arrive in the city of love. You’ll know what I mean from the minute you walk by any popular attraction and find yourself surrounded by photographers, models, and influencers trying to pull their best shot.

But even if you have been to the French capital enough times that the typical attractions are not on the top of your list, and you are up for an intimate Parisian adventure, this city will have something for you.

Paris has an infinite amount of attractions, museums, historical sites, venues and buildings, events galore, mesmerising architecture, and that unique Parisian culture—not saying they’re all rude, just pointing out their very unique charm. So, yeah, you’ll find yourself entertained no matter what.

But all this fun and constant food for our eyes can be very exhausting and draining, and after a day’s walk hopping Parisian bridges, you’ll need a genuine recharge. That’s why choosing a place to stay in this city goes beyond the views and price, which are already painfully linked. 

You want to be close enough that it won’t take you an hour to visit two places, but far enough that it doesn’t cost you an arm and a leg, while also giving you the feel of safety in this bustling city and conveniently located enough that you can grab the metro or bus to head back and forth from the train station or airport.

Got stressed already? Don’t worry, I did all that stressing for you already, just before I found the amazing gem you want to start associating with the name “Paris” from now on: The Green Spirit Hotels group.

Welcome to Hotel Le Pavillon and the Green Spirit Hotels

Remember everything I just said about finding good enough accommodation in this city? Well, this group of three boutique hotels has it all. Yeah, I did not believe it either, to be fair, until I walked five minutes from the metro to my booked hotel and was met by an outrageously underrated hotel packed with greenery and a fairy-tale entrance, right in the heart of the city. I felt like I had just uncovered a secret the city had been hiding all along.

I booked my room directly at Hotel Le Pavillon, mainly due to its location. But I never expected everything else that came along with it. The quaint boutique hotel, which is at walking distance to Les Invalides and La Tour-Maubourg Metro stations, offers only 15 rooms, all of which are individually designed. 

This charming getaway, alongside Hotel Amélie and Hotel Malar, all in the 7th district of Paris, are part of the Green Spirit Hotels, an independent, small group of eco-hotels that have become references for organic stays and therefore offer a personalised service linked to wellness, natural health and energetic harmonisation. 

In addition, Green Spirit Hotels is recognised as a reference for sustainable development through fair and ethical trade, but also known for its protection against radiation for electro sensitive guests (they offer rooms specially designed for them).

And right from the second you open the door, you’ll discover why. You’re first welcomed by the green certificates all around the front, proving the amazing sustainability actions this gem does, including offering Ecolabel toiletries, rainwater treatment, organic and bio delicious breakfast, and anti-wave protection. In other words, you’ll be entering a green oasis right in the heart of Paris, which, it’s safe to say, is not a recurrent scenario in this tourism-driven metropolis. And yeah, all of that at a super affordable price.

So, already with a smile on my face, I walked towards their 24-hour reception, where I was greeted by a super friendly guy welcoming me in the three languages I can juggle (French, English, and Spanish), making sure everything he wanted to share was perfectly received. And you do want to hear what he wants to say.

The Green Spirit Hotels and, in this particular case, Hotel Le Pavillon, offer a delicious organic breakfast which includes vegan milks—yeah, didn’t even know Parisians knew what that was—local jam, classic pastries from small businesses, among all types of their famous French cheeses, ham, and eggs, alongside water naturally dynamised thanks to vortex and form waves. 

And as if I wasn’t already in love with this place, right after, I was directed towards my room which was a whole experience on its own. Each room is independently decorated with its own world within, inviting you to dream and travel while getting that most deserved rest after a long day in Paris. 

My room had a view of the front garden and a welcoming decor. A mix of gold and white that transported me to a fantasy film, and the warmth and comfort of its floors (actually natural stone floors) and bedding made me feel at home, all at the same time. What a treat!

So, as fascinated as I was, I wanted to dig a little deeper. So I got the chance to meet Barbara Tascijevic-Porwoll, Director of the Green Spirit Hotels group, who shared that their “aim was to create a space of harmony in the heart of Paris where our clients could really relax, with restful sleep, healthy water, healthy air, healthy breakfast and protected from the omnipresent toxic EMF. To be as green, sustainable and ecological as possible is our contribution to a cleaner world, and we are happy to be certified Green Key, European Ecolabel, GreenSign, Green Pearls and member of Green Line Hotels.”

And they sure are doing their part to offer a green and healthier space within a welcoming and relaxing environment, all perfectly set for us travellers to really relax and reset during our stay. Defying all negative Parisian stereotypes, putting a focus on sustainability, and all this without being horrifically expensive.  

Sustainable Actions in this Green Oasis in Paris

Now, let’s dig deeper into their planet and health-loving initiatives. Here are eight unique perks you’ll enjoy while staying at the Green Spirit Hotels in the French capital. 

1. Anti-wave protection

Some rooms are specially equipped for electrosensitive guests with low- and high-frequency protection, making sure they’re harmonising your living and working spaces to promote the life and well-being of people, animals, and plants. To do this, they work with Beamer WeberBio

protection against electromagnetic waves.

2. Vitalised water

As mentioned before, you’ll find right next to the front desk, vitalised and energised water, which is a treat for our health. 

3. Theravital osteopathic mattresses

In other words, the best sleep you’ll ever get.

4. Epic breakfast

You know they got me from the minute they said vegan milk was available, which is such a welcoming change when you travel and are used to knowing you’ll not be able to drink your coffee the way you want to, especially in France, where asking for oat milk seems to be an offence for those used to drinking cow’s milk.

5. Natural stone floors

To be honest, you would only notice this if you take the time to appreciate the decoration. But the truth is that it’s not only pretty, but it translates into warm and super welcoming heaven for your feet, as well as the pleasure of knowing they don’t need any industrial work to be there.

6. LED lighting

This has been around for a while, but sadly enough, as it’s not always the cheapest option, not every hotel uses them, but it’s so much better for our planet.

7. Ecolabel all the way

One thing I’ve noticed in other venues that promote sustainability (hotels and also restaurants) is that they will sometimes offer ecolabel toiletries, ideally with recycled packaging or installed dispensers to avoid packaging at all. 

But, funnily enough, you’ll see after that, their cleaning products for the venue or the soap in another toilet (not in the room) will not comply with any of these efforts. Which kind of kills the point, doesn’t it? So I was pleasantly surprised to realise that the whole group utilises toiletries and cleaning products with ecolabels.

8. Rainwater treatment

Last but not least, in a city that gets 650 mm and 110 days of rain on average each year—which was the case the last time I was there—it’s a beautiful initiative to do something with all that precious water. Which is why I loved the fact that this hotel group treats their rainwater to save and reuse as much as possible.

Sustainable certifications

Now, don’t just believe me. Everything I just mentioned has been proven and certified by every sustainability organisation. Here are the amazing certifications that the Green Spirit Hotels so proudly exhibits:

1. EU Ecolabel

The European Ecolabel or flower (named after the logo with the flower and stars), introduced in 1992, is the official ecolabel recognised by all the countries of the European Union (as well as Norway, Liechtenstein, and Iceland). It shows which products or places are better for the environment without sacrificing quality. 

2. Green Pearls® Unique Places

This certification is the world’s leading source of data on eco-friendly tourist destinations. Hotels are selected for their sustainability credentials and green projects. To make sure every venue awarded keeps up with their promises, they’re regularly checked to make sure all the following criteria are on the same page: architecture, environment, water consumption, energy consumption, waste sorting, food management and procedures, employees, social projects, cultural obligations and more.

3. The Clé Verte (Green Key in French).

It is a leading standard for competence in environmental responsibility and sustainable management in the tourism industry. It represents a company’s commitment to its customers. Their standards focus on environmental management with technical requirements that considers the guests, employees, suppliers, and regional aspects. Covering environmental management, water, waste and energy saving, customer and staff engagement and awareness, food and beverage management, and green spaces, among others.

4. GreenSign

As a part of the Greenline GSH group, this ecolabel is awarded by InfraCert – the Institute for Sustainable Development in the Hotel Industry. It focuses on management and communication, environment (energy, water, waste), purchasing and regionality, quality management and sustainable development, as well as social and economic responsibility.

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