The NH Hotel Group celebrated the debut of its nhow brand in Provence, France with the inauguration of the nhow Marseille.
The new establishment, which had been operating under the NH trademark since 1 May 2017, has been rebranded as the nhow Marseille and fully refurbished by the Marseille-based architects and representatives of SHPB (Société Hôtelière du Palm Beach), Claire Fatosme and Christian Lefèvre, and Italian architect, Teresa Sapey.
The nhow Marseille, perched on the Corniche waterfront, almost leaning out over the sea, has 150 rooms in total: 39 standard rooms, 5 family rooms, 96 premium rooms with a balcony, 9 suites (three with large terraces) and a two-storey 130m² nhow penthouse suite. In addition, the hotel has:
A Sky Bar located on the third floor, where an original chandelier made up of 4000 steel sardines, created for Sciabetti by English artist Frances Bromley is the protagonist of the place. It is destined to become one of the key venues of Marseille's life, with an eclectic and surprising artistic program. Between lights and shadows, between interior and exterior, the Sky-bar was born with the aim of being a benchmark in the mixology and a meeting point to celebrate all kinds of events, both during the day and night.
A Tunnel Bar, on the ground floor is located between two waters: the freshwater of the Roucas Blanc spring in the original part of the building and the salt water of the sea into which the first flows. It is this passage between shade and light, coolness and heat that expresses the masterpiece of the décor designed by Teresa Sapey.
A Cactus Bar on the ground floor evokes the exotic gardens of the Mediterranean coast and announces the nearby Provençal sun. This space is the place for private conversations, parentheses of ephemeral solitude and unexpected encounters in the heart of thenhowMarseille.
A restaurant run by local chef Benjamin Mathieu and a roof bar, the last two overlooking the Mediterranean. A hip and elegant atmosphere, but with a simple and laid-back seaside chic, simple and informal. The menu is playful, using the bases of Mediterranean cuisine and the products that Benjamin Mathieu unearths from somewhat secret places and revisits in his way, to surprise the guests.
A Phytomer spa offering all of the brand's signature treatments and a swimming pool at the sea's edge, supplied by the Roucas Blanc spring. The spa located in the ground floor like the Tunnel Bar, also assures the transition between the city and Mediterranean nature.
As for its Meetings and Events (M&E) offering, the hotel has 14 meeting rooms with capacity for up to 421 people and a 322-seat auditorium, all fitted out with the latest technology.
nhow Marseille, all sides of the city together in one
Architects Claire Fatosme and Christian Lefèvre were tasked with renovating the hall, the glass lookout on the second floor and the Sky Bar, which is dominated by a lamp made up of 4,000 of steel sardines made for Sciabetti by English artist Frances Bromley. The corridors decorated with images of graffiti found on the streets of Marseille also feature their imprint, as do the rooms, considered an ode to the sea and light, the nhow penthouse suite and the spa. "We sought to capture all sides of the city of Marseille through its artists. A fresco and visual cartoons by local artist Tristan Bonnemain, graffiti reinterpreted by Marseille's graphic arts designer Guy Bargin and visual graphics by another local graphic arts designer Adrien Bargin give the various spaces a unique, inspiring and emblematic local feel", said Claire Fatosme
and Christian Lefèvre.
When selecting the experts the Group collaborates with, the exquisite quality and unique know-how that characterise NH Hotel Group are key. And NH found the perfect ally in Teresa Sapey, alongside Fatosme and Lefèvre, for breathing life into the new nhow Marseille. The renowned Italian architect was asked to design the common areas on the ground floor including the Cactus Bar, Tunnel Bar, restaurant, terrace and M&E areas. Teresa Sapey said of the experience "I attempted to layer the contradictions and energy of Marseille into the hotel's identity to give it a unique and decidedly Marseillais personality. The Cactus Bar, for example, looks like an enormous submarine platform under the Corniche's rock. The hand basins are designed in the shape of the soap of Marseille and the floors, in a palette of blues and emerald greens, are a true reflection of the colours of the sea."
With this refurbishment, the hotel has reclaimed its Marseille credentials, between land and sea, between city and beach, offering a surprising concept and interior design in line with the city's evolution and the brand's disruptive nature. nhow Marseille is the expression of the clash between two contrasting universes: the Provence, with its light and its nature which inspire joy and symbolize vacations, and the city of Marseille with the shadow of its disorder, its disobedience and its pride.
The new establishment under the Group's most chameleon-like brand joins the other three nhow hotels located in the cities of Berlin, Milan and Rotterdam, which will be soon accompanied by new nhow hotels in destinations such as Brussels, London, Rome, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Santiago de Chile and Lima. Seven new destinations in which NH Hotel Group is looking to roll out the disruptive, innovative and creative spirit of a brand that has arrived to break moulds.
nhow Marseille is the Company's fourth hotel in France where it also has an NH Collection, similarly located in Marseille, and two hotels operated under its NH Hotels trademark in the cities of Lyon and Nice. "France has become a priority market for us, particularly in the premium and luxury segments. Our aim is to open around 20 hotels, 10 under our high-end trademark NH Collection, two or three under our iconic nhow brand and seven under the NH brand", said Hugo Rovira, Managing Director for NH Hotel Group in Southern Europe and the US.
Located between two bodies of water, the freshwater of the Roucas Blanc spring, in the original part of the building, and the salty seawater, which the spring flows into, the nhow Marseille is the city's most emblematic hotel, echoing its contrasts, between sun and sea, between the city and its animation, an ideal destination on the Mediterranean coast for a holiday or idyllic escape at the water's edge or for a memorable corporate event.
nhow Marseille, epicenter of art and culture
The hotel's location, on the Corniche, between the Old Port and the Prado district, is an undeniable advantage for the organization of events in a unique and accessible setting. One of the goals of this extraordinary hotel is to become in a meeting an exchange point between local, national and international artists. Furthermore, the collaboration among local entities as museums, Tourism Office and other institutions, will be key to bring the destination closer to the guest from the brand nhow point of view.
nhow Marseille, with 14 meeting rooms, 7 of which have sea views, capable of hosting up to 421 people, and an auditorium with a capacity for 322 people, completely equipped with the latest multimedia technologies, is an ideal venue for all kinds of professional or private events.
