october-2009

CITYFOCUS MARSEILLE
After dinner, walk back towards the Vieux
Port down Corniche du Président John
Fitzgerald Kennedy, past the Plage des Catalans
round onto Boulevard Charles Livon. Here you
will see Marseille’s hotel to beat ’em all: the
Sofi tel (1 ON MAP). Recently refurbished, this
hotel is leagues ahead of its competitors in
terms of style, comfort and service.
The maritime theme that characterises
the city itself prevails throughout, from the
array of blues decorating the reception and
main bar, to the beautiful glass sculptures of
sea creatures in the foyer and a boat shaped
restaurant, Les Trois Forts (incidentally, once
of the best in town). The rooms have all sorts
of lovely touches: rainforest showers with
additional shower nozzles down the walls,
two person baths, and mini conference
rooms and all mod cons in the larger suites.
50 WWW.RYANAIRMAG.COM
The Sofi tel also boasts the new and ultra
deluxe So Spa, complete with sauna, hammam,
massage facilities and a range of cosmetic
products provided by Parisian company
Carita. To truly unwind after a long day, there is
nowhere better.
Le Trolleybus is the
Vieux Port’s most
idiosyncratic venue
Just across the road from the Sofitel is
another great piece of Marseillaise hospitality:
the New Hotel of Marseille (2 ON MAP). A cuter
and quirkier place to bed down, it also boasts a
top quality eatery, Victor Café (tel: +33 (0)48
800 4600, www.victorcafemarseille.com).
Hip harbour
View from the corniche out
to the Mediterranean
The Sofi tel shows off some
smart interior design
Beach volleyball on Plage
des Catalans
Compared with other areas of Marseille,
the Vieux Port is somewhat subdued at night
but venues that keep things exciting into the
early hours include Le Pelle Mêle (16 ON MAP),
with live jazz; Le 504 (18 ON MAP) a Middle
Eastern/African restaurant by day and decadent
Moroccan lounge by night; and Le Circus (19 ON
MAP), a salsa disco.
Le Trolleybus (17 ON MAP) is the Vieux Port’s
most idiosyncratic venue, built into an old
munitions storage space and deliciously dingy
with its vaulted brick walls. Bright and exciting,
it’s a buzzing maze of tunnels that will keep
you entertained until the fishermen return to
start another day.
FLY TO MARSEILLE PROVENCE MP2 FROM 28
DESTINATIONS, INCLUDING AGADIR, BIARRITZ, EINDHOVEN,
MANCHESTER, OSLO (TORP), PARIS (BEAUVAIS), PORTO
AND STOCKHOLM (SKAVSTA). VISIT WWW.RYANAIR.COM