Florence Deau As some of you might have noticed on Instagram, I flew to the beautiful city of Marseille some days ago and was invited to stay at the newly-opened Alex Hôtel.
Perched on a hill on the East side of the city center, footsteps away from St Charles Train Station, the three-star hotel has everything you would expect from a young-spirited, modern and relaxed boutique hotel.
The classical architecture of the light-grey listed building contrasts with the eclectic interiors signed by local practice Togu Architecture. Twenty-one rooms are distributed over 4 floors, each with its own color : red, orange, blue or red. This unique color layout gives a ‘fil rouge’ to all the floor rooms’ interior design. The decor is eclectic and tasteful, with a mix of materials like graphic concrete cement tiles and béton ciré. Contemporary furniture is complemented with fun wall prints and practical accessories for the modern traveller (the iPhone deck is always appreciated, isn’t it!).
At the Alex, everyone will make sure your stay is the most confortable and enjoyable experience you can get : hospitality is their moto. One important detail to appreciate as well : the beds – absolutely divine and truly up the standards of luxury hotels. Trust me, you’ll sleep like a baby!
Alex Hôtel
13-15 Place des Marseillaises
13001 Marseille
For bookings, have a look here.
A big thank you to the team at the Alex Hôtel for having me!
The rest of the pictures below are from my two day stay in the amazing city of Marseille.
Among the many cool things I saw and did, I enjoyed a tasty dinner at Le Poulpe – a restaurant located on the Vieux Port, and offering fresh locavore food, with everyday-renewed daily specials.
I also loved going on a guided tour of Le Corbusier’s iconic Cité Radieuse – you may visit different public areas such as the entrance hall, the ‘streets’ and the rooftop as well as a private apartment classified as a Historical Monument in 1986. Speaking of Le Corbusier, I would also recommend this great article by Sight Unseen about ECAL taking over an apartment at La Cité Radieuse.
Back to that same rooftop, and there also stands Ora Ito’s MAMO Marseille Modulor located within Le Corbusier’s former restored gymnasium. Transformed into a key spot for contemporary art, architecture and design events in Marseille. Don’t miss out the current Dan Graham exhibition Observatory / Playground until Septembre 20th.
Finally, if you want to escape from the vibrating and hot city center and head onto the Mediterranean blue, get in touch with Localanques who will take you for boats excursions around the Frioul Islands and the famous Marseille calanques.
Hope you enjoyed the tour! Speak soon xo, Flo
Photos © Florence Deau + Jo Yana
