Famed for its feverish energy, visitors to Marseille often describe the experience as a sensory overload – and what better way to recuperate than by sinking into an enticing hotel pool?
(Photo: Hotel C2 / Courtesy Booking.com)
The frenetic port city in southern France is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, attracting large numbers of visitors who come to immerse themselves in its harmonious mix of grit and grandeur. Awaiting them is a wide choice of places to stay, ranging from no-frills guest houses through to grand luxury hotels. If you’re coming to Marseille and would like to stay somewhere with a pool, here are three great options to consider.
Hotel C2
Housed in a 19th-century building in the heart of the city centre, this stylish 5-star hotel features an atmospheric indoor pool that has been designed to evoke an ancient thermal bath. Dark walls, soft lighting, scented candles and a gentle waterfall feature lend the space the look and feel of a luxurious spa, while cushioned loungers allow visitors to relax and unwind after a soothing dip. There are also showers, a treatment cabin and a relaxation room. The pool is adult-only and is open all year round. From $223 per night.
nhow Marseille
(Photo: nhow Marseille / Courtesy Booking.com)
A picture-postcard seafront setting greets guests at this 4-star hotel situated in Prado Bay, about 13 klilometres from the city centre. And there is no better vantage point from which to soak up the views than the hotel’s own outdoor pool, which overlooks the bay and is backed onto by surrounding cliffsides. The large, rectangular pool is the ideal spot to relax after a long day’s sightseeing, and for further indulgence there’s also a spa with two Jacuzzis, a hammam and a solarium, plus a separate indoor heated pool for those rare days when the Marseille weather lets you down. The outdoor pool is seasonal and is open from 8am to 9pm daily, with loungers and towels provided for no charge. From $117 per night.
Hôtel 96
(Photo: Hôtel 96 / Courtesy Booking.com)
Another accommodation option located away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre, Hôtel 96 is a charming 3-star boutique hotel with a landscaped swimming pool set amid a tranquil garden where the sound of cicadas and birds can often be heard. Open all year round, and from 8am to 7pm daily, the pool area also features a Nature shower where guests can freshen up before and after their swim. Venture back inside the hotel and guests will also find a Finnish sauna, where they can treat themselves to a therapeutic massage. From $100 per night.