The Hotel du Sud is a typical French two-star hotel -- well maintained, a bit spartan, compact rooms (and in this case, a nicely renovated bathroom). It made a good base from which to explore Marseille's fascinating Vieux Port and great new museums. Within the nearby blocks, shopaholics will find everything from bargain knockoff stores to luxe designer stores. Staff at the hotel were all pleasant and helpful. After trying the continental breakfast the first morning, I decided to skip it the next day, figuring it wasn't great value for the 9-euro price I saw noted on a sign -- then a kindly staff member reminded my that the breakfast was included in the Hotels.com room rate I'd booked -- a pleasant bonus.
One caution: if you're noise-sensitive, make that known when you book. There's a nightclub on ground level and amplified sound can resonate to lower floors on the street side of the building.