Ibis Budget Marseille L'estaque

I found cockroaches in the room, and the general conditions were unsanitary. It was very upsetting and unacceptable, and the disruption also caused problems for our staff. The hotel has lost our trust, and we won't book here again. I also requested a full invoice for the stay but received a bill covering only one room, which didn't match our booking agreement. I'm still waiting for the correct invoice. I wouldn't recommend this hotel to anyone.

We booked three nights but left after two because the stay was so awful. The whole hotel smelled of smoke, and our corridor had a strong cannabis smell too. The no-smoking signs clearly weren't being followed. Why put signs in the bedrooms and provide an ashtray? The bedding had holes, the bed was awful, and the shower cubicle was dirty. The window handles felt sticky, as if they hadn't been cleaned in a long time. We got two old, very thin towels and one bath mat. The toilet was small, and its light wouldn't stay on long enough for a pee, so you had to keep waving your hands to reactivate it. At least there was air conditioning, and we just about had a sea view. The place felt more like a residence where people lived and didn't care about anything than a hotel. It was a horrible stay, one of our worst, and we were relieved to leave for a nicer downtown hotel. We won't use this chain again.

The location worked for what I needed, a stopover the night before my cruise, with the port about a 15-minute drive away. Parking was available on site. Reception staff couldn't understand English, which was fine, and we used Google Translate to communicate. The so-called family room was just a small double bed with a bunk above it. None of the lights worked, the safe had been broken into before and no longer worked, and the shower cubicle was disgusting. The towels were full of holes and paper thin, the toilet seat was broken, and there was a hole in the ceiling of the toilet cubicle. I felt so unsafe that I put my suitcases against the door. £157 for one night felt like a complete rip-off to me. Rugby was on in Marseille, so I assume that's why the room price was bumped up.

The best part of the stay was the first staff we met: they were friendly, helpful, and got us checked in quickly with a room code. The free, large car park was useful too. We chose the Ibis for one night at the end of June 2019 because it was near both the airport and the city, and we were heading back to the airport the next morning. It sits on an industrial estate, though, far from shops or other facilities, and felt isolated in the evening. The room was small but functional, with air conditioning, a TV, several power points and lighting options. The shower was inside the room behind a frosted glass door, which may not suit everyone, though it worked for us. The toilet was tiny but usable. I had booked and paid the extra for three people, yet there were towels and toiletries for only two. What made us uneasy was the state of the bunk bed. The double bed was made, but the top bunk had an unmade sheet, a visible mattress, a duvet thrown in a heap, and a T shirt left by the previous guest. The room also smelled of stale cigarette smoke. I raised it with the night staff and handed over the shirt. One man just shrugged and set it aside. Another staff member explained that they only make the double bed because they aren’t paid to prepare the bunk for a third guest. I was given another towel and soap, but the response left me with no confidence in the bunk’s cleanliness, so all three of us slept in the double bed. The cigarette smell clung to me the next morning. The reception area smelled too, and staff were spraying it when we arrived. The place seemed in need of some care. The first staff we dealt with were great; the later receptionist didn’t seem keen to be friendly, though the person called over did what he could. We left early, agreeing we wouldn’t stay with the Ibis Budget chain again.