Hôtel des Bains de Saillon

The pools were overcrowded, and the robe and slippers in our room were enormous on my child. This was my third stay, and by far the most disappointing. We paid a steep rate for a room with balcony windows, but got an old room facing the car park. The bathroom didn't even have shower gel, and the phone was out of order, so I had to ring reception on my own phone. A friend staying at the hotel was contacted ahead of time about her children's ages so they could prepare something nice. Nobody contacted me, and in the end nothing was prepared for her children either. I rate the hotel very poorly after this and won't be back anytime soon.

We had an okay stay, though there's room to improve. The room seemed due for renovation, and some hotel employees could have been friendlier. The location and mountain views are great. Food at the restaurant was fine, with tender, well-cooked meat.

This is only about the public thermal spa and pools. We visited on 26 Dec 2025, four adults and two kids. Get there early if you want to avoid the worst crowds, especially in the thermal pools. There are four heated pools, including a large indoor one, plus one outdoor pool for adults only. The outdoor pool gets busy too. The thermal river is fun, with jets pushing you along a narrow channel, reclining massage jets on one side, a waterfall cave and a smaller channel to swirl around. Younger children need an adult with them at all times. The pools were clean when we visited, but the tiled paths were very slippery. I saw a child slip and hit their head while walking slowly by the lockers. Thankfully it was only a small bump, though an adult could hit harder in that narrow space. Two cleaners were doing their best to keep the floors dry. The place is not quiet, but it can be relaxing if you find a calm spot, look at the snow-capped peaks and tune out the noise. There is no heated path between the pools, so going outside can be freezing. Clean slippers or thongs help. You can eat or have a drink at the cafe in your robe and towel, though it gets cold, and the food is okay. All-day entry seemed reasonably priced. Check the website and consider buying online ahead to make sure you get in. The bus stops right outside, and we took it from Martigny train station. At the entrance, you get a wrist strap for access to the lockers and for scanning food and drinks at the cafe by the pool. You pay on the way out, in the same area as the entrance. Bring your own things, or buy swimwear, robes, towels and souvenirs at the gift shop in the entrance foyer. I don't know if anything can be hired, so check the website. Changing cubicles, showers and toilets are limited for the crowds, so arriving early makes changing and showering quicker. You must shower before using the pools. Take off your shoes in the cubicles, then either wear clean slippers or go barefoot. Cleaners are strict about footwear past the changing area. The lockers fit smaller bags, shoes and clothes. Use the wrist strap to close yours, and remember its number. There's a site map by the entrance. No pictures or mobile cameras are allowed inside. The huge complex, with its hotel and allied health services, blocks quite a lot of the Alps view. I wonder why they chose a curved rectangular building that looks so stark in an otherwise scenic setting.

The breakfast and Saturday dinner buffet were tasty and good quality. The pools are warm, nice and spacious, too. But the sauna and steam room are small and get overcrowded. Maybe this was a four-star hotel in the 90s, but charging a premium for a room that hasn't been renovated in 20 years feels like a rip-off. The mattress was uncomfortable and the furniture damaged. The place badly needs refreshing.