Mouchki

The rooms themselves are lovely: quiet enough, with great air conditioning and nice bathrobes. The area seemed perfectly okay to me, despite some dramatic reviews. It's not chic, but it's close to the station. I liked the concept and would stay again; the rooms are well appointed and fairly priced, with plenty of potential. A few small issues still need sorting, and I found it frustrating that there were no water bottles in the room. My main concern is security. This is listed as a hotel, but it's really several Airbnb-style rooms using one entrance, with no concierge or staff. I'm pretty sure every room shares the same door code. The so-called luggage storage was just a cupboard anyone could open. I took the chance and had no trouble, but it doesn't feel secure and needs attention soon.

I liked how central it was, with lots of coffee spots and places serving couscous nearby. The neighborhood is a little rough around the edges, but it felt like real Marseille, and for the price it's hard to do better. I was worried about noise after reading other reviews, since I'm quite neurotic about sound, but room 2 was quiet and I barely heard the neighbors or street. The bed was comfortable, and the stylish room looked straight out of a magazine. The WiFi could be better, and the bathroom sink wasn't working properly.

We cancelled straight away and still didn't get a refund. The staff were petulant and unhelpful. I wouldn't stay here, and the photos are misleading. The building has graffiti outside, and the entrance looks abandoned. There seems to be no security, and the place felt deserted. I'd also seen reports of cars being broken into in front of the property. When complaints come up, they say they've never heard of anything like it, though reviews on Booking and Google Reviews say otherwise. The location felt unsafe and sketchy, and the whole experience was terrible.

Once you're past the second set of doors, the rooms are clean and finished in a modern, well-kept style, just as advertised. They're also well placed for walking to the Old Port and Saint-Charles station. Getting there can be unsettling: the street was under construction, and the first stairwell was dusty and ominous. The place feels anonymous and alienating, like the lodgings in that David Fincher assassin movie, with a sharing-economy setup installed in an abandoned building and no owner or reception, only an app's blank stare.