Sofitel Marseille Vieux Port

Marseille might not be quite the rough-and-tumble port city its reputation would have you believe, but it’s closer to that than it is to, say, Dubai. Which is bad news if you want an utterly typical skyscraper-bound five-star hotel, but good news if you’re in the market for a lodging with personality. This is a city that’s overflowing with local character, a point that’s underlined by the fact that the closest thing it’s got to a contemporary luxury hotel is the Sofitel Marseille Vieux Port.

For this Sofitel is an odd duck, and if you know us, you know that’s praise, not criticism. It’s located not in some downtown district of office towers, but on a hill above the harbor, facing (if not technically within) the picturesque Old Port. It shares its building, a somewhat fortresslike mid-century structure, with its cousin the Novotel, but with a dedicated staff and a separate entrance it takes a keen eye to notice it.

It goes without saying that the Sofitel’s rooms are the ones you want — clean-lined, contemporary, with a soft edge of luxury but nothing resembling gaudiness. This is the ultra-refined style for which the chain is so well loved. Les Trois Forts, the signature restaurant, is a slice of fine-dining sophistication with an elevated view; round out your dining schedule with Le Carré Bistromanie’s evolving bistro menu and custom libations at Dantès Skylounge Bar. If that all gets to be a bit much, restore yourself in perfect isolation at the spa; sometimes this bustling harbor town is best seen but not heard.