PAM Hotel - Nice | Michael Malapert

PAM HOTEL – NICE by MAISON MALAPERT

The way of life in Nice is unique. Nowhere else in France has quite this gentle approach, or these pastel colours that decorate the historic buildings of the old town. Or this open-air lifestyle, the only horizon a wash of azure blue.

Or these exciting new venues and hidden gems. For a place that offers a similar lifestyle to Nice, look at Los Angeles. In California, the world’s coolest place, with its own iconic, vintage style.

CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’

Pam Hotel aims to pay homage to these two complimentary ways of living. By having fun with neon, with board sports, with colours on the plate and a healthy lifestyle, the Pam offers a chance to live life as you imagined it could be, in this brand-new venue situated at the heart of one of the most desirable neighbourhoods in the city of Nice.

Nobody enters the Pam Hotel by chance. A waxed pink concrete ramp acts as an extension of the street, conducting guests and inquisitive passers-by to the reception desk. It is a playground and a fabulous setting, both at the same time.

Five floors. 102 bedrooms. At the Pam Hotel, guests feel real freedom, thanks to a multiplicity of spaces and possibilities. Pamela’s, the cafe, is a place to sit and eat; the Boho Lounge offers a space to take a break or check emails. Then there is the Palm Garden, an open space which resembles an indoor garden, or the bar with its windows opening onto the grounds, where hot dogs or lattes are available to take away.

Michael Malapert is the designer who creates spaces that each have their own unique atmosphere. His décors are elegant and daring without ignoring the pressing issue of the environment. In Nice, interior designer Michael Malapert wanted to introduce street culture and the Californian vibe into an urban hotel for the first time.

Starting from the reception, the nods to Californian culture proliferate, from giant backlit neon lights to walls decorated with longboards and retro and vintage accessories that reference the 1970s.

The profusion of colours - yellow, pink, celadon – is visually pleasing and also offers a sense of escape. The diner-style lights dramatise the space while the furniture, with its references to Californian and Mediterranean culture, blends colours and natural materials including tiles and earthenware. The vegetation offers a contrast, with plants that thrive on the Mediterranean light peeking out of cracks and corners. A little of here, a little of there. Feet in Nice, head in LA.

“For a long time, people have held very cliched ideas about the city of Nice. Often it is wrongly confused with its neighbours Cannes or Monaco. On the contrary, it is a young, dynamic city that is expanding rapidly, with its own authentic way of life, thanks to the sea, the palm trees and the outdoor lifestyle. A city with international connections, that boasts the second most important airport in France. These are the aspects that we wanted to foreground, via the kind of striking, brightly coloured and vibrant project that this city deserves. We wanted to give the city the gift of a vibrant and dynamic hub that would serve as meeting point for the lifestyles that are, right now, the coolest around.”

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Michael Malapert

Across five floors, 102 bedrooms offer the chance to relax after a day spent dabbling your

toes in the water, gliding around on rollerblades or walking the streets. The size varies (from 180

sq ft to 290 sq ft) but all the rooms are bright and comfortable. Some have terraces equipped with outdoor furniture, for enjoying the fresh evening air or sunbathing in privacy.

Forget about headboards: here, you get a sunset. The kind that sets an Instagrammer’s pulse racing as it sets in the distance. This is the sort of sunset that is best anticipated while sipping an aperitif on the Quai des États-Unis – one that then bedecks the whole city in an intense pink that is rarely seen elsewhere. It is these spectacular sunsets that give a pattern to days and nights at the Pam Hotel.

The Pam Hotel only rests late at night. The rest of the time it pulses with life.

On the ground floor, spaces converge and interlink, expanding the possibilities. Outside, the visitor’s gaze is drawn to a small outside terrace sheltered by white and pink awnings with touches of azure. Inside, the spaces are defined by lighting that is bright in some places and dimmer in others.

On the other side of the ground floor, facing an immense skateboard ramp, is a space designed around a grand central bar with a tiled facade and a Californian cafe.

This is Pamela’s.

The Pamela’s menu features the timeless classics of Californian cuisine.

Like a stage set, the space at the heart of the hotel is designed to suit the rich and varied programme of events offered. It can become the theatre for film screenings, karaoke, standup comedy, concerts, or a set by a DJ. But it is also perfect for yoga and Pilates classes at breakfast time, or broadcasts of the big sports events.

And for the most intrepid visitors, Sunday brunch can take place in a setting open to the elements.

PAM HOTEL

26 rue Smollett

06 300 NICE

FRANCE

Photos : Nicolas Anetson