We arrived just before New Years Eve. The hotel lobby looks very nice, in art-deco style. Check-in was fast and friendly. We had an Ocean Front Deluxe room, a little more expensive, but more spacieus than the ordinary room (they're not too big) and an excellent view of the beach and ocean! Quite soon we found out that it was not possible to turn off the airco, as the only thing you can change inside your room is the flow of air from the central system. This knob was broken and therefore we had a constant draft in the room. We reported this to the front desk and were immediately given another room, one floor up. This one was fine. Small bathroom, but that's quite common in Miami Beach.

What stood out was the very friendly staff, especially at the front desk. The pool is quite ok, it has a nice pool bar with plenty of cocktails to choose from, hammocks and pool beds. Because of the new year celebration they also had a dj set up who played relaxing tunes. Perfect! The pool itself was very cold, but since the area towards the beach connects with the hotel next door, you can easily take a dip in their pool, which was a lot warmer!

We thought we'd picked the perfect hotel, until we went to bed. For four nights straight we were woken in our sleep. The first time because our next door neighbour decided to turn on the TV loudly in the middle of the night, and then leave the room. Security was quickly up there, so that was handled ok. The 2nd time the fire alarm went off. Again, this is something the hotel staff can't really do a lot about, but why does it take 30 mins to turn it off! The 3rd and 4th night the room next door was occupied by a bunch of students who started screaming and yelling at 3am. We called the front desk at least 4 times, and each time all they did was phone the room and asked them to be quiet. Sure! Who would have thought that the front desk staff can be too friendly!?! The rooms in this hotel are paper thin, even at a normal tone of voice we could hear every word, let alone screaming!

I reported this again on check-out, but the (still friendly, but not very helpful) staff 'could not do anything for me'. I'd had to wait for the FD-manager, but we couldn't because we had to catch our flight. He suggested to write an email to the General Manager, which I did, but two weeks later I still did not get a reply.

What a shame! This could have been a perfect hotel, if only they had taken the opportunity to make me a happy guest again. We're not staying there again, because the risk of noise in the middle of the night is just too big with those walls. Going on holiday is also about getting some rest, and that's exactly what we did not get.

My wife and I, along with our 4 year old daughter, escaped the cold weather of the northeast to spend a few days on south beach and bring in the new year. We had read the mixed reviews on TripAdvisor, visited
the Marseilles' website (which we were impressed with), and spoken with a few friends who travel to Miami Beach frequently. Our well-informed gamble paid off!

From the moment we pulled up to the hotel until our much lamented departure (it's tough putting away sandals and bathing suit, knowing you'll soon be donning gloves and a scarf), we felt like VIP guests. One of the bell boys helped with our bags and rental car (valeted into
a gated lot 1 block away) while another entertained our daughter long enough for us to gather loose items and get our bareings. My wife and daughter had a seat in the tv lounge near the bar while I checked in.
Our ocean-front room was spacious, clean, and comfortable. We were frustrated with the lack of a balcony (fotos from the website led me to believe the rooms had balconies)... and the fact that the windows would not open, so I called down to lodge my complaint. It was explained to me that they do in fact have rooms with balconies, but that they are slightly more expensive luxury suites and only have a partial view of the beach, as they are not "beachfront" rooms. The hotel was at full capacity, but the gentleman at the front desk explained that he would gladly show me one of the rooms, but that while he would try his best to move us if that's what we wished to do,
he couldn't promise that we could make the move. Feeling sure that I wouldn't want to cough up the extra money even if we could get the room, I took him up on the offer to see it. Long story short, we dealt
with the lack of a balcony, but now I know that the next time my wife and I want a romantic getaway, we will call the Marseilles and book one of the suites (big jacuzzi, nice stereo system ... and the balcony!).

So, what else did we like?
1) tasty breakfast on the outdoor patio in front of the hotel, providing an enviable spot for people-watching on Collins Avenue. Something about the patio gave the place a bit of a bed & breakfast like atmosphere, where we ended up having interesting conversation with folks from all over the globe virtually every morning. Because of the convenience factor, not to mention the reasonable prices of the
food, we only slipped away for a "splurge" on Lincold Rd once.

2) given our daughter's lack of affinity for sand and salt water, we spent a lot of time at the pool, and the awesome little hammock-laden area at the back of the property near the gate to the boardwalk. Our daughter played with friends on the "playground" (basically a small exercise complex/jungle gym) while we sipped mojitos and relaxed in the nearby hammocks. The pool was adequate, but nothing to rave about.

3) the outdoor bar ... and bartender. Although the food menu is very limited, we thoroughly enjoyed the burgers, buffalo wings, and fries.
The waiter/bartender we always dealt with was an Ecuadorian fellow by the name of Moses. He took care of us, and seemed to be keeping everyone else happy as well. During the weekend and on New Year's Eve there was a dj out by the bar playing music that was a little louder than we cared for, and not necessarily our style, but the younger crowd, especially the Europeans, really seemed to be enjoying. Over breakfast the next morning we were told that the dj kept the crowd going and growing until finally pulling the plug around 3am. I'm assuming that was a unique situation, as we never heard the dj during evening hours on any of the other nights of our stay.

One piece of advice: if you happen to be there on one of the rare nights when it is actually cold in Miami Beach (it got down into the 30s during our stay), don't look for the heat switch; there isn't one!
We called down to ask for an extra blanket, which we quickly got, and found out that they have a limited number of space heaters for such occassions, which served us well until the cold spell passed!

Almost forgot - I got a great massage in one of the cabanyas out by the pool area. The room was a little stuffy, but the massage therapist, whose name I didn't catch, was excellent.

Absolutely loved my stay at Marseilles. Location is just what you need - distant from the noise of Ocean Drive, but still within a reach of walking. Many places to eat and shop are available closeby. My room in a hotel was outstanding, very clean, bright and comfortable. Small fridge was useful. Staff is very pleasant. Everybody smiles and greets you, very helpful and attentive. Great place, and right on the beach, too!

We stayed at the Marseilles hotel in oct 07 before leaving on a cruise.It looks very nice on the internet, but in reality it needs a lot of work. Smells musty, noisy housekeeping, can't control your own ac. For the price we paid, I expected a lot more. The location is good, in walking distance to lincoln rd which we loved. Direct access to the beach is also a plus.Upon returning from our cruise we stayed at South seas next door, which was a bit cheaper in price and had a nice continental breakfast in the am. The rooms at South seas weren't much better, but for one night it's ok.