marseille les bords de mer bedroomThere are very few hotels right on the seafront in Marseille, but Les Bords de Mer belongs to this very select club. It sits in a prime position, with sensational views of the sea and the legendary Château d'If and Frioul Islands.

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Most other hotels in Marseille are separated from the waterfront by noisy roads. Les Bords de Mer is perched right on the coast - les pieds dans l'eau (its feet in the water), as the charming French expression puts it.

It was formerly known as the funky, bohemian, colourfully run-down and ultra low-budget Hotel Richelieu. But the hotel recently received a huge make-over, propelling it steeply upmarket.

Today Les Bords de Mer, as it's now known, is a smart boutique, four-star establishment with prices to match.

Wedged into a long, narrow sliver of land, the tall, thin Art Deco building, pictured below, has been cleverly designed. Its clean, luminous décor creates a sense of space.

The 19 bedrooms are all at the back, contemplating the sea (just as well, since the Corniche coast road which runs right past the front of the building is very busy).

marseille les bords de mer exteriorMost of them have terraces or balconies and the rest boast enormous picture windows, which are almost as good, if not even better.

They’re irregularly shaped and mostly on the snug side, with neutral greige furnishings and white walls, all the better to focus your mind on the big blue outside.

The blond wood-effect fittings are minimalist too, apart from – in our room - a vast cupboard whose top shelves are beyond the reach of all but giants.

In the bathroom: a big walk-in shower. The smaller rooms lack armchairs and at the time of our visit there were no tea or coffee making facilities, though the minibar purveyed rather expensive soft drinks.

The overall squeeze on space isn't great for wheelchair users either, but the ground-floor suite is adapted for one. It can also accommodate a child bed through most of the other rooms are just too cramped.

The public areas really feel like a quart in a pint pot. You practically bump into the reception desk as you walk through the front door and places to linger inside are limited.

But in warm weather all sorts of tempting options open up and you can easily while away hours, or even days, drifting blissfully between the beach-level patio, the rooftop cocktail bar and its good-sized, heated outdoor swimming pool overlooking the bay.

marseille les bords de mer restaurantIndoors, there’s a tempting split-level underground spa carved, dramatically, out of the rock face with a tiny indoor pool and a small fitness centre with some interesting kit.

The restaurant, pictured, is another trump card. Also armed with picture windows, the décor inside is rather functional and canteen-like (small, crowded tables, hard wooden chairs). But the food is a real class act.

On the short, locavore (based on local produce) menu each dish has an imaginative twist. Tender grilled cuttlefish came with lemon-chilli salsa while Camargue oysters with kumquat and fennel sat on a trompe l’oeil bed of salt instead of the usual crushed ice.

The restaurant is easily good enough to attract local diners, despite its slightly out-of-centre location. Plenty were there on the night of our visit.

The only slight downside was the wine list, which seemed to be sourced from the cellar of Les Bords de Mer’s sister hotel, the Domaine de Fontenille in the Luberon.

As a result, the wines of Northern Provence dominated. There was nothing from the excellent nearby coastal appelations of Bandol or Cassis, which seemed a great pity.

Room service is the same sophisticated menu as the restaurant, so you’ll have to order a takeaway if you just crave a burger, but in summer the rooftop bar serves tapas and the lower terrace has pizzas.

Breakfast offers the requisite cereals, pastries, charcuterie, cheeses, yoghurt and fruit, plus very good bread and quiche. Gluten- and lactose-free alternatives are limited, however, and at a four-star hotel one does expect more hot choices than DIY boiled eggs.

Les Bords de Mer is perfect for a pampered short break. It has swift access to the adjacent Catalans beach and is a brisk walk or bus ride to Marseille’s other southern beaches (though sadly has no private beach of its own).

When you feel like a change from the in-house restaurant, bus 83 will take you along the Corniche to posh, Michelin-starred restaurants such as Le petit Nice or L'Epuisette, in the delightful Vallon des Auffespictured.

marseille07The hotel is perhaps less well placed for a longer stay or for Marseille sightseeing. The Old Port is 15 minutes by bus (there’s no metro near the hotel) and 20-25 minutes on foot.

The MuCEM and Old Town are somewhat further, though the lively Saint Victoire district with its lively bars, shops and restaurants, is close at hand.

Public parking in this part of town is tricky though the hotel does command a handful of spaces in a nearby private car-park.

Visited April 2019

Where: Les Bords de Mer, 52 Corniche Kennedy, 13007 Marseille. Tel: (+33) (04 13 94 34 00. Book a room at Les Bords de Mer in Marseille

How to get there: Bus 83 from the Old Port.

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