I see from a glance at the other reviews, that opinion, although 2 to 1 in favour, is sharply polarized. I can understand why. As always, it's a matter of taste. If you want a modern, impersonally efficient, business friendly hotel, this is not for you. If, however, you value the individualistic, family owned, personal style of hotel, this should be your sort of place. And if extraordinary cuisine, verging on the exceptional, is a priority, this is the place!

We have just returned from a weekend at the Petit Nice. This was our first visit to the hotel and our first visit to Marseille. Marseille is a large, industrialised town and is not, in itself, a pretty place. The Petit Nice, however, is hidden at the end of a tiny road, off a main road and has an imposing view of the entire bay of Marseille from its vantage point on the rocks overlooking the sea. The hotel has 16 rooms and junior suites in two Neo-Classical villas, one of which houses the lobby, restaurant, bar and rooms; the other adjacent villa only has rooms.

Our junior suite had its own private garden overlooking the sea and was well sized, with a large well appointed bathroom. It was very comfortable, although a lick of paint will be due sometime over the next year or so. The levels of service, housekeeping and general friendly personal attitude were excellent.

The real star, however, was the food, which was utterly wonderful and well deserved the the two Michelin stars. It was not cheap - we had one menu at €90 and another, on the second night, at €140 - but the quality and the inventiveness were truly special and we thought the menus represented very fair value for the quality. The wine list was fairly priced for the quality in a two star restaurant.

The room service menu, however, which is the available choice for a light lunch by the pool, is not good value. An omelette was €15 and a plate of charcuterie was €35, which is an awful lot of money for a couple of eggs or a plate of cold meats. So the visitor should be aware! With that one gripe, however, it is an exceptional place and one to which we will return. But only for two or three days at a time - we just couldn't eat like that for longer!

The Petit Nice Passedat is best avoided for many reasons, but mostly is should be avoided because it is over priced. I spent one night in this hotel, and couldn't wait to check out. The best thing about this hotel was leaving. Its not that the staff are not nice, they were quite helpful, but when a hotel trades on the name of the proprietor then you know that it is style over substance.

Unfortunately style had taken a permanent vacation. What annoys me about certain establishments is where just about everything from the bottled water to the breakfast is artificially priced so high to justify 'the concept'. This would be fine if you were staying in a palatial hotel where no expense has been spared in design, decor and service. But the Petit Nice Passedat has pretences beyond the Burj al Arab in Dubai and you know from the moment you look at the menu that greed knows no bounds.

So if you want to pay €7 for a bottled water from the mini bar, or a €108 per person for the menu (Trust me you don't want to look at the a la Carte) then you'll feel right at home at the Petit Nice.

My final observation about the Petit Nice was my amusement in finding a condom in my bathroom! I'll leave it to your imagination as to why the owners supply them (free) to their guests?

This magical place is one of the most extraordinary I have ever been. It has a unique blend of beauty and convenience, modernity and warmth, elegance and hospitality, luxury and simplicity. We've stayed in the corner junior suite, and from the moment of stepping into this room it became obvious that it would be a happy one. Bright marine white and blue hues shone cheerfully in the sunlit space with four enormous windows, one of them leading to the grandiose terrace overlooking the sea. The room seemed to be filled with joy, with the huge bed as the centerpiece of this terrestrial yacht voyage, and to top off this hedonism with utmost indulgence there was a bathtub for two in the bedroom, next to another window and while enjoying the pleasures of bathing the sea can be marveled at…

The saltwater swimming pool awaits, surrounded by the views of the sea and the garden.

After all the breathtaking discoveries and sporty adventures, the restaurant is yet another one, a pinnacle of seafood exquisiteness. The chef's own innovative version of the Bouillabaisse suggests an overabundant portion of the soup with eight different kinds of mysterious sea monsters, and the dessert and appetizers and all the little mis-en-bouche in between would make Apicius and Lucullus pale from hungry envy.

And it is a luxury to fall asleep in the deep tender of the dark Mediterranean night, hypnotized by the sound of the rustling breezing tide…

A place to return.

Have stayed for two nights twice. Room had
180 degree view of the sea. Luxurious
appointments. Roomy. Air conditioned, but
we simply opened the windows to catch a warm
sea breeze. Passedat creates the finest seafood
you will ever taste in a beautiful room with
a magnificant view. Service leans toward young
people starting out - and they make mistakes.
The food will make you forget that.
Impossibly hard to get to, and certainly nothing near it to walk to. But if you want to sleep in,
then take a day trip to Provence to return to the
best food in Southern France, then stay here.