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A city centre hotel opposite Marseille Saint Charles station, with free Wi-Fi, private parking and breakfast included. Hôtel Marseille Centre Saint Charles is only 15 minutes' walk from the Vieux-Port. Facing Marseille's main transport hub, the hotel offers easy access to metro and bus services, as well as local and TGV trains. Marseille Provence Airport (MRS) is a 25-minute drive away, accessible by public shuttle. The hotel is also within easy reach of cruise ship terminals. Two metro stops away, the business district in La Joliette is home to key local companies such as Société Générale and BNP Paribas. Nearby, the gleaming Les Terrasses du Port shopping centre overlooks the waterfront, a short walk from the iconic MuCEM history museum at the port entrance.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Accor Hotels.
Places to stay are graded on a 0-100 scale. The higher the grade, the easier it is for travellers to find restaurants and things to do within walking distance.
Location and Access – The hotel is only a few steps away from the main SNCF Marseille St Charles station with fast connections to the whole of France. For example, direct services to Lille, Paris, Bordeaux and Nice. It’s also next to the Metro making for easy access all-round the city. Walking (downhill) to the Vieux Port takes around 15 minutes. Adjacent to the hotel is a Carrefour Express supermarket. There are cafes and bars in the area but these tend to be of the snack/fast food variety and for better and more upmarket choices it is necessary to look further afield
Google Earth – The hotel can be seen on Street View
Reception – staff were professional and welcoming, spoke good English and completed the check in/out formalities quickly. As an IHG loyalty card holder they ensured I received a voucher for a complimentary drink at the bar
Public Areas/Decor – All very well maintained. In reception seating areas and bar also an outside area with lounge seating
Guest Rooms – All of the same Holiday Inn standard and reasonably spacious
Decor/Maintenance/Cleanliness – There were some minor issues with scuffed décor. Everything seemed to be immaculately clean
Amenities including Entertainment – Telephone, Flat screen TV with French and international Channels, good Wi-Fi, tea and coffee making and sockets capable of charging personal devices
Lighting – Natural light was excellent in my west facing room. Artificial lighting was dim
Heating/Air Conditioning – Having a high west facing view had the advantage of spectacular views of Marseille. However, it also meant that direct sunlight heated the room to a very high temperature. Even with windows open the heat was oppressive. The A/C did not work as it was management policy to only heat rooms at this time of year (mid October)
Noise – no noise disturbance whatsoever
Food & Beverage – There is a small bar and breakfast room but no restaurant as such although meals can be ordered. I found the continental style petit dejeuner to be more than adequate. But as an example of the hotel’s attitude, I was surprised to see signs saying that guests would be charged for any food uneaten. Free ice machine was a bonus
Value for Money – Average for a Holiday Inn Express
X Factor – For anyone arriving in Marseille by rail the location cannot be beaten
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Date of stay: October 2021
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip:High level west facing for great views of Marseille
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Ryan ROSE, Propriétaire at Hôtel Marseille Centre Gare Saint Charles
Responded Jan 11, 2022
Dear Peterrugeley, We thank you for your positive reviews of our hotel and are delighted to read that as an IHG Loyalty Cardholder, you have enjoyed the service and interactions with our team. We would be happy to welcome you again in the future. Best regards, Alexandre, Sales Assistant
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We stayed as a family of 3 with our 4-year-old son for 2 nights. The location of the hotel is great as it is a few steps away from the main St. Charles Train Station, which we easily reached from the airport by bus no 91.
We picked the sea view room but it barely had a view but we didn't really mind it. The room had a double bed and a double sofa. There was no fridge/mini bar in the room, which was a bummer. The shower was really poor as it was clogged and had smelly curtains instead of a cabin, which I think is unacceptable in hotels unless the curtains are washed after each guest checks out. However, the breakfast was decent. Had lots of pastry options, yogurts, some cheese, jams, fruits and muesli etc. The coffee was also really nice but the plates/cups could have been cleaner. On a better note, the staff at the reception were all lovely. Mr. Noureddin and Ms. Buse were extremely nice and helpful and we really appreciated their positivity and helpfulness. Overall, I'd recommend this place if you're on a budget and will be staying in the city for a few nights.
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Date of stay: January 2023
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from IHG Service, Owner at Hôtel Marseille Centre Gare Saint Charles
Responded Jan 26, 2023
Hi Nurbanu K, Thank you for banking on our hotel for your travel needs and for taking the time to leave us a review. We are grateful that you gave us the chance to host you! I'm sorry about the issues encountered on your most recent visit. On the upside, I'm pleased to know that you found the service provided by our staff friendly. We work hard to ensure that our guests have a good time and are comfortable during their stay. I alerted the hotel management team of your comments, so they can improve on these areas you've raised. We hope to see you again on your next trip to Marseille! Best, Jonathan A Case Manager IHGService
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The hotel is nice, but you have to be prepared to do abstractions. The location is great; the hotel is right opposite the train station and you are quick to the port by metro. A parking garage is also part of the hotel and you can even reserve a parking space beforehand. My room was on the 2nd floor. Floor. In the hallway, it always smelled like faeces, sometimes more, sometimes not so strong. Luckily not in the room. The room was ok but old. Cleanliness could be better. There was a big smudge on the carpet, the paint on the walls was partly scraped (I suspect someone had got to it with their suitcase), the curtain needed to be cleaned urgently and the shower curtain was dirty too. In addition, on two days my used cups were not cleared and no new ones were put down, so on the 2nd of July I had to wait for them. Evening had no clean cup. My room was out to the yard and I didn't notice much of the street but also had the air conditioning running. My friend had his room facing the street and found the traffic noise very loud. The breakfast was perfectly ok, but even here the cleaning left much to be desired. The trays partly looked as if they had not been wiped over after use, just as I did not see the tables being wiped. Maybe at the end of breakfast time, but no one has ever wiped the tables in between. Otherwise, I found the hotel perfectly fine for a few nights and anyone who can live with these shortcomings should book a room here. Also I would book this hotel again, because the above mentioned was "moaning at a high level".
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Date of stay: November 2024
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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I will start off this review with what a challenge it was to get to this place. It is in the center of town across from the VERY busy train station. So apart from the congestion of lots of cars, motorcycles, taxis etc there are tonnes of pedestrians to contend with. The road we came into town on we drove by the place twice and got it on the third try. There is no place to park really, a couple of spots in front that were occupied so we parked where we thought the gate was to the secure parking and we were right so we left the car there and put it in the garage after check-in. Nice staff very helpful and courteous! The brunch was what you would expect quick easy and delish. My only complaint with the room is it was hot! The thermostat did not seem to be working so we had to open the window for cool air and at least the noise from the street stopped at some point. Apart from that a great central location and once the car was secure we used Uber to get around to see the sights, see more below for about that. A huge suggestion on how to navigate places in Marseille just take an Uber! The price was very affordable and saved a LOT of time. We used Uber to get to the cathedral, the basilica on the hill and Dante's skylounge later. Why? The streets are narrow, congested (insane was my word of choice) and the driver is local and knows his way around much better!
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Date of stay: April 2023
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Park in the entrance to the secure parking just past the front door on the right then check in...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The hotel is very well located, right across the road from the railway station. It is also about 10-15 minutes away from the main shopping area and the Vieux Port. There are plenty of restaurants around and there is a Carrefour supermarket 20 metres from the hotel's front door. Even though we had a room overlooking the railway station we experienced no noise. The area around the hotel seemed safe.
The room itself was clean and large enough with a desk and safe large enough for a laptop. The wifi worked well.
The breakfast was of the budget variety, lacking a variety of warm food and was mainly bread, cheese, ham, cereals, yoghurt etc.
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Date of stay: January 2023
Value
Rooms
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
A reservation made in advance on the train for one night waiting for the plane. Late arrival in a bad state after a week at sea.The room with king size bed was flawless cleanliness as were the sanitary facilities. Basic products provided as well as a small coffee tray. Hearty breakfast included (watch out for late rises at 10:00 am the coffee machine is neutralized and the buffet cleared) Luggage storage in the form of lockers ( chargeable ). The restaurant is in the Holiday Inn across the street.
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Date of stay: October 2024
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Trip type: Travelled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Just spent 3 nights here. Right across the road when you come out of St Charles train station, 2 minutes walk maximum.
Good size room with tea and coffee making facilities. Comfy, decent sized bed too. Very quiet with no noise from other guests during our stay. Daily housekeeping, nice fluffy towels.
Breakfast was included and served 6.30am - 10.30am each day. Plenty of seating available including a shaded terrace outside if you wanted. Good choice of pastries, bread, cold meat cheese, fresh and dried fruit, cereals and yoghurts. Also scrambled eggs and sausages but we didn't try the sausages as they were very pale and did not look very appetising (sorry!).
We walked to the old port, took about 15 minutes but be aware that coming back some parts have a slight uphill climb. We got the metro from St Charles a couple of times, just 2 stops on line 1 to the old port. It cost 1.80 euro each for a single trip and trains ran every 10 minutes until 11pm (think its 12.30am at weekends).
All the staff we met at the hotel were helpful and friendly. We were able to leave our luggage for a couple of hours after check out too. Turn left outside and there's a little cafe/creperie on the corner where we had a final late morning coffee and croissant. There's also a Carrefour supermarket next door which was handy for getting supplies.
Overall a great base if you want to be near the train station within easy reach of the old port.
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sadly the only good thing I can say good about this hotel is it’s location to the coach and train station and the city centre Other than that it goes down hill rapidly during our stay and with sorting out an issue after our stay which after over 3 weeks is still not sorted Staff although nice are somewhat incompetent and lack knowledge and experience and would rather talk to each other than work Rooms are tatty with torn curtains and carpet and in need of an update Breakfast, the food is of poor quality the choice is very limited and the breakfast area needs revamping and the staff need to keep the area cleaner and the food stocked better I’ve been visiting the hotel now for over 10 years and every time we come the hole experience is poorer to a point that when we come back to Marseille later in the year we will stay at another hotel Shame
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Date of stay: December 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from IHG Service, Owner at Hôtel Marseille Centre Gare Saint Charles
Responded Feb 8, 2025
Hi Londondave60, We appreciate you staying at our Holiday Inn Express Marseille - Saint Charles for this trip and sharing your feedback. Thank you for doing business with IHG®Hotels and Resorts and choosing our hotel for your stay! We are determined to provide our guests with a pleasant time, and I apologize for what happened during your visit. I shared your sentiments with our hotel management and sent you a private message to obtain additional details about your stay. Until your next stop in the area, we look forward to hosting you again to redeem your confidence in us. I look forward to your response. Sincerely, Grace L. Case Manager IHG Hotels & Resorts Service
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We stayed in Holiday In Marseille for one night because we had a flight from Marseille airport the day after. The hotel is in the city center, not close to the airport, but we chose to stay there because during locdown period it was possible to find more options to eat etc. It was full lockdown in France, so all the restaurants were closed and curfew started at 19.00. The check-in was smooth and the receptionist was very kind and professional. We were given breakfast cards to fill out, so we could collect our breakfast trays the next morning to eat in the bedroom. There is parking available in the underground parking, costing 16 euros per day. Our room was on the 8th floor. It was a family room with one double bed and one double sofa bed. The room was spacious enough for a short stay. The bathroom was clean and functional. There were several places to eat not far from the hotel that were obviously closed because of the lockdown, but we ordered food through UberEats. There is also a small supermarket just next door to the hotel. The Old Port of Marseille (center) is about 15 -20 minutes walk away. I would recommend this hotel for a short stay in Marseille. Special compliments to very nice hotel staff.
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Date of stay: April 2021
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Ryan ROSE, Propriétaire at Hôtel Marseille Centre Gare Saint Charles
Responded Jun 29, 2021
Dear Kristi132 , Thank you so much for your review of our hotel. I am pleased to hear you enjoyed your stay with us and that you feel you received great service. It's something our staff takes great pride in, so we value your feedback. We will be sure to pass your kind words along to our staff. member, we truly appreciate it. We hope to see you again soon! Orchidée, Sales
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I generally enjoy Holiday Inns because they are generally consistent quality and have good breakfast. I chose this one because they were right across from the train station, and I needed to leave my bags for the day before the train. However, the convenience of the location was outweighed by mold and ants in our room. I have attached photos for proof. It’s one thing to have mold in the corner of the shower or something, but it was everywhere, even on the shower head 🤢. There were also about 10 or more ants in the room. Additionally, our hand soap was very watery, which I thought was just the way their soap was, until I used the restroom on the first floor and realized that they have normal soap elsewhere but had just watered ours down instead of refilling it. The employees were generally nice, to their credit. But clearly someone in charge of cleaning has not been doing their job. If I was willing to stay in a health hazard, I would like to have at least paid 1/3 the price of this one.
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Date of stay: June 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from IHG Service, Owner at Hôtel Marseille Centre Gare Saint Charles
Responded Jul 4, 2024
Dear weavethroughtheworld, I appreciate you for sharing your review of your recent stay at our Holiday Inn Express Marseille - Saint Charles while visiting Marseille. It's a pleasure having you as our guest. I am truly sorry that you did not experience an exemplary hotel stay because of the level of service you have received. On behalf of our hotel, I apologize that for the ants and mold in our room. This is not what we want any of our guests to experience. I have sent you a private message to reaffirm my apologies. I very much hope that you will grant us the opportunity to prove ourselves again. Best Regards, Ben W. Case Manager IHG Hotels and Resorts Service
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Hi you would best take a taxi or Uber to the cruise port. We did the same and it’s very convenient. With a bus you will need to walk a lot as it drops you quite a distance for the actual cruise check in. Enjoy
Colchester, United Kingdom33 contributions24 helpful votes
Hi. We got the L91 bus directly outside the terminal doors. Really easy & only 8€ per person each way. There’s a ticket office where all the buses stop & they go every 10 or 15 minutes.
Free WiFi on the bus & the last stop is the train station in the City centre.
Gibsons, British Columbia, Canada102 contributions42 helpful votes
This is a good area. Plenty of people around and it feels safe. Ask the front desk about a safe for valuables. Do not recall a safe in the room. We seldom need one. There are good restaurants close walk. Ask front desk to make a reservation.
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