Marseille: Maison Juste, not just a hotel
The city center of Marseille has a new hotel. Since this Friday, March 11, 28 rue Dieudé has been welcoming Just Housea residence born from the meeting between two Marseille companies, the general contractor Pivoting Pandaand the artistic agency Only Pro group. But above all, of that between their respective leaders, Emmanuel Duchange and Mathieu, known as Mateo, Ferrand. ” We’ve known for eight, nine years. One day, we discussed our way of seeing the hotel business… That’s when we started to imagine this hybrid concept », rewinds Mateo Ferrand. It was in 2019. The Covid and confinement gives them time to refine their vision. The master word ? ” destandardize. »
” Hotel, Airbnb, hostel, coliving… Why not bring together these universes that don’t have to be siled? asks Emmanuel Duchange. ” Why not » answer the two entrepreneurs with Juste. From the hotel we find the constancy of the service, from Airbnb the possibility of not meeting anyone thanks in particular to a dematerialized service, from the youth hostel, rooms for several people and the co-living common areas. ” We wanted to answer everything that frustrates us and that we would like to find “, they explain.
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Digital as a tool at Maison Juste
Fifteen months of work and three million euros of investment (purchase, renovation and development) were necessary to transform the former Algerian consulate, which in the meantime belonged to individuals, into this hotel residence with 18 rooms , spread over four floors. In addition, there is a living room, a kitchen and a gym in the basement, as well as a garden – for having breakfast or smoking a cigar – at the back of this 600 m building.2. The architects Mary Imbert and Mary Tournieux, from Pivot Panda, took care of this renovation. If the place is resolutely contemporary, some notes of the past remain, including the oriental mosaic that still runs along the staircase (see the slideshow). ” It was difficult to keep but we wanted it for the memory of the place “, explains Emmanuel Duchange.
For the moment, ” we are in a period of soft opening in order to give the teams time to see how they are working, to check whether the to treat that we have imagined are the good ones. It was also time to collect the opinions of the first customers: “For example, we were asked to put more information », Says the co-founder of Pivot Panda. Because the service is entirely dematerialized: booking is done onlinethe keys to the entrance and the room are then available on mobile via the Aero Guest application, which allows you to enter and leave as you wish, breakfast is left in front of the door…
A choice that can be explained by a desire for simplification. ” There is less waste of time for the customer: he has already entered all his data when booking and does not need to start again when he arrives. Furthermore, we prefer to dedicate our teams to added value “, continues Emmanuel Duchange. Indeed, who says digital does not mean less human. Olivier has been hired as householder and will take care of helping customers, advising them of such and such an address… The team is also made up of Marie, administrative, financial and commercial manager, and Samia, head of cleanliness. At least two other people were to join them. ” There is no reception but people can meet “, adds Mateo Ferrand, who wants a real energy to emerge from the place.
Accuracy as a philosophy
” We wanted to find the right tone to participate in the renovation of Marseille », Indicates from the entrance of the Emmanuel Duchange house. On the ceiling, a light created especially for the place by Bleakon the wall, a painting of Street artist marseilles tobacco – “ he even comes from the neighborhood! “. To find the right tone, the two entrepreneurs looked for the right word, the “right” word. ” “Fair” because we will offer the best product at the best price, we will only work with local businesses – artisans, designers, start-ups – who respect our values, we value reuse – the bathroom countertop is made of recycled corks, wanting to have a real training policy for our employees “, he lists.
A charter containing these codes and values has even been created. Matching this demand for proximity and quality with the budget has sometimes turned out to be quite a headache, as Mateo Ferrand illustrates: “ We have had cases where the prices were good but conversely the items did not fall within the Fair charter. »
Just one time ?
” There is a place to take by car in Marseille, we lack hotels and above all, hotels that would be good for our time, in other words that are aimed at people who live in 2022, whether they were 20 or 80 years old . This first establishment is intended to be the lab of the Juste brand, the proof of concept » en language start-up. The idea is to test ideas that can bring a new offer and to see the reactions. For example, the “three-person rooms” which consist of a double bed above and a single just below; or even the absence of TV. ” We have convictions that we can forget, assumes Mateo Ferrand. Afterwards, if of course we have feedback that does not go in this direction, we will adapt. »
” At the scale of 18 rooms, this project represents a lot of energy and engineering, it is especially the development of the concept that took time. But we have the ambition to develop on a large scale. Starting with Marseille where Juste wants to open two other hotels. Always with this idea of helping to build the city. ” Investors and landowners have already contacted us », rejoices Emmanuel Duchange. Then comes the south of France, from Bordeaux to Nice via Toulouse and Montpellier. The objective is, within five years, to have 250 rooms open or under development. ” What is important for us are these 250 rooms, but before that, you have to achieve the first 18. After having developed their project in the shadows for two years, the challenge is now on.