Happy Wednesday friends! Today I am so excited to share more about our stay at the beautiful Hilton Garden Inn in Marseille, France! If you want to see an IG reel all about our stay click HERE! This really was the perfect way to start our Rhone River Cruise Trip! If you are going on a Rhone River Cruise (in the direction of Avignon to Lyon) and are looking for a place to stay before - I can't recommend this property enough!
There are certain places that quietly shape a trip—not because they are extravagant, but because they offer something increasingly rare: ease. Our stay at the Hilton Garden Inn Marseille Provence Airport was exactly that. Close to the airport (less than 2 miles away), a soft place to land just outside the rhythm of the city—simple, calm, and far more beautiful than I expected for the price point.
First Impressions: The Kind of Arrival You Hope For
We arrived after a long overnight flight—one of those travel stretches where time blurs and sleep never quite comes. And y'all this is where this stay mattered most.
Instead of navigating a busy city center on little rest, we stepped into something entirely different: quiet, light, and immediate calm. The staff were genuinely warm and welcoming—from the first pickup a at the airport shuttle, gracious in that way that makes you feel taken care of without effort, and most importantly it felt like they understood exactly what travelers need in that moment: ease, kindness, and a place to simply exhale.
For us, it became the perfect transition point—a gentle landing before the journey really began.
The Room: Simple Cozy-Luxury, Done Well
Our room was exactly what I look for when traveling to Marseille- a clean, safe, quiet room, but it became so much more than that. If you saw the instagram reel (click HERE)- you will understand how we were completely shocked at the large picture window in our room that showed incredible views of the bay area. We didn't even ever turn on the TV - when we were in our room we simply just kept looking out at the window watching the beauty and settling in to this quiet space that felt more luxurious than you could imagine.
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The Details That Matter
For me- I had hopes that it would be a very nice stay. A place that would be safe for two women traveling alone and it was much more than that! It was a stay that truly was a resort like oasis and despite being near the airport- you never felt like you were at anything but a lovely resort in Southern France.
The "small" details added up:
1. A seamless airport shuttle that removes any stress on arrival (and taking us back and forth for travel into Marseille the next day and for when we left the property to meet up with the Viking Shuttle Service) and was absolutely lovely. The small mini-vans make you feel like it is a luxurious car service, not a simple hotel say.
2. An on-site restaurant with a terrace that feels relaxed, not rushed and also provides room service which we used two nights so we could watch the sun set from our room. They also were very accommodating to my allergies! The food was delicious y'all and extremely affordable.
3. A pool and outdoor space that invite you to linger just a little longer - there are lots of places to sit, linger, and just enjoy the beautiful property.
4. Staff who are attentive, kind, and consistently helpful. We found this with all of the staff- and they were just amazing. They were attentive, kind, and just genuinely welcoming. We arrived so exhausted and when our credit card wouldn't work to pay the security deposit, they helped us with the details and said not to worry about it. (Once our bank opened up I of course went back down and took care of this, but the kindness to two women who had a brief issue with their bank and couldn't deal with it with the time difference was just exceptionally kind. We had paid for our stay but for some reason the bank briefly blocked the additional charge thinking it was fraud.) The staff's reaction set the tone for everything. I admit I was near tears being so tired and their kindness immediately just changed the entire situation.
These are the kinds of touches that quietly shift a stay from fine to memorable.
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Affordability
This is where this stay truly stands out.
There’s a narrative in travel—especially in the South of France—that beauty must come at a high cost. And yet, this stay gently challenged that.
The Hilton Garden Inn Marseille Provence Airport offers something I am increasingly drawn to: affordable cozy-luxury.
Not in a flashy sense—but in a grounded, intentional way. A place where you can rest well, feel taken care of, and still travel thoughtfully.
The amount we spent? $109 (US) each night. This includes taxes and everything. Y'all. Absolutely unbelievable considering the other properties were ranging from $400-$1000+ in Marseille.
A Perfect Pause Before the Rhône River Cruise
This part felt especially aligned for our trip. We were preparing to begin our Rhône River cruise with Viking—traveling from Avignon to Lyon—and this stay became the ideal in-between.
Instead of rushing, we had space to rest, reset, and arrive well before continuing on.
If you’re planning a similar itinerary, this is such a strategic (and peaceful) choice:
1- Fly into Marseille
2- Stay here to recover from travel
3- Explore Marseille at your leisure
4- Then continue on to your cruise departure point
It transforms the start of your trip from exhausting → intentional.
Location: A Different Way to Experience Marseille
While it’s not in the heart of the old port, the ability to travel to Old Port was incredibly easy. This location offers a different kind of rhythm:
1. Close enough to explore Marseille, Aix-en-Provence, and the surrounding region
We actually considered renting a car prior to our trip and exploring more of the region. If you are able to do this I would highly recommend it. With my work schedule and the amount of vacation days I have this was just not possible, but would definitely recommend this. We opted to spend our one full day between arrival into Marseille and the day we embarked on the cruise in Old Port Marseille and took the bus and train to get there. It was incredibly easy from the Hilton (we simply took the shuttle from the hotel to the airport where we got on a bus) and that is definitely something I would recommend.
2. Removed enough to actually rest
Despite being so close to the airport- it was incredibly quiet and so restful. After our day in Marseille we actually came to the conclusion that it was much more restful where we stayed then if we had made our way into Old Town like we originally considered.
3. Ideal for early flights, transitions, or slower travel days
The Hilton Garden Inn Marseille was absolutely lovely and I can't recommend it enough. If you have any questions please let me know!
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