After Paris, a second Mama Shelter hotel has opened in Marseille, France.

(Click the images below for full sized images)

Starck describes the Mama concept as "the jeans of hotels, born of new social values ​​such as rigour, honesty, intelligence and humour". The hotel was originally created by Starck and Serge Trigano of Club Med fame, his sons Jeremy and Benjamin, urbanist/ philosopher Cyril Aouizerate and hotel magnate Michel Reybier.

Located at the intersection of three narrow streets and three historic Marseille districts, the hotel is virtually in the city centre, near the Cours Julien district with its "urban art vibe and its mix of concert halls, young fashion designers and sunny terraces. In this area, the shutters open outward, greeting each other across the steep lanes, reflecting the ups and downs of life's rich complexity" says Mama Shelter.

The goal is to make L'hôtel more than a place to sleep, "Mama Shelter is the heart of life, a place where people gather around a shared meal, a live band, unpredictable encounters." On arriving in the small square in front, a "warm and vast octopus extends its tentacles as the first sign of welcome". The ground floor sets the tone with a live stage with its suspended musical instruments and beside it, a 4-metre long foosball table that can be played by 8 to 16 people.

Further in, a long bar and the kitchen face each other with in the middle, long tables where guests can share a meal by the terrace.

"A Boukha, a Raki, a Pastis or a Gambetta with finely cut Poutargue are just some of the ways to escape the turmoil of modern life for a moment and take the time to simply do nothing."

In the kitchen, chefs "Alain Senderens and Jerome Banctel celebrate Mediterranean cooking in the city without resorting to the cliché of traditional Marseille dishes."

The rooms are similar to those at Mama Paris, but feature the colours of the Mediterranean; 127 rooms between 15 to 45 m2, spread over six floors with prices starting at €69.

"There is no project without something very powerful behind it; a human reason, social, love. A vision. Otherwise it cannot legitimately exist. We cannot separate Mama Shelter from its genesis, a simple application of a vision and a story. A human story, an encounter, affinity, a deep friendship, people who love each other. This is the starting point for everything" says Starck.

Several more Mama Shelters are in the works for 2013, notably Mama Shelter Bordeaux, Lyon, Istanbul and Los Angeles.