Hotel nhow Marseille — Hotel in Marseille

We had a two night stay at the nhow Marseille hotel, and enjoyed the location and the gorgeous hotel. The room was a great size, well decorated and clean - we were located on the ground floor level next to the terrace, pool and spa. The man who helped with our luggage was really friendly, as was the receptionist who checked us in. The hotel is well located near to the La Plage and the new end of town by the Hippodrome, which is a 15 minute walk and offers lots of choice for bars and restaurants. It’s a great spot to watch the sunset too. It’s around 45 minutes to walk into Marseille - we’d recommend taking the sea route and enjoying the scenic views, monuments and attractions along the way. We returned to the city by bus for the evening which was convenient and only cost EURO 1.70, and runs late into the evening so it’s really easy to get back to the hotel. The pool at the hotel is lovely, as was the spa - although we didn’t get a chance to use this.

Now for some of the issues - I want this review to be impartial and provide constructive feedback to the hotel, which was also provided in person during our stay. Firstly, the parking is charged at EURO 25 per 24 hour period, which is a significant added expense when there is no alternative locally. There is a EURO 100 deposit charge PER NIGHT, which again seems excessive, but you have no choice other than to pay this. The restaurant and bar in the hotel is very expensive (breakfast is almost EURO 30 per person!), which put us off from spending time here. A large beer was EURO 10, which even the bar staff apologised for saying it’s unusually expensive compared to the rest of Marseille. Mini bar prices are also extortionate - a small chocolate bar was EURO 4.50. There was also a large private event happening for the time we were staying which took over a lot of the hotel, which was inconvenient due to a number of reasons: the rooftop bar was closed the entire time, even when not in use, the communal areas inside the hotel were mainly dedicated for the private event, so we didn’t feel comfortable walking around from the pool to the room. The terrace area was setup with tables and chairs for the lunch event, however this setup was done noisily each morning around 8am and was directly outside our room. The biggest issue was the WiFi not working in the hotel, which had been due to an issue affecting the wider area. However there was no mention of this at check in, no updates on when the WiFi would be available, and no solutions provided to offer an alternative connection (i.e. mobile hotspot in the reception area which can be easily & securely done with a dongle). I had to tether my computer to my UK mobile phone and use data to to be able to work, which is very costly. I discussed this with a lady from guest relations, and she was sympathetic - I asked if there was something that could be applied as a gesture upon check out. We left disappointed with the response from the reception and guest relations team, who apologised but offered no goodwill - not even a slight discount on the parking which I had suggested. This would have been satisfactory and would have cost the hotel almost nothing, but instead the team decided that the issues were outside of their control and offered no gesture other than an apology for our dissatisfaction. Overall, the hotel is lovely and I’m sure that you will have a great stay here, however we felt that the issues we had weren’t resolved and that reflects the...

Positives: The actual pool was nice and appreciated the smart features in room such as being able to cast/stream to TV and extra touches like Nespresso machine. One receptionist Sonia was lovely and very helpful!

Negatives: English: For €300 a night even for a 4 star hotel didn't live up to the cost. The decor was bare and very plastic.. like a budget hotel. The panoramic bar they advertise wasn't ever open. The ground floor bar staff just didn't give the level of service that is expected of the level or hotel or price. Just felt we were inconveniencing them every time we ordered.. no smiles and sarcastic responses. A smile to greet would be the first thing to greet us with. Other things like when I called reception for a bottle opener, they told me to go to the bar to get it.. then hung up on me! If I'm paying €300 a night I expect a higher level of service but maybe that's the level they expect? Different standards I guess. We have stayed in a LOT of hotels around the world and I appreciate Marseille may be pricey but then match that with service. We were also on our honeymoon having just got married a week before and no one made us feel special about that. As for the room, there were vomit stains on the carpet and black dirt on the yellow sofa. The balcony looked like something out of a prison and the whole room just didn't have a relaxed feel.. was sooo bare it felt clinical... Like we were in a hospital. Who designed it?? I understand there is a style but surely in a hotel there has to be an element of generic comfort. The sheets were cheap too... And felt like they had been washed 1000 times. Finally, which I know wasn't their fault, there was the most awful smell by the pool due to the building construction site next door (that was a great view lol). But there was no mention or apology for that. Even a complimentary drink to apologise for it or perhaps an hour in the spa would have made up for it but just nothing. No idea of exceptional hospitality. Looks like it's run by a bunch of kids who can't...

Very beautiful hotel, looks quite new. |Pros: |- location on the sea front, you have direct access to the sea. Located along the Corniche Kennedy which is a great spot for walks, jogs, cycle rides. Stunning views of the Mediterranean from the room, and the hotel common areas |- new, well equipped rooms, with a nice desk, well organized spaces, nice bathroom with bath robes and flip flops instead of those old fashioned slippers|- buffet breakfast: it is very good and very good variety too, at least for my European taste. I think it is fairly priced too. One downside is that if you want just a small breakfast with perhaps one drink and a small bite you would have to get that from the bar, which I think is not that great. I had one latte there, and they made it with long life milk which is unacceptable for the price||Cons:|- parking is expensive, I understand that private parking costs have somehow exploded recently, but it is still too expensive. Free parking can be easily found on the Corniche, adjacent to the hotel. But it is not safe. A gang of thieves was operating during my stay and they stole the cover of the mirror of my car, and apparently of several others, while I was there.|- getting there: I had difficulties getting there and out of there. Google maps (which recently seems to have become really bad) made me use a tunnel inside the city which is outrageously expensive, over 6 euros to go through it|- the gym is quite ugly, I did not even consider using it and went instead jogging on the stunning corniche along the sea just outside |- the chair in the room is quite uncomfortable, made of hard plastic, cannot be used for a prolonged time, for instance to work...