Hotel Novotel Aix en Provence Pont de l'Arc Fenouillères

The rooms felt fairly modern, most of the staff were friendly, and the pool was a good size. Getting into town was easy too, about five minutes by car or a quick bus ride. The one real letdown was having no food available between restaurant hours. After an eight-hour trip, we arrived at 3pm and couldn’t even get sandwiches until 7pm. There aren’t any shops nearby, so we had to drive out for food. For a four-star hotel, I’d expect something to eat throughout the day.

We felt welcome, and the friendly staff were attentive. The pool was great, though it could get busy, and the property was well located with good amenities. It was a nice place to recharge. My only wish was for a better-equipped gym.

We were comfortable in our lovely room, but an incident with the restaurant staff left us disappointed. We’d brought lunch back after being out and sat in the garden to feed our 18-month-old. The day before, we’d eaten in the restaurant and had been told we couldn’t be served in that area, so we thought the garden was a shared space. While we were feeding our child, a staff member came over and said we couldn’t eat there. We were told the options were to feed our child in our room or order from the kids’ menu in the restaurant. The way it was said felt unnecessarily rude and confrontational, especially when we were trying to manage a toddler’s meal. For a place that presents itself as family-friendly, it was disheartening not to have a welcoming shared space to feed a young child. The room was comfortable, but the restaurant staff’s attitude and the strict rules about where we could eat made the stay less enjoyable.

We only stayed briefly at the Novotel. It was easy to find and handy with a car, with lots of parking. The rooms were clean and good value, and the staff were helpful.