Hotel Review: InterContinental Marseille—Hotel Dieu, an IHG Hotel
Marseille was the first stop on our Southern France itinerary. When I searched for possible lodging options in Marseille, InterContinental Marseille—Hotel Dieu, an IHG Hotel, caught my eye. The property was originally founded in 1188 as a hospital, and after reshuffling ownership and renovation, it reopened its doors as a luxury five-star hotel in 2013. Over eight centuries of history, it has been registered as a national historic building. Furthermore, the hotel was strategically located close to Le Panier—the oldest district in Marseille. I booked through American Express’s (AMEX) Fine Hotels & Resorts (FHR) portal using my AMEX Platinum card. As a Platinum card member, I would receive a room upgrade at check-in (subject to availability), guaranteed 4 pm check-out, noon check-in when available, daily breakfast for two, and a $100 experience credit to be used towards food and beverages. Since we would be arriving in Marseille after having two layovers, we wanted our first night in France to relax so we could recover from jet lag. Its proximity to major sightseeing spots and valuable AMEX FHR credits ultimately made me choose InterContinental Marseille, and I was very pleased with the overall stay. Here’s my review of InterContinental Marseille—Hotel Dieu, an IHG Hotel:
InterContinental Marseille—Hotel Dieu, an IHG Hotel, is located at 1 Pl. Daviel, 13002 Marseille, France.
What Card(s) Should You Use to Book?
When booking an IHG property, I use my IHG Rewards Premier card. It currently offers a sign-up bonus of 140,000 IHG points and a free night certificate worth up to 40,000 points after spending $3,000 in three months. This is a limited-time offer, and with a 0.5 cents per point valuation, the sign-up bonus is worth $900. Please note that you may not be eligible to receive the bonus if you’ve received a sign-up bonus for the IHG Rewards Premier card within the last 24 months.
The Chase IHG Rewards Premier card could be a long-term keeper card in your wallet.
The IHG Rewards Premier card comes with a $99 annual fee but offers valuable benefits that will offset the annual fee. The IHG Rewards Premier card earns 26X points at IHG hotels and resorts and 5X points per dollar on travel, hotels, dining, and gas. All other purchases earn 3X points per dollar. The IHG Rewards Premier card features the following benefits:
Complimentary IHG Platinum Elite status
Annual free night award—worth up to 40,000 points
Free fourth night on award stays
$50 United TravelBank
Reimbursed Global Entry or TSA PreCheck Application Fees
20% Discount When Purchasing IHG Points
The IHG Rewards Premier card is an excellent keeper card, and even if you don’t stay at IHG hotels frequently, it will yield value year after year.
Please consider using my referral link if you’d like to apply for the Chase IHG Rewards Premier card. It will continue to help fund my blog operations and help visitors make informed decisions to maximize their rewards. Thank you!
Lobby & Check-In Review
The hotel was perched on top of a hill, and from the entrance, you could see Notre Dame de la Garde from afar.
The bear sculpture by Michel Bassompierre was a popular photo spot for hotel guests.
The lobby was hectic when I arrived because a large group of tourists was checking out at the moment. While waiting for my turn to check in, I explored the lobby, which was beautifully curated.
The lobby primarily utilized pure neutral colors, which fit well for the calm and collected brand identity of the IHG brand.
The lobby utilized accent lighting, and natural light from a skylight made the space airier.
The accent lights highlighted the lobby’s elegant atmosphere at night.
Every piece of furniture complemented the upscale atmosphere and was topped off with beautiful sculptures by Michel Bassompierre.
Michel Bassompierre’s sculptures were everywhere, and as an animal and art lover, I couldn’t get enough of his amazing work.
After the tourists departed the hotel, I approached the front desk to check-in.
The front desk was able to accommodate many guests at once since the InterContinental Marseille is a popular upscale tourist hotel in the area.
Since my reservation was made using AMEX’s FHR, the front desk agent explained included benefits to me and upgraded my room to a room with a balcony. She went over breakfast hours (7 AM - 10:30 AM) at Les Fenêtres and informed me that breakfast for my fiancé and me was covered under my reservation. In-room breakfast would cost five additional euros, which was a steal in my opinion.
Contemporary art and furniture design set a sophisticated tone in the lobby.
The front desk staff spoke fluent English and informed me that a concierge desk was available should I need any help exploring Marseille. After receiving complimentary water bottles, we went up to the third floor, where our room was located.
Bedroom Review
The bedroom was spacious, especially considering that this was in Europe. The room used solid wood flooring, and there was no sign of carpeting anywhere in the room. Even though the only “window” in the room was part of a balcony door, the room surprisingly let in a good amount of sunlight. The king bed’s mattress was quite firm, and the pillows were extremely flat.
I appreciated having genuine wood flooring in my spacious bedroom.
I usually prefer pillows with less volume, but these pillows were too flat even to my standards. The bed had an oversized white headboard that was slightly curved, adding a layer of modern interior design to the room.
Though the pillows looked great in this picture, but they were uncomfortably flat.
Each bedside came with a nightstand and an outlet so you could personal electronic devices at night. Flexible reading lights were attached to the headboard, but one of the lights was broken—the on/off button didn’t retract all the way when I pressed it, so I had to manually pull it out every time I used it. Across from the bed, a non-smart TV was mounted on the wall, and a lounge sofa was positioned against the wall.
I supposed the sofa was not placed with the TV’s position in mind.
Although the couch was big enough to seat three adults comfortably, the sofa’s position wasn’t ideal because the only way to enjoy watching TV was from the bed. Between the sofa and bed, a round table functioned as both a dining table and work desk. I found some freshly squeezed orange juice, water, and a tray of apples as my welcome amenity, and the general manager kindly greeted me via a handwritten card. I thought the apples were special local varieties since they were elegantly presented, but I didn’t find any indication of my conjecture from the card.
What a nice presentation for delicious apples. Thank you InterContinental Marseille!
Next to a luggage rack was a unique espresso machine. The espresso “pods” were closers to packets than typical Nespresso pods, and there was an electric kettle should you want tea or make Americano.
It was my first time using this particular espresso machine, but the hotel clearly indicated how to operate it.
I stored my welcome beverages in a mini-fridge, discreetly hidden under the coffee machine. The mini-fridge was half-full with various sodas and alcoholic beverages, but it was quite empty compared to other luxury hotels.
The minibar was decently stocked, and I had to remove some beverages to store big water bottles.
The highlight of the room was the balcony. The balcony door was slightly difficult to open because it used a multi-point locking mechanism but featured effective noise cancellation and insulation. The balcony had an outdoor couch and single seats and was spacious enough to host six adults at once.
The balcony was private and roomy enough to host a small group of people at once.
From the balcony, you could overlook the outdoor dining area of the restaurant Les Fenêtres.
I spotted another sculpture by Michel Bassompierre.
The best part of the balcony was the view; you could enjoy an unobstructed view of Notre Dame de la Garde, which created a romantic backdrop. I honestly couldn’t get enough of the view; it was absolutely gorgeous. I visited Marseille in March, and if only the weather were a bit warmer, I would’ve had in-room breakfast on the balcony.
Just look at this amazing view! I couldn’t get enough of it.
The bedroom was not perfect—the couch’s position was odd, one of the reading lights was broken, and the pillows were paper-thin. Nevertheless, the balcony made the bedroom worthwhile and elevated the lodging experience to another level.
The exterior of InterContinental Marseille was beautifully illuminated at night.
Bathroom Review
The bathroom came with a freestanding bathtub, which was big enough to fit two young adults at once. Because of the tub, the bathroom only featured a single sink vanity, but the countertop had lots of space to spread out your personal toiletries. I wasn’t a big fan of the lighting in the bathroom; even though the mirror had accent lighting on the back and integrated light bars on each end of the mirror, it didn’t generate the brightness I would desire in the bathroom.
The bathroom had only one sink, but I would always take a freestanding tub over a double sink vanity.
However, the foldable wall dividing the tub from the bed allowed me to take advantage of the beautiful view of Notre Dame de la Garde while taking a bath.
You could fold the bathroom walls and enjoy the balcony view while taking a bath!
However, I liked that there was a separate water closet as well as a walk-in shower booth. The toilet featured a traditional handheld bidet, and the shower booth had a handheld option and an oversized rainfall-style shower head, which generated great water pressure.
The shower was absolutely fantastic, and the translucent doors provided privacy without imposing on the design.
The toiletries were by Compagnie de Provence, and each product was sizable enough for two people to share for two nights. I enjoyed using them, and their natural ingredients didn’t feel abrasive on my skin. Moreover, I appreciated that the hotel used a Provencal brand to highlight what Marseille is known for.
Marseille is known for soaps, and the products from Compagnie de Provence were no exception.
It would’ve been nice to have two sinks, but I would always choose a freestanding tub over another sink, especially when the view from the tub was magical.
Gym Review
The gym was difficult to find but was located at the deeper end of the ground floor. If you are interested in treating yourself to a lavish spa experience, you should visit Spa by Clarins, located adjacent to the gym. An indoor swimming pool was also situated next to the gym, and it was big enough to do laps. I didn’t take pictures for the review because many people were swimming when I visited. There was an installation that resembled a cascading waterfall on the center wall, making the pool serene and relaxing. Fortunately, the gym was empty of guests, and it had high ceilings and was very spacious compared to other European hotel gyms. By the gym entrance, bottled water and dry towels were available for guests.
It took me some time to find the gym because the directions on the ground were not clear.
Despite the size of the gym, I don’t think the hotel fully utilized the space.
All gym gears were by TechnoGym and perfectly functional yet slightly outdated.
A handful of TechnoGym cardio machines and a few strength machines were scattered on the floor. Only a half set of dumbbells were available for free weight exercises, but there were various types of benches to expand workout possibilities.
European hotel gyms typically have lighter weights compared to American hotels.
The rest of the gym was occupied by an oversized mirror that leaned on the wall. It was certainly different than a traditional mirrored wall, but I don’t think it wasn’t beneficial enough to justify its real estate.
I didn’t feel congested at the gym because of its high ceilings.
There was so much potential for the gym, and I hope the hotel invests more into different types of equipment to elevate the gym experience.
Dinner Review
There were two restaurants at InterContinental Marseille. Alcyone was a 1 Michelin-starred restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine, and Les Fenêtres was a brasserie serving contemporary Provencal dishes.
The restaurant was quiet and was a convenient option for us after hours of flying.
We visited Les Fenêtres and used the $100 experience credit we received by booking through AMEX’s FHR portal. The restaurant was located on the first floor. While we made a reservation beforehand to mitigate the risk of not being able to secure a table upon arriving, the place was about half full.
The olive oil was very flavorful and went perfectly with the bread.
We weren’t too hungry, so we went straight to entrées. I ordered a filet mignon with fries, and my fiancé got seabass with fried artichoke. The steak was superbly cooked to medium, and it paired well with the wine.
The Béarnaise sauce was the perfect complement to the steak.
I liked the filet mignon more than the sea bass, but both dishes were delicious.
The sea bass was buttery soft, and the skin was excellently crispy.
For dessert, we ordered a vegan Mont Blanc, and its appearance was very distinctive compared to a traditional Mont Blanc. I still liked it, but don’t expect the original chestnut vermicelli purée.
The Mont Blanc dessert was different from my original imagination, but we finished every bit of it.
After finishing the dessert, our waitress brought out a petite coconut cake for my fiancé.
The coconut cake may be small in size, but it was packed with robust coconut flavor.
Our dining experience at Les Fenêtres illustrated top-notch service; my fiancé’s birthday was around the corner, and I noted it when I made the reservation. I honestly didn’t expect them to recognize it. The cake was small but delicious, and we truly appreciated that the restaurant went above and beyond to make our dining experience a little more special.
Breakfast Review
Thanks to my Amex find hotels and resorts benefit, I received a complimentary breakfast for two. It was €34 per person, so for two people, it would’ve cost me €68. Breakfast service was available daily from 7 AM to 10:30 AM, and we reserved the breakfast to be delivered to our room between 7 AM and 7:30 AM. There was an upcharge of €5 for the delivery, but I thought the price was very reasonable.
We had a long day ahead of us, so we took advantage of in-room dining.
We originally chose in-room dining because we wanted to eat on the balcony. Unfortunately, it was still too cold in the morning to enjoy outdoor breakfast, so we used the dining table in the room. The tabletop rotated with ease and made it much easier to pass items to each other by simply giving it a gentle spin.
The scrambled egg was the best part of the breakfast.
The breakfast was also great; scrambled eggs were silky smooth, and pastries were buttery soft and delicious. We ordered Americano, and the coffee pot was still very warm when arrived. This is another great example of booking with AMEX FHR—if you were to stay at a hotel where you don’t have status, FHR benefits could save you money in the long term.
The stay at InterContinental Marseille was absolutely fantastic, and I would highly recommend it for its service and location.
Summary
InterContinental Marseille—Hotel Dieu, an IHG Hotel, is a luxurious property in the heart of Marseille, France. I booked my stay using AMEX’s Fine Hotels and Resort portal, which gave me lucrative benefits, including a room upgrade, a daily breakfast for two, a $100 experience credit for food and beverages, late check-out, and early check-in. The bedroom featured some design elements that didn’t make sense, and the pillows were extremely thin and flat. However, the balcony was wonderful, and I enjoyed breathtaking views of Notre Dame de la Garde even when taking a bath. The in-room breakfast and dining experience at Les Fenêtres were both superb, and because I effectively utilized FHR perks, I could save money in the long term. I recommend InterContinental Marseille if you are searching for a grand hotel with a romantic view of Marseille.
