Marseille Gets New Ruby Lilou Hotel as Ruby Hotels Debuts in France

Ruby Hotels launches in France: The German brand has extended its growing portfolio to France with the opening of Ruby Lilou in Marseille, representing the opening of a 237-key lifestyle hotel and a new flexible workspace offering in the re-energised La Joliette district. The debut provides leisure and corporate guests with a new gateway in proximity to Marseille’s historic waterfront, and further enhances the company’s European portfolio within IHG Hotels & Resorts.

Ruby Lilou Brings 237 Rooms to Marseille

Ruby Lilou Marseille has opened in La Joliette, placing guests between the city’s historic waterfront and an important commercial district. The property has 237 rooms and combines accommodation, food and drink, social areas and a rooftop terrace.

The hotel’s arrival marks Ruby’s first move into the French hotel market. Ruby’s official destination information confirms the Marseille property has 237 rooms, a 24-hour bar and a rooftop terrace with city and sea views.

Its location also gives the opening added travel relevance. Marseille Tourism describes La Joliette as a major economic and cultural hub transformed through the Euroméditerranée regeneration programme.

Mediterranean Character Shapes the Hotel Design

The hotel draws its identity from Marseille’s Mediterranean setting, maritime past and creative culture. Provençal influences sit alongside design details inspired by the port city and its independent artistic character.

Rooms come in several categories. Key features include oversized beds, walk-in rainfall showers and blackout curtains. Maritime-inspired details connect the interiors with Marseille rather than creating a standardised city-hotel environment.

Music also plays a visible role. Guests can access curated programming and live performances, while rooms feature amplifiers and Bluetooth speakers.

The 24-hour bar and café adds an all-day meeting point, serving coffee, cocktails, local wines and light food. A 300-square-metre rooftop terrace provides another social area with views across Marseille and towards the Mediterranean.

Ruby Yani Adds Coworking to the Marseille Opening

The development goes beyond traditional accommodation. Ruby Yani Workspaces introduces Ruby’s workspace model to France alongside the hotel.

The workspace provides more than 126 flexible workstations, alongside private offices, meeting rooms, phone booths and shared areas. Different membership formats support day users, regular coworking customers and businesses requiring dedicated office space.

Workspace members can also access the hotel rooftop. This creates a mixed-use destination where accommodation, work and social spaces operate within the same development.

For business travellers, that combination could prove particularly useful. Visitors can stay, work and hold meetings without relying on separate locations across the city.

La Joliette Gives Travellers Strong Access to Marseille

Location is one of the property’s strongest advantages for visitors. La Joliette sits north of the Vieux-Port and has evolved from a historic maritime district into a significant business, shopping and cultural area.

Marseille Tourism says travellers can reach nearby Le Panier by following the quays or Rue de la République. Marseille Saint-Charles railway station is roughly a 15-minute walk away, while the area is served by Metro Line 2, tram lines T2 and T3, and buses.

The neighbourhood also puts visitors close to the Docks, Les Terrasses du Port, Cathédrale de la Major and cultural attractions around Marseille’s waterfront.

The Vieux-Port remains one of Marseille’s principal visitor areas. Travellers can explore its quays, fish market and historic surroundings or continue towards attractions including Mucem and Le Panier. Marseille Tourism also identifies the Old Port as a departure point for excursions towards the Calanques and nearby islands.

What Travellers Should Know Before Staying

Travellers considering Ruby Lilou Marseille can use its La Joliette position to combine a city break with waterfront sightseeing.

• Best for: City-break visitors, couples, business travellers and remote workers.
• Getting around: Joliette has metro, tram and bus connections.
• Nearby experiences: Le Panier, the waterfront, Cathédrale de la Major, Mucem and Vieux-Port are among the key areas to explore.
• For cruise travellers: Marseille Tourism says Place de la Joliette connects with the cruise port shuttle system. The Old Port is around 25 minutes away on foot from Place de la Joliette.
• For rail arrivals: Marseille Saint-Charles sits in the city centre and provides onward public transport connections. Office de Tourisme de Marseille

Marseille Opening Extends Ruby’s International Expansion

The French debut forms part of a wider expansion strategy for Ruby Hotels.

IHG Hotels & Resorts acquired the Ruby brand and its related intellectual property in February 2025. At the time, Ruby operated 20 hotels containing 3,483 rooms and had another ten hotels with 2,235 rooms in its development pipeline. Marseille was specifically listed among its forthcoming European destinations.

IHG positions Ruby as a premium urban lifestyle brand built around compact, efficient city properties. Since the acquisition, the group has continued pursuing expansion into additional European and US markets.

With Ruby Lilou now adding Marseille to that network, France becomes another market in Ruby’s growing city-hotel portfolio while travellers gain a new accommodation option close to one of the Mediterranean’s best-known urban waterfronts.