Hotel Aaritz

The shower setup is the main problem here. At just 70 x 70 cm, the cubicle is really only workable for very slim guests, and the shampoo shelf and controls stick out from the middle of the side wall, so you keep bumping into them. A 90 x 90 cm shower could have fit with better renovation planning. The hotel, rooms, and service themselves are good, as other reviewers have said.

We had half-board and the food was excellent, and our room was clean and well furnished. The sauna and relaxation area were good too. Getting from the sauna area to the pool is awkward, though, since you have to go down through the basement. My room also had a very narrow shower entrance.

I won't be back. The staff were always helpful, and the breakfast was excellent, but the €81 price still wasn't justified. Dinner at the Cristallo was a joke, with portions so tiny they wouldn't feed a child. The €10 packed lunch was white bread with no butter, a mirabelle plum, a peach, and water. A wheat beer listed at €5 came to €6 on the bill, and there were drinks I hadn't ordered. The promised update from Cristallo came far too late. The Aaritz has been taken over by the Hotel Cristallo and no longer has staff of its own, which outsources its motorcycle guests there. My room's air conditioning was broken, though it should keep the temperature at 18-20 degrees. On the third floor, hot water took over five minutes to arrive. The shower was under 70 x 70 cm, there was no chair, only a very uncomfortable stool, and the bed was very hard. Cleaning staff came every day. Noise was very loud at night after 10 p.m.

The annex is about 100 metres from the Hotel Kristall, where you go for breakfast and dinner and can use the pool, hot tub, and sauna. It's right in the town centre, just steps from Habsburg Park and the thermal baths. The place is charming, quiet, carefully furnished, and has private parking. Very interesting.