ZZZ Zen puts beds in bars

This article first appeared on October 26th, 2011.

Paris snooze bar ZZZ Zen offers sleep-inducing “zero gravity” chairs that mimic weightlessness for drowsy drinkers, allowing patrons to nod off after one too many champagnes.

There’s also a vibrating bed, beauty treatments and shiatsu massage available.

Owner Christophe Chanhsavang, a former banker, says he was inspired by the Asian custom of having an afternoon nap at work.

“The greatest reward is to see stressed out workers relaxing. This siesta bar… is to give people a chance to recharge,” he says.

Located at the Passage du Choiseul in the city’s second arrondissement, the bar is described as “a tiny Parisian cocoon”, where you can have a successful nap.

“You walk in with your fatigue and leave it there in a massaging bed of jade stones or uplifted in a chair of weightlessness,” one reviewer writes.

“Cradled by soft music and subdued light, the day’s worries wash away. As Paris is wearing itself out, you are perking up and getting revitalised.”

Given Australia’s warm weather and party-loving lifestyle, perhaps a siesta bar is not such a bad idea, particularly for an entrepreneur looking for the next big thing in hospitality.