At night, with the help of lighting, onlookers seized by the magic of the site see Sleeping Beauty's castle... instead of the luxurious hotel near Marseille's Old Port.
The city offers itself a sumptuous palace
Marseille is thus positioning itself as a flagship tourist city at an international level, but also as a real challenger to European business destinations.
Located on Panier Hill, the Intercontinental Marseille Hôtel-Dieu dominates the Old Port. The exceptional level of renovation of the old building revalorizes an entire district already rich in its heritage and its natural panoramic beauties.
With this establishment, the project of which required an investment of 150 million euros, France has reached the bar of 260 5-star luxury hotels.
History of the site
Before becoming a superb hotel complex, this building has survived all eras. As its name suggests, the establishment was set up in the former Hotel Dieu, 1188th century building classified as a historic monument. Founded around 1753, under the title of Hospital of the Holy Spirit, this place was a group of communicating houses welcoming abandoned and sick children. Work really began in XNUMX, organized by J. Hardouin-Mansart. From the end of the XNUMXth century, major phases of maintenance followed one another, giving this site an identity linked to the history of the city of Marseille.
Renovations
Three years of work, carried out by 400 workers and numerous companions, were necessary to rehabilitate the site. They followed extensive consultation with professionals and the designation, by the city's Municipal Council, of the winning group. It's the designer Jean-Philippe Nuel who was in charge of this project, he who claims to have wanted to “preserve the soul of the place while respecting the mineral tone of the decoration, while paying homage to the nearby Mediterranean”.
It's the architect Anthony Bechu who designed the new trappings of this building which contains monumental staircases, vaulted passageways and gardens overlooking the city.
