Les Loges du Park

These quiet, residence-style apartments that can be rented by the night attract a diverse clientele, from business travelers on extended stays to families and couples on sightseeing or ski vacations. The concrete building looks a bit rundown outside, but the lobby is stylish, with an espresso bookcase backed by a teal accent wall, and clusters of oversize armchairs for settling in a newspapers or book from the small library. Racks of tourist brochures are in the corner, and the friendly staff is always willing to make suggestions for dining and touring. Guests don’t tend to linger here, however, but they interact more in the spacious and cheerful breakfast room.

The hotel is located on a busy road near central Aix-les-Bains and its train station, which is a three-minute walk away. It’s a bustling commercial and residential area, with a police station, government building, and a post office directly across the street. A cinema and several restaurants are within a five-minute walk, including the restaurant at the Casino Grand Cercle, and the lovely Parc floral des Thermes is seven minutes away on foot. The aquarium on the shores of Lac du Bourget, France’s largest natural lake, is a nine-minute drive. It’s about an hour by car to Geneva International Airport, and to Lyon–Saint-Exupery Airport.

Studio and One-Bedroom apartments are basic with decor that's a throwback to 1970s style. Except for gold accent walls behind the beds, spaces are done in a melange of browns, and furniture is simple white plastic, or modular wood laminate. All units have flat-screen TVs, small dining tables with chairs, kitchenettes equipped with sinks, cooktops, microwaves, fridges, coffeemakers, and utensils, and free Wi-Fi. They don't have air-conditioning, but fans are provided. Some units feature furnished balconies, although views are unexciting, and one-bedroom apartments add upholstered sleeper sofas, and additional flat-screen TVs in separate living room areas. Bathrooms are more attractive, with sleek vanities, walk-in showers with removable rainfall showerheads and glass partitions, and hairdryers, but toiletries are skimpy. Fresh towels are provided upon request, but housekeeping typically occurs weekly. Units are quiet, and generally clean and well-maintained.

Les Loges du Park offers limited on-site amenities, but guests have access to facilities at a sister property, Gold Tulip Aix-les-Bains, that's a four-minute walk from the hotel. Les Loges serves a free continental breakfast daily in a bright and modern room with plenty of seating, and there are vending machines in the lobby. Concierge services include valet laundry and assistance with transportation. When the registration desk closes for the evening, guests can check in at the sister hotel, where there's a full-service restaurant and bar, and a spa offering facials and body treatments by appointment.