Tour the Presidential Suite at the InterContinental Marseille Hotel Dieu
Any time a suite takes up the whole floor of a luxury hotel, you know it's a good one.
The truly spectacular Presidential Suite at the InterContinental Marseille Hotel Dieu does take up an entire floor (well the front half of one) of the historic luxury hotel.
The sheer space it gives you is just unbelievable, especially the distance from one side to the other. It takes a few minutes just to walk from the dining room on one side, through the multiple living room areas, past the bedroom and finally into the master bathroom on the other side. The sheer size applies to the suite’s terrace, a broad, wide area that feels like the public lobby space, it’s so large. The space is broken up by multiple seating areas and areas to eat or relax.
The entire terrace offers postcard views of the Vieux Port in front of the hotel, the city and Notre Dame de la Garde cathedral rising on the hill beyond it.
The InterContinental Marseille opened in 2013 in what was the city’s Hotel Dieu, the former public hospital. The building itself was opened in 1866 by Napoleon III and retains most of its original architectural details. The site dates back to the 12th century when it was a hostel for religious pilgrims visiting the city. Remnants of the medieval structures can be seen in the hotel’s restaurant and Roman ruins can be seen in the spa. Marseille is France’s oldest city with an extensive history as a part of Ancient Rome.
Aside from being its oldest, Marseille is France’s second largest city and is a great alternative (or addition) to a Paris adventure. It’s easily reachable in three hours via France’s high-speed TGV train system. Travelers in the US can use Rail Europe to book tickets on the French (and most other European) train systems.
Photos by Freddy Sherman
By Freddy Sherman
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