Hotéis Mercure em Marseille

Location wise the hotel is just two or three minutes walk from the Colbert Metro Station or maybe 14 minutes walk from the main St Charles railway station. It is also only about five to seven minutes walk from the main tourist area down by the port. Obviously not the fault of the hotel but the street it is on it heavy with graffiti, there was smell of urine and hobos sleeping nearby. That might sound nasty, but it's just a fact. Check-in was simple and quick and the lobby is OK if you like looking at a piano covered in faux graffiti. All rather tacky and blingy looking. Bedroom was OK if you like decor in purple and vinyl light blue covered chairs in your room. No proper desk for computer use although you can use a small table and stool. Wifi connection was good. Air-conditioning worked. Bathroom acceptable although the 'open' toilet brush holder could surely be improved upon. Hairdryer provided but you can't use it in the bathroom as there is no plug point for a hair dryer. It can however be used in the hallway. Carpet was dirty. I thought at first it was maybe just our room but upon stepping out into the corridor there was dirt and dust everywhere, especially along the sides by the skirting boards. The cleaners main corridor door was often left open letting guests see inside the cleaners store room area. Breakfast was good. In fact, most of it was better than good. Comprehensive selection of breads and croissants/pastries, cheeses, hams, fruit, yoghurt, cereals, coffee machines and scrambled egg. The fallafel was also a great thing which I hadn't expected. Not so good were the burnt sausages and the very fatty/oily streaky bacon each morning. But overall, a good variety and enjoyable. Would we return? Probably not. The hotel really needs to do something to clean the carpets in the corridors properly and to get new toilet brush holders in the rooms. Very off-putting.

The hotel was quiet (provided your window closes well...), But the darkening curtains were old, and see through. They really provide the minimum Accor benefits for a gold/platinum/diamond member. No way to get a welcome drink for the two occupants of the room, and no gift as a benefit. Moreover it is the only hotel in the town that does not participate in the free breakfast at weekend benefit. Please take that into account. It is not advertised anywhere and we were told that we had to check it for ourselves on Accor website. The hotel takes a lot of advantages by using the name Mercure and attracts status members but they do not take this responsibility seriously and give the benefits as they see fit. The customer is not in a position to negotiate what benefits they want, so why is it so easy for a hotel to opt out?

It's about 40min by taxi from the airport for the fortune of 80 euros and still one need to roll suitcases for 2 extra minutes - either that, or the taxi driver didn't want to drop us in front of the hotel... Location is really prime, right at Canebière and with a tram stop just opposite, less than 5min to the old port and with a number of shops and restaurants at walking distance. Amazingly one can't hear a pin drop despite the whole mess outdoors! The area around the hotel is just busy and lively, I never felt any sort of risk any time, and some of the reputation unfortunately has to do with ethnical prejudice. Nevertheless and like everywhere in the world nowadays, watch your belongings and behaviour. The whole staff is most attentive and friendly, they really do their best to accommodate your needs and even acknowledge the problems the hotel does have. They are the only reason why I didn't give the hotel three points only! Strangely no identification or credit card confirmation was needed upon check-in; I may appear to be the most trustworthy person in the world but that's not the case for everyone, and not only for my own safety in the house: IDs of whoever is checking in must be checked, as simple as that. They have different kinds of suites and the corner ones are compact yet functional, with one sitting room adjacent to a bedroom and separated by running door. That's better and more honest than many hotels, which don't even have that and dare to call what they have as a suite! Free space is minimal but it's all manageable in the rooms; however, the bathroom counts as a major design mistake! Despite its instagramability, it deserves zero in practicality and even offers a high risk of injuries for not having a proper shower and forcing the bathing in a slippery narrow bathtub. There are no hangers for towels nor shelves for putting toiletteries or whatever else away. The designer who dared conceive this must have his diploma cancelled! Breakfast is served in the mezzanine and offers delicious breads and jams, local honeys, hot dishes, cheeses and juices. It's all the same every single day and the presentation is not appealing, like the mushrooms looking completely burned. French cuisine is known for its delicacies and it wouldn't cost them much to introduce guests with some of them, changing the menu on a fairly regular basis. Internet works fine and even reaches the corner of the street. And housekeepers should learn to leave the key in the socket: if placed there, there must be a reason! The hotel doesn't offer any parking and unwisely doesn't have partnership with the closest one (Charles de Gaule), to grant us a better deal. It's a five-minute suitcase-rolling down the street. All that said, the feeling is that it costs way more than it should, not being at all a bad choice for your first or revisited time in Marseille.

We stayed here twice, each time for two nights. March and May 2022. This is a real gem of a hotel right in Marseilles. We used this pet friendly hotel as a stopping point to break up our road trip. We stayed each time in one of the garden rooms which although snug, was immaculate and well equipped. Each room has a Nespresso with some complimentary coffee pods. There is also tea making facilities with a kettle. The bathroom was also delightful and again well equipped. The hotel has free secure parking, which is not common in this city. The hotel has lovely gardens and plenty of outside seating / tables. There is also a pool which was not open in March, but was in May. The Hotel has a snack menu that operates in the evening which was good. Donavon the maitre d’ / barman / waiter is a delight who is passionate about the hotel and the food. He explained in detail about the ingredients in the food that was on offer and is proud of all the locally sourced delights. His knowledge of wine was equally impressive. He made our stay both times, even better. The breakfast is continental style. The hotel was fine for us to use Deliveroo and have lunch delivered as they do not have a lunch service. We are planning to travel again in September and are keen to try and incorporate another visit to this lovely hotel.