Marseille flourished in the 19th thanks to a prosperous maritime trade. Richly influenced by distant cultures, it forged a reputation as a rowdy, rather defiant city.
Here at Mercure Beauvau, we are proud of our city, its unique identity and very colorful personality. We're always happy to acquaint our visitors with it.
We welcome our guests in the heart of the quintessential Marseile quarter, the Vieux Port (old port). This is where the ships that traded with Africa and the Americas would dock The hotel is located in Rue Beauvau, one of the city's loveliest streets, between La Canebière and the Grand Théâtre, or opera house. All this area is known as Old Marseille and the Rue Beauvau has witnessed all the transformations the city has undergone. It was also one of the first streets to boast public lighting and sidewalks!
Mercure Beauvau is proud to be part of the city's history. It was built and opened in 1816. Its legacy includes 241 pieces of antique furniture which blend in beautifully with today's innovations in equipment and amenities. In the guestrooms we honor Provence and its artisan traditions through the use of boutis quilts, embroidered items, and curtain fabrics that are reproductions of old calico prints. The ceramic pieces in the bathrooms recall the fact that the Marseille-based Manufacture de Fauchier was one of the five biggest faience factories in France in the 19th century.
After 1850, the city was dotted with "grand cafés" where polite society would meet to converse and drink mocha. Inspired by the Grand Café Turc, our hotel bar, with its subtle arabesque motifs, is a reminder that Marseille was the last port of call before the Orient and its treasures. Comfortably ensconced in their armchairs, our visitors have a sweeping view of the Vieux Port to enjoy with their drinks -- while daydreaming, I'm sure, of the great ships that set sail from here on journeys to the ends of the earth.
