64 Rue de la Loubière, 13006 Marseille

Mama Shelter Marseille

Name: Mama Shelter Marseille
Address: 64 Rue de la Loubière, Marseille, 13006, fr
Price range: 97 EUR - 175 EUR

Hotel-restaurant 3-star in Marseille

With parking
Romantic stay
Design
Pets allowed
3 stars
Family
Accessible for disabled

Presentation

Marseille breathes, embodies, pulses. This southern city didn't wait to charm travelers in search of authenticity, and it's precisely in the Cours Julien neighborhood, at the crossroads of three historic worlds, that Mama Shelter has planted its roots for several years already. Just a few minutes’ walk from the Notre-Dame du Mont metro station, the establishment enjoys a central location that makes it easy to reach the city's must-sees. The Old Port is within reasonable distance, as are the Vélodrome stadium and the famous Prado beaches, accessible by metro in less than twenty minutes. This prime position also places you in immediate proximity to art galleries, emerging concert venues, and terraces where you can pulse with the beating heart of the city.

The building itself tells a Marseillaise story: a former butcher's warehouse transformed into a contemporary living space, it proudly displays its six floors of concrete and aluminum. As soon as you step through the door, the brand's signature atmosphere engulfs you. Philippe Starck designed the interior decor, and his recognizable style reigns supreme: a controlled explosion of whimsy, blending urban minimalism with deliberate madness. The white, black, and gray hallways guide you to your room, punctuated with sardine motifs and metallic marine creatures. Inflatable buoys hang from the restaurant ceiling, celluloid superheroes adorn the walls, chalk inscriptions scribble across the ceilings of common areas. This deliberate playfulness creates an atmosphere where relaxation meets creativity, far from sterile austerity.

The one hundred and twenty-five rooms are spread over six floors, each decorated with evident care. You'll find raw concrete walls, mismatched tile floors, fuchsia poufs scattered about, and colorful touches that break up the intentional sobriety of the whole. Five room categories meet your needs, from Small Mama to XL Mama, offering sizes ranging from fifteen to forty-two square meters. For families, the XXL Mama rooms offer connecting options ideal for stays with children. Regardless of your choice, five-star bedding is Mama Shelter’s top priority: it's the heart of comfort, where rest rhymes with quality.

Each room is equipped with functional furniture designed for modern travelers. A bed with a chrome frame cradles your sleep beneath a luminous opaque headboard, while a sleek white desk remains available for your work. The large wall-mounted iMac centralizes all your digital needs: internet, television, radio, computer, all integrated. The video-on-demand service is free, offering a wide selection of films for all tastes. The private bathroom includes a shower, hairdryer, and complimentary solid organic toiletries, environmentally friendly and gentle on your skin. A mini-fridge lets you keep your drinks close at hand, while a safe secures your valuables. Free WiFi throughout the property ensures uninterrupted connectivity.

Mama Shelter also offers a photobooth and videobooth to immortalize your moments of relaxation, turning them into tangible memories. Children benefit from a special menu at the restaurant, and young guests under three years old enjoy free breakfast. Baby cots are available upon request. A hotel shop offers useful items alongside more unusual objects: toothbrushes, toothpaste, and various rare finds.

The restaurant is the true beating heart of the establishment. Long bar, open kitchen, long light wood tables lined with multicolored cushion-covered benches: the space creates a friendly atmosphere around a shared meal. Contemporary Mediterranean cuisine reigns supreme, crafted by chefs committed to honoring the modern traditions of the Mediterranean basin. The menu includes baba ganoush, octopus salad, homemade panisses with spicy aioli, grilled sea bream, parsleyed calamari, tuna carpaccio, grilled mackerel, tonkatsu tuna. The dishes remain simple, generous, affordable, and favor local and seasonal products. A reinvented ham-and-pasta dish is one of the house's must-tries. On Sunday mornings, the brunch exceeds expectations in variety: sweet, savory, refined and well-prepared, with desserts worthy of their reputation. It’s one of the best brunches in Marseille, according to aficionados.

The covered patio-style terrace completes the gastronomic experience. Colorful benches, a pastis bar, signature cocktails crafted by bartenders: you settle in comfortably to remake the world in the cool shade. The bar features cleverly named cocktails, including the famous Mama Loves You, accompanied by a playful atmosphere where the aromas of pastis mingle with good vibes. DJ sets and live concerts liven up several nights a week, turning the restaurant into a social hub where boredom has no place. Apéritifs are elevated by a regular schedule of comedy shows and musical performances. A takeaway menu allows you to enjoy your meals on nearby beaches, adding welcome flexibility to your schedule.

The hotel offers three original and cleverly designed meeting rooms called Les Ateliers. These modular spaces host events, meetings, seminars, or any gathering you plan to organize. Equipped with high-tech equipment, a mini-bar, and even a ping-pong table to ease minds, they embody Mama's philosophy that work should never exclude relaxation. Giant foosball table, sunny terrace, shared dishes, five-star bedding in-room: all the ingredients for workdays without austerity.

The self-service parking lot offers forty-five spaces, two of which are equipped with electric vehicle charging stations. One additional charging station is also available. The reception operates twenty-four hours a day, ensuring constant assistance. Multilingual staff can communicate in several languages, and a vending machine with drinks and snacks complements the services. Car rental, a business center, a computer station, a banquet hall, dry cleaning, and laundry services are all available. The establishment also offers a continental buffet breakfast served between seven and eleven in the morning, including homemade hot chocolate, fresh fruit juices, breads and jams, homemade brioches, scrambled eggs, cheeses, and various treats. An additional fee applies for this service.

Mama Shelter belongs to the Accor group and is part of its Planet 21 program, demonstrating a commitment to positive hospitality. One hundred percent of the group’s hotels participate in a civic or solidarity action. The Plant for the Planet program results in the planting of one tree every minute. Within the establishment itself, a thirty percent reduction in food waste remains a stated and pursued goal. Straws are biodegradable, bathroom products are organic, and Mama loves green: this ecological philosophy permeates every decision, every detail, every service offered.

The Notre-Dame du Mont neighborhood offers an authentic urban experience, far from the beaten paths of mass tourism. You'll discover a trendy, artistic, lively atmosphere. Typical Marseillaise buildings stand alongside art galleries, designer boutiques, cafés where local conversations take root. A ten-minute walk from Cours Julien brings you to this iconic Marseille universe, where emerging concert venues regularly hum with music, where sunlit terraces welcome you for apéritif, where a rare kind of creative energy circulates. Marseillais themselves frequent the Mama Shelter bar regularly: an unmistakable sign of quality and authenticity.

Ten minutes from the hotel, Borély beach offers a reserved area for guests with forty sun loungers available. You can thus combine urban culture, coastal relaxation, and gastronomic pleasures all in the same day. The region’s famous calanques are accessible for those seeking wild nature and swimming among white rocks. The emblematic Old Port invites you to stroll among colorful facades, picturesque restaurants, and an authentic Mediterranean atmosphere.

Mama Shelter stands about seven hundred meters from the Cantini Museum and the Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde, two major historical landmarks of Marseille. Marseille Provence Airport is twenty-five kilometers away, reachable by road in about thirty minutes. The nearby Saint-Charles train station facilitates train travel, while the metro drops you just steps from the establishment. This geographic configuration makes Mama Shelter an ideal base for exploring the Phocean city in all its dimensions.

The Panier neighborhood, the former heart of Old Marseille, retains its narrow streets, small family-run restaurants, and endearing authenticity. You'll encounter colorful street art walls, remnants of old Marseille, and residents passionate about their traditions. A fifteen-minute walk from Mama Shelter leads you into this world that has preserved its soul despite urban changes. Concert halls scattered around Cours Julien regularly host French and international artists, offering a vibrant cultural life for both locals and visitors. Museums, including the Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Mediterranean Civilizations, enrich your stay for those in search of culture and history.

The Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde towers over the entire city from its hilltop position. This white monument with golden domes catches the eye from nearly anywhere in Marseille. The visit remains a must, offering not only a spiritual space but also spectacular panoramic views of the Mediterranean basin and the entire city. The Orange Vélodrome, mythical stadium of Marseillaise football, is a must-see for sports enthusiasts and those wishing to feel the passion that drives Olympique de Marseille supporters. The Expo Park, equidistant from Mama Shelter and the Old Port, hosts occasional events, trade shows, and cultural gatherings in tune with the seasons and local news.

The Sunday brunch deserves a special mention in your planning. Sweet and savory, refined and well-cooked, gargantuan in variety, this weekly event attracts a clientele that appreciates every detail. Particularly well-crafted desserts crown the experience. Book your table if you want to taste its delights, as Sunday’s popularity means spots fill up quickly. It’s one of the standout culinary experiences offered by the establishment.

Regularly scheduled stand-up or comedy shows at the bar create a festive atmosphere where laughter mingles with drinks. These free events are available to hotel guests and add a layer of social life to your stay. You can simply relax on the terrace with friends, including with takeaway food for a meal elsewhere in the city, or let yourself be swept away by the vibe when it pulses stronger in the evening.

Mama Shelter Marseille embodies a philosophy of contemporary hospitality that rejects false dichotomies. Here, you'll find five-star comfort and budget accessibility, urban minimalism and colorful whimsy, total relaxation and creative buzz. Philippe Starck has succeeded in infusing life and madness into spaces that could have remained cold. The staff welcomes you warmly, sometimes even with the local melodic accent. Details matter: solid organic toiletries, superhero masks on the walls, photobooth, giant foosball table—everything converges toward a thoughtfully crafted experience. It's not a palace but an urban home created by someone who understands what modern travelers seek: a place to sleep without renouncing life.

Your stay at Mama Shelter will swing between in-room relaxation, urban explorations in adjacent neighborhoods, meals shared around long tables, apéritifs on the covered terrace, and swims at Borély beach. You’ll take your time without guilt, create unpretentious memories, and savor the Marseillaise art of living without observing it from a distance. The establishment doesn’t impose—it suggests. It doesn’t promise the extraordinary—it delivers the enjoyable with care. That’s exactly what makes for successful stays: this alchemy between location, comfort, atmosphere, and accessibility. Marseille awaits you, and Mama Shelter is the perfect starting point to discover it from all angles—from sunsets over the Old Port to live concerts at Cours Julien, including those quiet moments when you’ll simply savor being here, in the South, far from unnecessary hustle.

A few activities and discoveries near this hotel

Stroll through Cours Julien, Marseille’s quintessential artistic district located just ten minutes away on foot, where spectacular street art, contemporary galleries, local designer boutiques, and weekly markets meet lively terraces and renowned concert venues such as Molotov or Espace Julien, gems for fans of diverse live music.
Explore the Cantini Museum, located in a 17th-century townhouse near the Old Port, which houses one of the richest public collections of modern French art with works by Picasso, Matisse, Kandinsky, Braque, and the surrealists who found refuge in Marseille during World War II.
Discover the Calanques of the National Park, natural gems accessible by hike or boat: the Calanque de Sormiou remains a Marseillaise favorite with its large white sand beach, turquoise waters, and quaint cabins overlooking the landscape, about forty-five minutes by bus from the hotel.
Admire the panorama of the entire Phocean city from the Basilica of Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde, an iconic monument whose white silhouette has overlooked the city for nearly four centuries, offering not only a spiritual space but also unforgettable views of the Mediterranean basin.
Enjoy beaches accessible by metro towards the Prado or Catalans beach, relaxing alternatives for swimming and leisure in the city without a long walk, particularly appreciated by families seeking convenience and nearby amenities.
Wander the Panier district with its picturesque labyrinthine alleys, the authentic former heart of Marseille located near the Old Port, where medieval history and colorful architecture create a bohemian, timeless atmosphere far from marked tourist paths.

Summary of some positive reviews read online

Pleasant and comfortable rooms with very generous breakfast and friendly staff, parking greatly appreciated in this tricky neighborhood, attractive value for money and overall relaxed atmosphere.
Truly caring welcome, spacious and impeccably clean room, friendly and available staff at all times, excellent breakfast, a full range of high-quality services including restaurant, bar, and pleasant terrace.
Original décor by Philippe Starck creates a playful and unique ambiance, far from the austere aesthetics of classic hotel chains, comfortable bedding ensures restorative sleep, modern tech amenities and high-quality organic bathroom products.
Sunday brunch lives up to its reputation, impressive diversity of sweet and savory dishes, refined culinary preparation, well-crafted and flavorful desserts, friendly and festive atmosphere in the heart of the restaurant and adjacent terrace.
Authentic living space where the bar's vibe with DJ sets and musical events makes you want to stay rather than explore elsewhere, welcoming and warm staff, feeling like being in a vibrant space rather than a traditional hotel.
Flawlessly organized business stay with efficient reception, impeccable cleanliness in common areas and rooms, quality restaurant, well-executed Sunday brunch, complete services allowing focus on work or relaxation as needed.