First Look Inside Hollywood's Super-Chic Mama Shelter Hotel

Of the many, many hotels planned for central Hollywood, Mama Shelter is definitely a contender for the coolest. The French-based chain is known for its relatively affordable prices and hip Philippe Starck interiors. New photos from inside their almost-ready-to-open LA location hotel's website show yellow accents, subway tile in the bathroom, and playful Bert and Ernie headboards, hinting at the bright, fun rooms that guests can expect from the 70-room inn.
Interiors will actually be done by Thierry Gaugain, who was previously Starck's head of design. Gaugain hasn't designed a hotel before, having worked mostly with fashion retail stores and yachts, Travel and Leisure previously noted. But the hotel won't just be aimed at the richies. "A hotel is defined by its clientele. We don't want everyone to be from the same demographic, we want Jay Z and Beyoncé sitting next to a kid having a $9 pizza," Mama Shelter founder Benjamin Trigano tells T+L.

In addition to the guest rooms, Mama Shelter LA will also contain a "1930s Spanish-style lobby," a rooftop gym and bar, and "vending machines stocked with locally-made granolas." The hotel's restaurant will offer a healthy take on old-timey diner fare.

Previous reports had placed the Mama Shelter's opening at mid or late May, though the hotel's site now says booking opens June 15. Rooms start at $149 a night for the Mama Luxe room, $179 for the roomier Mama Deluxe, and $249 for a Mama Suite. Rooms come with in-room iMacs and free WiFi. All photos on the site appear to be of a Mama Luxe room.

· Mama Shelter Los Angeles [Official site]
· Get Excited: Here's How Mama Shelter is Bringing its Magic to L.A. [T+L]
· Philippe Starck Designing a $150-a-Night French "Urban Kibbutz" Hotel in Hollywood [Curbed LA]