We booked our stay via the Eurostar site for our rail trip from London to France - Waterloo via Lille to Marseille (combining a low carbon footprint with a love of the TGV).

As mentioned by others, this hotel has a brilliant location facing the Port. Directly opposite there's a metro stop, boat pier for trips to the islands, tourist petit train and opentop bus tours,etc.

Our room turned out to be a suite and was very tastefully decorated and very comfortable. Yes, the quay-side road outside can be busy but, as mentioned by others, the double-glazing is very effective when required.

All the staff were absolutely splendid from the front of house staff to the cleaners. The staff serving breakfast were absolutely gracious and wonderful and couldn't have done more for us. We stayed 5 days and were almost tearful when we left.

I think Marseille is a brilliant cosmopolitan and vibrant city and could be on a par with Barcelona in some respects. The Old Town is a must-see. Yes - there are some down-at-heel parts but that makes for a much more fascinating visit. There are not too many tourists and the locals speak with their own inimitable accent. But try speak ing a bit of Franglais and everyone is your friend.

Incidentally. there's a Galleries Lafayette either end of the road at the back of the hotel so shopping isn't a problem - there's also Hermes, Bulgari, etc if you're feeling a bit more ambitious. The Lafayette in the shopping centre has a great food hall and there's plenty of place for snacks, great seafood and Pastis of course.

Have a great time!

We obtained the name of the hotel from your web-site. the location is perfect. We enjoyed the buffet breakfast in a restaurant which overlooks the port - a must for the room also.The service was great - staff very helpful and we shall certainly stay at the hotel again if we are in Marseille.

We got a good deal with this hotel, paying 441 euros for 3 nights. BUT, if you're doing the same do not expect them to give you a room with a view. When we arrived we were put in a back room overlooking a side street. We asked if we could be moved to a room overlooking the old port but were told that this would cost us 80 euros a night. I think that was really cheeky - if they had spare rooms with a view, why not give them to us, especially in March.

Anyway, the room was well furnished and they had dressing gowns for us to use. It was a bit of a pain having the hairdrier chained to the bathroom wall as I couldn't get on with drying my hair when my boyfriend was in the bathroom. There was no iron/ironing board in the room but one was delivered about 5 minutes after we asked for one.

The breakfast was really good. Yes, it was 16 euros a pop, but for that you got as much as you liked of sausages, bacon, scrambled egg, hams, cheeses, yoghurts, loads of bread, pastries, cereal, chocolate cake(!) and tarts. Need I say more?!

Marseille itself can only be described as a dump. The area around th eold port was lovely, but go a couple of blocks back and it was pretty grim. We drove around the city centre so know what we're talking about.

If you're in Marseille we'd advise you stick to the old port front. Perhaps take a boat trip to Chateaux D'If - that was good. If you have a car, try driving somewhere like Cassis - it was beautiful!

The Mercure sits at the end of Marseille's best area (and there aren't many) - the Vieux Port. This was a complete gamble as I had no accommodation booked and arrived late. But the gamble was worth it and I was given room 415 overlooking the Port.

Initially I anticipated no sleep as the road is ultra busy, but the double glazing is outstanding - even with windows that open inwards. The view is spectacular and I spent a good few hours sat at my window watching the numerous activities along the port.

The staff are kind and professional, public areas spotlessly clean, restaurant and bar great, and room was perfect. Decor a blend of modern and historic. Although I had no bathtub, the shower was big and the bathroom spotless, with designer label toiletries, bathrobes and slippers. No tea & coffee was the only noted omission. But the comfort of the bed made up for it - possibly the most comfortable I've ever slept in (and I've been in a lot of hotels!!).

The City was a disappointment, although it's undergoing huge renovation in a bid to become Cultural Capital in 2013, there are so many areas showing signs of neglect and underinvestment, at times I struggled to see the attraction of the City at all.

Fantastic Hotel, dreadful City.