Generator Paris
The design-hostel flagship with a rooftop over Buttes-Chaumont and DJ sets seven nights a week
Generator Paris sits at 9-11 Place du Colonel Fabien in the 10th, a design-led 950-bed flagship of the European Generator chain with the biggest rooftop bar of any hostel in Paris. Right on top of Metro Colonel Fabien (Line 2), 8 minutes walk to Canal Saint-Martin. Famous for DJ nights, a basement club called The Khayma, and the most-reviewed hostel in the city — 12,084 Booking reviews and counting.
Generator Paris opened in 2015 as the French flagship of the Generator chain — a design-led European hostel group also running Berlin, Amsterdam and Barcelona. The building is huge (950 beds, 10 floors) on Place du Colonel Fabien, directly above the namesake metro station on Line 2. Architect Anda Andrei designed it with local references throughout: a Jean-Paul Gaultier-style stripe mural, neon, mirrored surfaces, and a deliberately curated 'Paris grunge' aesthetic.
There are two bars and a club. Ground floor Café Fabien does brunch, coffee and bistro-style dinner. The rooftop bar (open evenings, drinks-only) is the reason most guests book — floor-to-ceiling glass with south views over the Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, east to the Belleville hills, cocktails from €12, beers €6. Capacity tops out around 200 and it fills Fri-Sat from 20h onward. In the basement is The Khayma, a Moroccan-themed club with DJs 7 nights a week, electronic music Thu-Sat, more eclectic weeknights. All free to guests, with overflow tickets sold to locals.
Rooms run the gamut: 4- to 12-bed mixed dorms with in-bed curtains and USB, 4- and 6-bed female dorms, private twins and doubles with ensuite, and 'Penthouse Privates' on the top floor with their own terrace access. Dorms are basic but functional — the party atmosphere downstairs is the feature, not the rooms.
Location is one of the best in the city for nightlife access: Canal Saint-Martin's picnic and bar stretch is 8 minutes walk, Oberkampf's bar circuit 12 minutes, Belleville's cheap eats 10 minutes, and Gare du Nord / Gare de l'Est both 10 minutes on Metro 2. Not central-tourist (Louvre 20 min by metro), but perfectly placed for young-traveler Paris.
- 01Biggest rooftop bar in any Paris hostel, genuine south views over Buttes-Chaumont
- 02Basement club The Khayma with DJs 7 nights a week, free to guests
- 03Directly on top of Metro Colonel Fabien (Line 2), zero walk with luggage
- 04Café Fabien brunch on site, cheaper than any canal-side brunch spot 8 min walk away
- 7.4 rating across 12084 Booking reviews, most-reviewed hostel in Paris
- 950 beds across 10 floors, flagship of the European Generator chain
- Rooftop bar and basement club The Khayma on site
- 8-min walk to Canal Saint-Martin, 10-min metro to Gare du Nord
“Fantastic location, clean rooms and beds, ensuite bathrooms, extremely affordable for what you get. The rooftop bar at sunset is worth the stay alone.”
“Room was clean and good. It was a room with 4 beds in total and an own shower inside. The Khayma club downstairs was a fun way to end the night.”
“Excellent hostel with a great location. Friendly staff who are always happy to help, and the café downstairs made late-night snacking easy.”
- Colonel Fabien (Metro 2)0 min, under the hostel
- Canal Saint-Martin8 min walk
- Parc des Buttes-Chaumont12 min walk
- Belleville market street10 min walk
- Gare du Nord10 min on Metro 2
- Oberkampf bar circuit12 min walk
