Marseille: the finest hotels and guesthouses

I. THE BEST HOTELS IN MARSEILLE

1. Les Bords de Mer

Newcomer to Marseille's hotel scene, Les Bords de Mer embodies a certain revival of the city. Just a stone's throw from Plage des Catalans and the Old Port, the former Hôtel Richelieu has been converted into an attractive 4-star boutique hotel with 19 pastel-colored rooms. Entirely turned towards the sea and over-equipped (rooftop with heated outdoor pool, two-level spa - treatment and massage rooms, sauna, hammam, second indoor pool - or Mediterranean cuisine restaurant with view and terrace, these Bords de Mer are today the place to stay in Marseille.

Good to know? The hotel is part of the dynamic Les Domaines de Fontenille collection, which includes properties in the Luberon, Hossegor (Les Hortensias du Lac) and Menorca (Santa Ponsa Fontenille Menorca).

Les Bords de Mer
52 Corniche Président John Fitzgerald Kennedy, 13007 Marseille
From €204 per night.

2. Maison Juste

Maison Juste is a hotel like no other, disguised as an Airbnb. Everything is digitized: from booking on your smartphone to obtaining the digital key to access your room, via recommendations of good addresses in Marseille. The 18 rooms, which can accommodate up to 4 people, are equipped with a kitchenette to make you feel right at home. The architects and local craftsmen who worked on the design and decoration of this similar hotel in Marseille have made it a point of honor to ensure that the spaces are warm (common areas including a garden, a lounge and a living room) and practical for unbeatable prices.

This concept is part of an eco-responsible and sustainable approach, as it takes root in a historic 19th-century building, renovated and brought up to standard with a real concern for conservation. Antique furniture, second-hand objects, reusable and refillable toiletries by l'Occitane.

Maison Juste
28 rue Dieudé, 13006 Marseille
18 keys, from €99 per night
Seminars and private events, from €2,100 incl. VAT

3. InterContinental Marseille Hôtel Dieu

2013 was a big year for Marseille. Designated European Capital of Culture, the city unveiled the Mucem, a world-class museum, and revealed the metamorphosis of its emblematic 800-year-old Hôtel Dieu into a luxury establishment, the first of its kind to box in the "grand hotel" category.

Housed in a majestic building, listed as a historic monument, this 5-star hotel perched on a hill in the Panier district overlooks the Old Port and combines classic charm with contemporary luxury designed by French interior architect Jean-Philippe Nuel. With 179 rooms, some with terraces, 15 suites, a huge 1,000^m2 Clarins spa, chef Lionel Levy's Michelin-starred Alcyone restaurant, which pays tribute to Mediterranean gastronomy, and a plush cocktail bar whose terrace offers a breathtaking view of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde, the InterContinental Hôtel Dieu has established itself as the de facto benchmark hotel in Marseille

Good to know? Even in mild weather, the vast indoor swimming pool, inspired by the old Provencal washhouses, remains a must-see!

InterContinental Marseille Hôtel Dieu
1, Place Daviel, 13002 Marseille
From €399 per night.

4. Maisons du Monde Hotel & Suites - Marseille Vieux Port

With views over the Old Port, contemporary design decor, unbeatable value for money and a "home from home" atmosphere, Maisons du Monde Hôtel & Suites - Marseille Vieux Port ticks all the boxes of the urban boutique hotel. Close to the city center, surrounded by typical alleyways teeming with small Marseille shops, the group's third address (after Nantes and La Rochelle) features a terrace on the quayside, a cosy lounge, communal areas for daytime "coworking", and 62 rooms with a mix & match ambience named after an emotionally-charged Provencal town: Saint-Rémy, Aubagne, Cassis, Gordes and Lourmarin.

Good to know? just a stone's throw away, the hotel offers a pied-à-terre of 16 spacious suites with 4-star hotel services.

Maisons du Monde Hôtel & Suites - Marseille Vieux Port
43 Quai des Belges, 13001 Marseille
62 keys, from €120 per night.

5. New Hotel Le Quai - Vieux Port

This 4-star hotel from the independent Newhotel group (10 3- and 4-star addresses in Paris, Marseille and Brussels) is located at the foot of La Canebière, on the Old Port and a stone's throw from Le Panier. Completely renovated in 2019, it draws its inspiration from colonial architecture, with 48 rooms featuring warm, mineral colors, raw materials, exotic woods, designer fixtures, astonishing woven headboards...and one of Marseille's finest views of the Old Port. On the first floor, the breakfast room is bathed in light at all hours of the day. A word to the wise: most rooms are convertible to triple or quadruple occupancy!

Good to know? For aquaphiles, the hotel has partnered with the legendary Cercle des Nageurs (Laure Manaudou's training base), and the pier for the Calanques is just two minutes' walk.

New Hotel Le Quai
2, Place Gabriel Péri, 13001 Marseille
From 110€ per night.

6. Hotel C2

Located near the Old Port, at the foot of the "Bonne Mère" (Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde), this address opened by a couple of architects was just what Marseille was missing: an upscale boutique hotel, both modern and authentic. A former 19th-century mansion, its owners have preserved its original character - period marble, ceiling frescoes, solid parquet floors - while adding a few touches of modernity: 20 sleek rooms, designer furniture, an impressive staircase and planted patio, a subdued spa with the look of ancient Roman baths... Finally, the C2 is one of only four 5-star hotels in Marseille.

Good to know? It's possible to take a day trip to the hotel's private beach on Ile Degaby, accessible by boat.

Hôtel C2 Marseille
48, Rue Roux de Brignoles,13006 Marseille
From €208 per night.

7. Mama Shelter Marseille

In 2012, spearheading the fun and lively hotel industry, Mama Shelter opened its second hotel in Marseille, in the heart of La Plaine, a festive and bohemian district slightly off the beaten track. In a modern five-storey building, you'll find everything that's so charming about the brand's establishments, now part of the Accor group: Starck design, a whirlwind of colors and objects, funky rooms, very comfortable beds - the same as at the Plaza Athénée! - and a generous food and beverage offer, from breakfast to large sharing plates.

Good to know? Since opening its doors in Marseille, Mama Shelter has expanded throughout France (Bordeaux, Lyon, Toulouse, Lille, Paris West). The latest openings are Mama Shelter Paris La Défense and Mama Shelter Rennes.

Mama Shelter Marseille
64, Rue de La Loubière, 13006 Marseille
From €173 per night.

II. THE MOST BEAUTIFUL GUEST HOUSES IN MARSEILLE

1. Le Couvent - Fonderie Vieille

A steep staircase in the picturesque Panier district hides a former 17th-century hermitage, now transformed into a guest house. Behind its doors are nine suites and apartments full of volume and character: pristine white walls, exposed beams, designer furniture, ultra-modern, fully-equipped kitchens, and bookshelves testifying to the owners' aesthetic and literary taste. Our favorite? Suite n°10, a 95m2 duplex with a second-floor window, where you can enjoy a quasi-monastic calm, day or night... A perfect setting for independent souls.

Good to know? reservations are available for a minimum of two nights, and for longer stays, rooms and apartments can also be rented by the week.

Le Couvent - Fonderie Vieille
6 rue Fonderie Vieille, 13002 Marseille
From 130€ per night.

2. Une nuit dans l'arrière-boutique

Those who still dream of a Night at the Museum will be delighted to learn that it's now possible to spend one in a back store! And not just any shop, but the famous Maison Empereur, a Marseilles institution where you can unearth little treasures and good produce. A unique room, in a very19th-century bourgeois style, where the history of France's oldest hardware store can be found on the walls and in every decorative detail.

Good to know? the apartment includes a breakfast kitchen and a sheltered terrace.

Une Nuit dans l'arrière-boutique
4, rue des Récolettes, 13001 Marseille
From 120€ per night.

3. Ginkgo

For a night in the middle of nature without leaving the city, head to the Gingko, an intimate guesthouse opened by a brother and sister, a stone's throw from the Calanques. Aloe, Cactaceae, Philodendron - each of the three rooms is a tribute to nature, and offers a singular plant-based setting: white walls, natural materials, botanical engravings, antique furniture... Not forgetting a hearty vegan and locally sourced breakfast served on the terrace under the trees of the kitchen garden.

Good to know? it's also possible to come for lunch or dinner without staying at Ginkgo, to sample the excellent locavore cuisine of young chef Charlène Gaujoux.

Ginkgo
3, Avenue Frédéric le Play, 13009 Marseille
From 90€ per night.