Florence Deau 
Created by the Trigano family (co-founders of Club Med) and French philosopher Cyril Aouizerate, Mama Shelter was designed by Philippe Starck to offer an eclectic and electric ambiance. After Paris, the owners of Mama Shelter recently opened their second concept right in the city centre of sunny Marseille, near Cours Julien, a district with its urban art vibe and its mix of concert halls, young fashion designers and sunny terraces.
They did what they set out to do. On launching Mama Shelter Paris over three years ago, its founders announced that their development would be created around a single philosophy: to establish Mamas in locations that tell a unique story of the world. Cities that get away from contemplating the past and quietly focus on a universal future.
The second Mama had to be the very essence of its founders’ definition of hospitality, a value common to all world cultures. With that same spirit in mind as Mama Shelter Paris, Philippe Starck designed Mama Shelter Marseille, which opened its doors in April 2012.
27 rooms between 15 to 45 m2, spread over six floors with the option of five categories and colours and with prices starting at €69. Rooms similar to those at MAMA PARIS, but drawing on a new energy through the colours of the Mediterranean. Cool in the summer, they are also warm during rare cold snaps. So much more than a place to sleep, Mama Shelter is the heart of life, a place where people gather around a shared meal, a live band, unpredictable encounters !
“On arriving in the small square, a warm and vast octopus extends its tentacles as the first sign of welcome to those who have chosen to allow themselves a few days at MAMA. The ground floor quickly sets the tone. Next to the live stage and its suspended musical instruments stands a 4-metre long table football game that can be played by 8 to 16 people.”
“The long bar and the kitchen are facing each other with in the middle, long tables where you can share a meal. You can also sit comfortably, looking at the soft light that goes through to the terrace.”
“The restaurant features a simple cuisine created by famous chefs, Alain Senderens and Jerome Banctel who celebrate Mediterranean cooking in the city without resorting to the cliché of traditional Marseille dishes.”
L’Atelier meeting room – “Mama helps you be at your most effective and creative by providing you with a unique and clever meeting space. Here you’ll find everything you need for your best ideas: a flip-chart, a large meeting table, WiFi access, one 65″ and 3×22″ LCD screens and a Bose sound system… but also a bar and a ping-pong table so you can relax a bit.”
Mama Double room – “Mama in all its glory! A room with a human face is designed especially for you with its comfortable bed and a desk where you can pen the love letter you’ve always dreamed of writing or preferably receiving.”
Mama Luxe Double room – “Because luxury is the opposite of modern-day tackiness, MAMA LUXE is about what matters: a calming 17 to 21 m² refuge where you can dream under the Marseille sky, laugh and enjoy yourself…and there’s even a desk for those boring diehards who work late.”
Mama Deluxe room – “You’ll be delighted with the space of its 21 to 27m². Mama has also thought about those of us with reduced mobility, offering the Mama Luxe Handicap. There is also the Mama Deluxe Twin for those who prefer twin beds.”
Mama Deluxe Family room – “Mama loves families, so it has designed a comfortable and welcoming room. You will relax in this warm room with enough space for the whole family.”
Mama Suite room – “With its 45 m², this is one “Big Mama”. You will feel like home in its spacious living room.”
Photos © Francis Amiand & Mama Shelter
Mama Shelter Marseille
64, rue de la Loubiere
13006 Marseille
+ Via and book a room at Mama Shelter Marseille
