InterContinental Marseille - Hotel Dieu

Imposing entryway, nicely groomed grounds and a friendly, helpful reception staff all set the stage for a satisfying stay at this IGA hotel occupying a lovely old building on the Marseilles waterfront. We had a top floor room with a large terrace looking out over the harbor and with a lovely view of the cathedral across the water. The room itself was adequately furnished, the bed excellent, and the bathroom spacious. Unfortunately, much of the furnishings feel dated—as if they might have been salvaged from another IGA property. Other reviews note some systemic problems—slow or spotty room service, inattentive waitstaff, or nighttime noise, however we didn't experience anything truly problematic. Absorbing our terrific view with a glass of wine blunted any sense of dissatisfaction. That said, there's no question the hotel cannot compete with many luxury, Five-Star properties in Europe. While pleasant enough, many of the staff seemed lacking the deep, longterm professionalism that comes from many, many years of training. Still, in all a good experience. We would return for the view alone.

We had connecting rooms for our family that were the largest standard rooms I’ve experienced in Europe. The location was perfect, right by the port. We wandered around the forts, port area, and highly recommend ferry to Frioul! The staff was very friendly and helpful.

It's a striking, first-class hotel in a great location for strolling the promenade and cafes of the old port of Marseille. The staff and service, the rooms and public areas are all top-notch. I just wish that reception had volunteered more information about the history of the building (which I learned later had been a hospital/sanitarium) or that they had printed information so we could have better appreciated our stay. Also, be prepared to walk up steps and an uphill driveway to get to the entrance, because we found that the golf-cart pickup that was supposed to be available, seldom was. Still, it's an excellent hotel and value for the price.

I stayed here 2 nights each pre- and post-cruise, respectively, for a total of 4 nights. I received some benefits as a IHG rewards member. The hotel was stunning, and its location was excellent [5.0], given its close proximity to the harbor front, including many sights. Yet, it was located in a very quiet area. The cruise port and airport are about a 20- and 30-minute drive away, respectively. For the first two nights, pre-cruise, I was upgraded to a one-bedroom, 1.5 bath suite [4.7]. It was clean, beautiful, nicely designed, and very spacious, with great views of Marseille. Overall, the suite was very comfortable; however, most rooms in the suite were too cold. I attempted to adjust the temperature, using the AC control panel, but it barely got warmer. Maintenance visited twice, to no avail. Additionally, the shower leaked, even after I reported it. For my last two nights, post-cruise, my classic room [#316] was also clean, beautiful, nicely designed, and spacious. I was able to adjust the AC to make it slightly warmer. Both the suite and regular room were so quiet, and the showers were nice and hot. Staff service was very good [4.7] throughout the hotel, as they were very responsive to my requests, including at reception, at breakfast, at the bar/restaurant, maintenance, valet, and the concierge. However, I requested an additional bed sheet 3 times the first night before I got it. English was spoken by most staff members, which is always very much appreciated! And everyone was very friendly and approachable. The breakfast buffet was very good [4.7]. However, the area in which it is served was a bit tight. Also, some items were available outside on the terrace, which might be too cold in the winter. In addition, although breakfast is scheduled to start at 6:45am, food items were still being placed on the buffet at 7am on two mornings. The buffet had a good array of food and drink choices [fresh juices, too], including made-to-order eggs and some local foods. It also had freshly made breads, which were still warm! They were the high-point for me. The food was very good, as was the food outside of breakfast in the bar/restaurant. Service was very attentive. The gym facility was very good [4.2]. Although, I was a bit disappointed. Since it is an Intercontinental, I expected a more robust facility with more machines that work various body parts. For example, there was only an "universal" machine that worked various body parts; however, I have used that machine in other hotels, and I find it to be very clunky and difficult [and sometimes hazardous] to use. Nonetheless, I made do with the dumbbells/benches and cardio machines.

For my birthday in August, my husband booked us a King classic harbour view with terrace and a Spa package. Upon arrival, we were informed that our room wasn’t ready. We were told to come back in an hour. We went to their bar. As our drinks were served, we were given the bill straight away. Not one staff member came to check on us or ask if we wanted to order anything else. We paid directly at the bar. We headed back to the front desk at 5pm. Our room still wasn’t ready. We waited in the lobby until 5:30pm before reminding them once more that we were waiting. We could see them scrambling around to find us a room. We were given a room at 5:50pm. A very sad looking room located right next to the elevators, with stained, worn down carpet and a broken mini bar. The bathroom clearly hadn’t been cleaned as a used Q tip was found lying on the floor. No amenities. No soap, no slippers, no towels, no tissue box. The bonus was the cockroach in the loo. Whilst we were out for dinner, housekeeping came and replenished the amenities in the bathroom. As members of their IHG One Rewards program, we were given a drink voucher, free WiFi and late check out. My husband was disappointed that nothing was put together for my birthday. We’ve stayed in less renowned hotels that went all out for our birthdays. The only redeeming aspect of our stay was our experience at the Spa by Clarins. They went above and beyond. We were allowed access to the pool two hours prior to our massages. I was kindly gifted a Clarins set with Hydra-essentiel products. The ladies all wished me a happy birthday which was sweet and thoughtful. Side note, we found it quite amusing how one of the ladies at the front desk was boasting about their VIP clientèle such as footballers and rappers. Maybe they get better service. The hotel does have a beautiful view of the harbour and of Notre Dame de la garde. My husband wrote an email (with photos attached) to management. He has yet to hear back. Save your money and go elsewhere in Marseille with higher standards. The Intercontinental claiming to be a 5 star hotel is laughable. We won’t be back.