Sofitel Marseille Vieux-Port

Excellent spectacular views but lacks the 5 star standard. Staff all very helpful Comfortable room and amenities Walking distance to the busy town.

At a magnificent location and with a stunning view across the old forts and port area of Marseilles, the dining location of the hotel was a feast for the senses. The rooms and facilities were clean, thoroughly well kept and with ample space, to be expected at this price and for a 5 star well branded hotel. However, this is about as best as the experience would reveal for me. I would expect that for an international level quality hotel, the dining experience (breakfast and dinner inclusive) would be well grounded with the hotel's teams in these areas well versed in food quality, service and coverage for any customers with dietary issues. This was not the case. For instance, the menus (breakfast and lunch/dinner) made allergen statements to be noted to staff for any adjustments required. Menus also stated various offerings for the gluten free buffet (breakfast) with provision for locally sourced products. All I found was a jar of madeleines (pre-purchased individually wrapped) and a jar of muesli. Breakfast covered, and no other options. Buffet? The offers for what I'd call 'normal' foods were plentiful, pastries, breads, cereals and sweets. Considering the extraordinary slim pickings in the gluten free story, I asked for gluten free bread to make some toast. Two staff members looked at me and then at each other with no content of understanding, eventually seeking help from a senior team member. The team member instructed them to go into the kitchen and ask there. After a 5-6 minute wait, one waiter arrived with 2 microwave heated small buns. I'll take it, it's better than nothing I thought. At the end of my stay, a 5 star hotel with overreaching allergen statements on menus, a very careful instruction/direction needed to staff, promised much on menu, but delivered very little. It's just not good enough.

On arrival staff very friendly, everything explained. Nice bar on the 7th floor overlooking the marina. Room ok. Aircon not cold at all. Shower so hot I couldn't get in. On the next revamp I would suggest better glazing to keep the noise or sirens & gulls out, & better room lighting- a bit style over substance at the moment. For example, the bed reading light is too high on the headboard & the chaise longue was not useful & took a lot of space out of the room. At breakfast no one came to take the order. 40 mins for order & 20 mins to service. Had to request further drinks as no one came to check we needed anything else. Shame as hotel in a nice position. Not up to standard of other Sofitels we have visited.

Had beautiful view of the harbor but when we went outside on the room’s private deck to enjoy it, the sliding door self-locked and we couldn’t get anyone at the listed hotel phone numbers to answer us. Finally we called Sofitel international number and after a few tries they connected with our hotel and came to unlock the door. I’m not at all convinced that they documented it so it could be repaired. The room temp could not be regulated and was very warm. There were often 6+ staff at the front desk but when we wanted to Check out, not a soul in sight and we waited 20 min for someone to come. Lionel the concierge was great. Lionel the concierge

We made the mistake of choosing this hotel purely based on the Sofitel name, assuming a certain standard. Unfortunately, the reality was far from it. The building is outdated, and it feels more like a 3-star airport hotel than a luxury property. There’s simply no value for the high price they’re charging. We regret not reading the TripAdvisor reviews beforehand — they were spot on. Our stay felt like a waste of precious time and energy on our one day in Marseille. Especially frustrating when we passed the InterContinental — our first choice — which exuded elegance and class. We won’t be making this mistake again, and we urge fellow travelers to stay far away.