Hotel Aquabella

great location, nice pool

We upgraded from a standard room when we checked in, which was pretty pricey but worth it. The upgraded room was a good size & quite comfortable and we were on the top floor with a cool view of all the red-tiled rooftops. The pool was a very pretty spot & was great place to relax end of day. Don’t bother with a massage at the spa - the massage style (for all categories) is very light, more like someone putting lotion on you than giving you a proper massage.

Traveler's tip on dining

avoid eating on Cours Mirabeau - so touristy. there are plenty of great restaurants on the plazas & streets near the hotel.

Very Nice

My wife and I have traveled to Provence and Cote d’Azur six times in as many years and have stayed in a number of places ranging from hotels to apartments. The Aquabella in Aix-en-Provence is one of our favorites. The staff are warm, friendly, and multi-lingual. The rooms are very large by European standards, have lots of closet (amoire) and drawer space, and a very large (laptop friendly) safe which is easy to operate. The location is super; just off the main inner ring of the city but far enough that you don’t hear traffic. They advertise that the rooms are soundproof and we agree, they are. Resturants and cafes are only minutes away and the Cours Mirabeau is only a 10 minute walk. We have nothing bad to say about the hotel.

Traveler's tip on dining

For a simple breakfast, go 20m down the hill from the main enterance and have coffee, juice & a croissant at the Woohoo bar for 3 Euro instead of paying 16 Euro for breakfast at the hotel.

Nice surprise in Aix!

After a few days in Paris, we were pleasantly surprised after getting to the Aquabella in Aix en Provence. The 3-star rating is surely for its lack of luxury, but it sure is a lot neater than many 4-star hotels I stayed in my life. The room is pretty decent-sized, specially for French standards. Everything is very clean and the staff is quite friendly and helpful. Location is also very good with many restaurants and shops a few small blocks away. We also tried the Sextius spa attached to it: nothing spectacular and a little bit overpriced, but it was nice to get a relaxing massage after a few days of exploring Provence. One thing we definitely din’t understand is why their jacuzzi water is cold and has no pressure nozzles! The hotel is definitely recommended and we would stay there again for sure!

Excellent location, wonderful spa perk

This is a fabulous location, right in the old part of the city. The room was clean, comfortable and pleasant (if not particularly big) but what is really great about the hotel is that as a guest you can put on the lush robe provided and take the elevator down to the gorgeous, recently renovated spa where there is a wet sauna, dry sauna, whirlpool, excercise equipment and incredibly tranquil ’listening’ room where there is a waterfall sculpture, lounging couches and headphones with music. I and my kids (10 & 15) loved ending the day with this unexpected, delightful treat. There is a full menu of services you can pay for as well.

Traveler's tip on saving a few bucks

The breakfast offered by the hotel is overpriced and does not even include hot food. Better off to go out to the local cafes.

pool was magnificent

went with someone who had stayed there 4 years ago - hotel dining upgraded since then to the point that either we paid a great amount of money for a meal or no other options with the hotel - it would have been wonderful to have a nice meal at the hotel that was more casual. And, when they upgraded, they no longer include breakfast - at 24euro a person, it’s a hefty price tag in addition to the room. We stayed on the back side of the hotel and there is a pub on that street; it was noisy at night...the pool is magnificent and the location is grand.

Allow for lots of pool time

Good Hotel in Aixe

Great place for Americans to land. The front desk people speak English. The breakfast, although a bit pricey, is well worth the money for ease and nutrition. The spa attached to the facility is great!

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

Do request a room in the front. Although we did, we were not given this and were therefore kept up at night each night on the weekend by loud singing and talking drunk people heading out of the pub - a bit of a drag.

Not the best option

While the location is good, the service at Hotel Aquabella was certainly forgettable. Reception staff is not rude, but did not go out of their way to meet any of our needs on our honeymoon. We had to wait about 2 hours for our room to be ready, so we asked to store our luggage while we explored the town a little. We were told where the storage closet was and had to store our own luggage and retrieve it ourselves when we returned. Not very secure, as we were alone in a room with about 8 other pieces of luggage. The room was very basic, but clean. I would compare it to standard chain hotels here in America. We did, however, enjoy the onsite bar, though once again, the staff was not overly friendly or accomodating. Overall, I would try to find a different hotel if I am to return to Aix.

Traveler's tip on dining

When visiting Aix, the restaurant Le Passage is a must. It is located just off Cours Maribeau.

Great option for Aix

The hotel was clean, convenient, and had a great pool. Great location, great room, helpful service, staff were happy to speak English if that’s a concern for you. Food and room service in the hotel way over-priced, but so many restaurants, cafes, and bakeries around that it’s no problem. Parking at a garage half a block away, 9.50 Euros/night with a stamp from the hotel. Really liked the linens, flat screen TV, robe, slippers, etc. Cracked tiles in bathroom, but bathroom very clean. Good products. Modern hotel, does not have the "atmosphere" of a Provence B&B or similar. But if you have work to do or like a clean, modern environment, an excellent choice.

Traveler's tip on getting the most out of your stay

Rooms on the 4th floor had been recently repainted/renovated.

Probably Not Again

We found the Hotel Aguabella to be satisfactory as to service, quality of rooms and the lobby, restaurants and other public areas. Our section of the hotel was more modern, but showing wear and tear and having very little charm. Nice pool, although the website pictures imply a sense of space and elegance that was not present. I would stay here again only if other hotels within the same price range were fully booked.

Look elsewhere

We just stayed in this hotel for 4 nights 2 weeks ago. The hotel is very difficult to find and parking is quite challenging. The rooms were just OK and service was less than OK. The best part of this hotel is its location - a 5 minute walk from the old town which is lovely. We loved Aix but next time, we would find another hotel. Under no circumstance should you accept a room towards the back of the hotel. There is a pub and an alley here and all of the very young teens hang out in this alley and scream and drink all night. We did not sleep for 2 of the nights we were there. Although we complained about this, the hotel staff did nothing and didn’t seem to care.Hotel staff was dull and unenthusiastic.

Traveler's tip on shopping

The shopping in town was fabulous as was were the restaurants. Can’t wait to go back but would not stay at this hotel. Very disappointed.

staff require training

good location, however staff very young and although pleasant were not experienced in the bar for serving drinks. The hotel is pretty boring all round but sved by being in a good location, expensive too.car parking difficult to work out without any help from staff.

Convenient location in Provence

The location was great, a 15 minute walk to just about everything. The staff were all very nice. Accomodating our lack of French speaking skills. Room was nice, great view out the window. The only problem was that our floor was a non-smoking floor, but on our last night there someone was smoking an unbelievable amount. So much so that it smelled like they were smoking in our room. I said something at the front desk and they apologized. In their defense they can’t patrol the floors, it was just gross.