Le Bateau Phare: safe phone charging on the Seine
Moored on the Seine opposite the Bibliothèque nationale de France, in Paris's 13th arrondissement, Le Bateau Phare brings together a restaurant, a lively bar, a club and two terraces, including a large quayside terrace, all in one venue. Evenings run on until the small hours, and with them comes a need the team knew well: guests whose battery is flat just as they are heading home. To meet it without putting anyone at risk, Le Bateau Phare installed three 6-power-bank OneFlash stations. Here is the feedback from Alexandra, who calls herself the boat's “captain”.
The challenge: charging requests that had become unmanageable
At Le Bateau Phare, music remains at the heart of the project, but the team wants to go further: offering a more immersive experience, comfort and service, so that every guest feels a little at home. Phone charging is naturally part of that promise.
Guests with no battery at the end of the night
In a venue that stays open late, phones drain fast: photos, videos, messages, payments. When it is time to leave, the phone becomes essential.
“We obviously have a lot of guests who have no battery left on their phone at the end of the night. These days, if you have no phone, you cannot order a taxi.”
For Alexandra, the issue goes beyond simple comfort: it is about letting everyone get home safely and calmly. The team also discovered a use it had not expected: some guests come to charge their e-cigarette.
Cables that disappear, and an incident that changes everything
Before OneFlash, Le Bateau Phare did what many bars do: it lent out its own cables, sometimes the ones used to charge the team's tablets and work tools, and the staff handled charging themselves behind the bar. As the venue grew more popular, requests multiplied and the cables all ended up disappearing. Then an incident put an end to the practice.
“We wanted to do a guest a favour by charging their phone and the cable melted into their phone. From that day on, we said: we are not charging any more phones, until OneFlash arrived.”
This kind of accident clearly illustrates the risk of makeshift equipment: worn cables, unsuitable chargers, phones passing from hand to hand. Find out what you need to know about portable power bank safety.
The solution: three compact stations spread around the boat
Le Bateau Phare is a multi-space venue, with areas of very different sizes and atmospheres. Rather than one large station, OneFlash proposed three 6-power-bank Mini Towers, compact enough to find a place almost anywhere on board.
“They immediately identified the needs of the venue, which is multi-space, with formats that remain fairly small and fit in just about anywhere. And it really works very well.”
A system guests understand straight away
The stations are visible and the yellow power banks catch the eye. Guests take a power bank, charge their phone while carrying on with their night, and keep it as long as they need. Each power bank has its own built-in USB-C, Lightning and Micro-USB cables, so there is no need to lend any out.
“They are stations just as you see them. I have one right behind me. You cannot miss it.”
A service paid for by the guest, at no cost to the venue
Le Bateau Phare chose the user-funded model: rental is offered as half-hour to one-hour packages, at a price Alexandra considers very affordable. The service costs the venue nothing and requires no intervention from staff. Compare OneFlash business models.
The results: a reliable, monitored and responsive service
Beyond the station itself, it was the quality of follow-up that convinced the Le Bateau Phare team.
Support that sorts out problems on the team's behalf
When a guest complained of being charged twice, the bar team did not have to handle the complaint.
“Straight away, the OneFlash team got back in touch with the guest and refunded them. Top level.”
Regular reports and near-instant restocking
Le Bateau Phare receives regular reports on power bank usage. And when, as in any party venue, a few power banks do not come back, OneFlash replaces them without delay. Alexandra describes restocking as “nearly instant”, which ensures the stations stay available night after night. Find out about our operational organisation.
Why the Le Bateau Phare model works in bars and clubs
The Le Bateau Phare experience sums up what many nightlife venues expect: meeting a real guest need, removing the handling of cables and phones behind the bar, and eliminating the risk linked to makeshift equipment. Compact formats make it possible to cover several spaces without cluttering the venue, and the user-funded model makes the service accessible with no investment. As at Circus Club Paris, charging becomes a service in its own right within the experience offered to guests. To go further, read our guide to self-service external batteries for bars and nightclubs.
Do you run a bar, a club or a barge? Discover the OneFlash offer dedicated to nightlife.
