Hotel Bel Ami - Paris' Sustainable City Centre Hotel

Paris’ Sustainable City Centre Hotel – Bel Ami

Hotel Bel Ami, Paris’ sustainable city centre hotel is located in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Prés. Hotel Bel Ami has been awarded the Green Key certification since 2012 for its commitment to sustainability and we had the pleasure to visit the hotel to learn more.

About Hotel Bel Ami

Hotel Bel Ami is a luxury, arty and sustainable hotel in Paris. The hotel is set in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, a neighbourhood known for its bookstores and publishing houses, the École des Beaux-Arts school of fine arts, and its arty, intellectual Parisian inhabitants. The Hotel Bel Ami itself is set in a former printing company house and true to its heritage, its design incorporates references through various classic books lined on shelves in the lobby and the rooms, and graphic prints reminiscent of calligraphy.

The hotel has an unconventional, fun design with sleek blues and whites throughout the lobby and warmer hues of orange, red and cream featured in the bedrooms alongside turquoise and wood trim. Recent renovations of three of the four floors of the hotel have been managed by interior designer, Pascal Allaman.

We stayed in the wonderful Terrace Suite (‘A. Terrasse’) on the first floor. The Terrace Suite is one of the Bel Ami’s new apartments which was recently added in autumn 2021. With a separate living area and an outside terrace, the suite has feels spacious and fresh. The indoor and outdoor space makes it great for families or extended stays too. The bedroom features a beautiful four-poster bed with well-placed lighting. The very special marbled shower room features a double waterfall shower and a his-and-hers sink (to save fights over who brushes their teeth first!)

Hotel Bel Ami’s gym and spa are the perfect opportunity to unwind after a day out exploring Paris. Their sauna is free for guests to use, and is the ideal remedy to tired feet.

Watch More: See our full Paris trip on Instagram Stories.

What makes Hotel Bel Ami sustainable?

The Green Key is an international, independent eco-label awarded to accommodations based on a strict sustainability criteria. These are regularly reviewed and verified independently through regular on-site audits. Green Key is one of the largest eco-credentials in this industry with 3,200 awarded hotels across 65 countries.

Hotel Bel Ami is one such hotel to have gained and maintained its Green Key accreditation since 2012. Here are some of the Green Key criteria that Hotel Bel Ami has met in order to achieve their continued status:

Living Environment:

Rooms are steam cleaned with Vapodil
Carpets are cleaned with a Delfin machine, without chemicals

Waste Management:

Bins are sorted by paper, glass and organic waste
Paper-less in all departments
No plastic bottles
No cups and plastic cover in the staff cafeteria
Paper laundry bags instead of plastic bags
Invoices sent by email to limit paper and ink consumption

Water Management:

Linen and sheets are changed only on customer request

Energy Management:

Air conditioning is never below 21°c in rooms

Responsible Purchasing:

Locally sourced breakfast products
Seasonal products for catering
Bamboo fiber linen

Breakfast at Hotel Bel Ami with locally sourced croissants, jams and honey, and homemade granola.

The Hotel Bel Ami’s steam cleaning system is highly regarded for its innovative chemical-free approach to cleaning. This is beneficial for both the environment and the wellbeing of the staff. An ozone cleaning system is also soon to be introduced.

Sustainability in the B Signature Group

Hotel Bel Ami is part of B Signature Hotels, a family-run hotel group with accommodations in Paris, Brittany and St. Barthélemy. Alongside Hotel Bel Ami, the B Signature’s eco-resort Hotel Manapany was awarded with the Green Key label in 2021.

At B Signature’s Domaine de la Bretesche, a vegetable garden has been developed on the property to grow products for the hotel’s own restaurants, without pesticides or fertilisers.

B Signature has made a commitment to combat climate change through continued ethical and environmentally-mindful decisions in how they run their hotels.

Disclaimer: Thank you to the wonderful Hotel Bel Ami for inviting us to stay in their hotel and learn more about their sustainability practices. All thoughts and opinions in this post are, as always, our own.