Hotel Mercure di Marseille

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.

ארוחות בוקר מאוד עשירות מיקום מעולה כל 5 ע10 דקות מגיע אוטובוסים לכל הכיוונים של מרסיי שירותמאוד עדין יעשו הכל כדי לעזור לכם אין לי שום תלונה לבית מלון mercury Prado velodrome

We chose this hotel given that it offers parking on site and it is well positioned, close to the port and other landmarks, but yet away from all the chaos and traffic. If you have high expectations and looking for North American standards of a 4 star hotel, this is definitely not the place to stay at. We spent most of the time touring the city and its surroundings, so we did not need many amenities and were not bothered with things that were missing or not working. Some of the high points of this hotel were: location (residential and quiet area), onsite gated parking, very peaceful and you cold barely hear other guests, lots of nice trees and plants around the property, comfortable bed, outdoor pool, beach/pool towels, wardrobes and slippers are provided, good wifi, mini fridge stocked with water and pop, very helpful and friendly staff. The low points were: getting to the hotel can be a bit tricky as the entrance is not marked properly. You have to turn into Rue des Flots Bleus to access reception - parking is right behind the gate in front of the reception. Streets are very narrow and bigger cars can be challenging to manoeuvre. We arrived at 5:30 pm and our room was still not ready. We opted for Privilege room, but is was extremely small and dark (ground floor). Wardrobe was size of a kitchen cabinet and there was no space for suitcases. There was no work desk, but only a small round table and one chair. Shower and sink drainage was not very good and there was a very odd smell. There was no iron/ironing board in the room. Some of the lightbulbs were not working. Pool/beach towels could not be changed for clean/dry ones. Breakfast was a bit limited. Scrambled eggs, sausages and bacon were served from very small pans and would not get replenished regularly. There were many pigeons landing on outdoor tables and chairs. Coffee served outside breakfast hours is not free. Pool loungers are limited and by the afternoon they are all taken. The grounds could be kept in the better shape. We would not recommend this hotels for longer stays.

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.