La Relève

THE STORY: In the bustling Endoume neighborhood, two guys named Greg (Hessmann and Mandinato – already well-known for the neighboring Café de l’Abbaye) have turned the local institution La Relève into a true hotspot for travelers looking to spend the night, dreamt up by Marseille-based architect Elsa Junod. The concept’s rather obvious, yet brilliant nonetheless: four bedrooms nestled above the bar, named simply for their dominant color, all decorated by Annick Lestrohan and Ingrid Giribone, the mother-daughter duo behind the Marseille boutique Honoré. Want a closer look? Step inside the Jaune room, a sunny and inviting space with a Provencal atmosphere (ceramic details, a walk-in shower, tomette tiling from the floor to the walls), the Verte room with its slightly tropical, 1950s feel (a custom-made banquette, an antique mirror, a parrot wall sconce), the Rose room, all sweet and romantic with its rococo style (a rounded light wood headboard, decorative ornaments, golden taps); and the Bleue room, adorned with terra cotta details, navy blue stripes and small blue pool tiles. Want more? Views of Place Joseph-Étienne or Rue d’Endoume, with their authentically Marseille feel, await. Double rooms starting at €150 a night.

TOILETRIES: Locally-made artisan soap, lotion and shampoo.

BREAKFAST: Included, with good-quality coffee, a freshly-baked viennoiserie from La Maison Saint-Honoré and fresh fruit juice… which you can savor at the bar or on the sunny terrace starting at 8am.

LITTLE LUXURY: Sip on a pastis at the bar, after stepping out of the Bleue room.