Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire Vacations from $546

Very convenient to train station. 20 minute walk to the old port.

Mixed bag of a stay but cool property with a lot of potential to be better! Stayed here on a final night in Marseille as we had an early morning train and the ability to walk to the station is tough to beat (Warning: it is quite an uphill trek and crossing a large road to the nearest street-level entrance to St. Charles Station, or you can navigate the massive stairs if you wish…). Check-in was chaotic as we had a lot of luggage due to a long trip and despite the internet saying the hotel has a reserved curbside to pull over to unload, it did not. Check-in went mostly smooth and the agent was pleasant enough. We had a Comfort room in the basement for 3 people which was ample space and the property itself is very cool and quirky, spread out across a couple buildings with nice outdoor spaces. Unfortunately, the AC in the room did not work at all (which seems to be an epidemic in France) and it was an unseasonably hot evening. Also the bathroom was reminiscent of a public restroom and the only shower product provided being 2-in-1 soap/shampoo will always be an automatic ding on a property. WiFi was good and bed was comfortable at least. The area around the hotel/station is not the best and would maybe caution walking alone late at night but that is not their fault, that’s just Marseille. Nonetheless would maybe give another shot if I had a reason to but I do see potential here with some minor tweaks!

The Sofitel Marseille is an incredible property. The room was clean and comfortable, the breakfast was fresh and had a great assortment of meats, cheeses, and breads. The only issue was that the rooms facing the port also faced a rowing club that had a very noisy party until midnight on 2 out of three nights we were there. Perhaps there needs to be more sound proofing on the windows and terrace doors.