Stayed at the new Mercure Beauvau for two weeks this February. It is probably the best hold in the old port and within walking distance of virtually everything. The staff was professional and courteous. Warning - the new Beauvau is no bargain, but the hotel is very nice!

GOOD NEWS

Some people say that Mercure hotels are impersonal, but this one is as good as it gets. It looks right over the Vieux Port (best to ask for a room on an upper floor). Two floors are officially non-smoking, and ours was absolutely pristine. The bathroom was truly a work of art. Throw open the windows for that pungent harbor aroma... then close and lock them for absolute silence. Desk staff didn't speak much English, but they were as helpful as they could possibly be. Laundry service was fairly efficient (out by 10 am, back by 10 am the next day). No restaurant, but just walk a couple of blocks to La Kahena (excellent Tunisian cuisine), #2 rue de la Republique. Taxis park just around the corner. Paid an average of 195 EUR per night (different prices for different days).

BAD NEWS

Not much. Entrance is actually around back, one block off road that fronts Vieux Port. If you don't know that, you might never get inside.

This is a beautifully rehabbed old hotel in the Old Port Area. There are many rooms overlooking the old port and the furnishings and quality of the building are great. The hotel is well-located, with an entrance on a side street one block in from the port. The staff were very friendly and helpful and this is definitely a great place to stay.

We checked Trip Advisor for hotels in Marseille for a quick weekend trip during July. We found the Mercure was exactly what we were looking for. It was very affordable given its location, which was right at the base of the Old Port. The hotel had rooms with a view of the port, however we booked our room totally last minute via Hotels.com and did not have the option to book a view room.

When we arrived via train, the metro was two stops to the old port area. When we came up to the street level, our hotel was right across the street! We could not have planned any better. Upon check-in, I asked if we could be upgraded to a view room. The clerk made the effort to try and upgrade us, but all of the view rooms were full. She did however put us in a room with a queen size bed instead of the full/double we had booked without us asking.

The room itself was on a non-smoking level. Note to non-smokers, even if you get a non-smoking room, expect the floor to be somewhat smokey. The hotel did a good job getting rid of the smell whenever it was there. The room itself was small, but quaint. It looked exactly like it was in the pictures on the hotel website and trip advisor. Although it was small, the room was nicely furnished and clean. The bed was very comfortable and it had a decent TV.

The hanging space was good, but nowhere to really put non-hanging clothes. The room had a safe, but ours wasn't working. We didn't worry about it too much. The bathroom was a good size and had plenty of lighting. BE CAREFUL ABOUT THE SHOWER!!! We had read the shower had great water pressure, boy did it ever. My girlfriend turned on the shower only to be hosed down because the nozzle was turned toward the door and the shower does not have doors or a curtain! It worked fine, but the floor got wet everytime we showered.

We didn't eat breakfast, as it was 16 Euros for a buffet and there are so many food choices in the port area to take advatnage of. The hotel was easy walking distance to most of the activities in the old port area, where it seems most of the sights are anyway. The port is right across the street and there are hundreds of places to choose to eat. We were glad that we chose this hotel over some others, because the location was great.

Overall, the hotel was exactly what we were looking for in Marseille. The price was 146 Euros for a decent room. We would probably stay there again if we ever returned to Marseille.