Pullman Marseille Palm Beach

Class: First

Style: Modern design

Rooms: 155

Mention Marseille and immediately thoughts turn to brawling sailors in the bars of the old port — in the popular imagination, it’s still a place to get in trouble, not a place to get away from it all. But today’s Marseille is something rather different, an urbane and cosmopolitan city, its idyllic Mediterranean climate drawing a steady stream of visitors as the city sheds its rough-and-tumble reputation.

In fact geography may be half the story — from the Pullman Marseille Palm Beach, overlooking the sea from the side of the Corniche JF Kennedy, the scenic drive to south of the Old Port, you could almost think you were on the Riviera, were there just a few more Italian sportscars and a bit more seaside development.

Some seaside hotels offer sublime exterior views paired with plain-jane interiors, as though a decent piece of furniture would somehow spoil the vista. The Pullman Marseille Palm Beach, by contrast, is lovely inside and out, more than a bit minimal in style, in subdued greys and blues and fitted with showroom-ready modern fixtures and furnishings. Bathrooms feature stylish counter-top basins and Roger & Gallet bath products, and every bedroom boasts a stunning view of the Mediterranean.

Though the look is boutique, the services are comprehensive, on a par with any city business hotel — the business center and fitness facilities are expansive, and the hotel’s Mediterranean restaurant overlooks both the pool terrace and the sea beyond. It's the best of several worlds, offering access to as well as escape from the city, and a break from the crowding of the seaside resort towns.