Aiden by Best Western Clermont-Ferrand Hotel & Spa in Clermont-Ferrand

I stayed at this property for two weeks during a four-week business trip. Unfortunately, this was one of the most disappointing experiences of my entire travel history. I travel frequently and have stayed in accommodations ranging from high-end luxury hotels to motels, and this property fell far below acceptable standards in several areas.

1. Communication

Communication was a significant challenge, particularly for non–French-speaking guests. At the front desk, only one staff member was able to communicate fluently in English, which made basic interactions unnecessarily difficult and frustrating.

2. Room Comfort and Services

The quality of the rooms and services was extremely poor.

- First week: I booked a single-occupancy room but was assigned a room with two very small beds. I had to sleep on one narrow bed for an entire week, which was very uncomfortable.

- Second week: I reserved another room for eight nights, but the TV was not connected to the internet, preventing access to YouTube, Apple TV, or Netflix. Despite reporting the issue immediately, it took 36 hours to resolve.

- In both rooms, the shower produced a loud and unusual noise when used at maximum water pressure.

- The pillows were extremely hard, making it difficult to rest properly after long workdays.

3. Complimentary Spa (Aqua Relaxing Area)

This was the most frustrating experience and ultimately led me to cancel the remaining ten days of my reservation.

The process and instructions were unclear and inconsistent:

Initially, spa staff instructed me to collect towels and slippers from reception.
The following day, reception made a reservation for me and instructed me to go directly to the spa to receive a bathrobe and slippers.
Upon arrival, spa staff insisted that a bathrobe should already have been provided in my room, which was not the case.
When I explained this, the spa staff did not believe me and contacted reception in French. As someone who understands some French and lives in Quebec, I clearly felt dismissed and uncomfortable during this interaction as they made some fun on me. I was really frustrated and came back to my room. Eventually, a male receptionist came to my room and confirmed that no bathrobe had been provided, acknowledging the hotel’s mistake. Unfortunately, this occurred after a long and exhausting workday and caused significant frustration, prompting me to end my stay early.

Positive Recognition

Despite these issues, I would like to acknowledge one outstanding staff member — a lady with curly hair who appeared to be the shift supervisor on the evening of January 28. She was consistently professional, courteous, and effective in her communication, and her service truly stood out in an otherwise disappointing experience.

This hotel isn’t the closest to the center, but we chose it only because it offered a spa. We called the day before to reserve a slot and received a confirmation email, but it didn’t mention any kind of dress code.

Upon arrival, the front desk immediately tried to sell us breakfast, parking, and dinner at the hotel restaurant. But when I asked for a simple vanity kit, I was told they didn’t have it. The room itself was fine, tiny, as described.

When it was time for our spa reservation, the spa receptionist told us the changing room was full, she couldn't let us in, and that we had to go back to our room to change into robes, which she didn't have and neither did we since they didn't leave any in our room. So we had to run to the front desk, then to our room, then back again to the spa.

Once we finally stepped foot inside, the small "spa" was crowded, the pool was cold, and so were the showers. About five minutes later, the same staff member interrupted us because my husband was wearing regular swim shorts, apparently forbidden. No one had ever mentioned this rule, and it wasn’t in the email either. Their only “solution” was to sell us an unappealing swimsuit for €15.

At that point, we had only 40 minutes left of our time slot, and the whole experience was already ruined. The service and communication were truly awful, and this whole mess killed any sense of relaxation.

After all this, we asked to speak to the hotel manager on a Saturday afternoon and were told the person was off until Monday. They lack professionalism and understanding of proper hospitality. This felt more like a scam hotel than a Best Western.

I deeply regret choosing this hotel. Save yourself the disappointment and stay somewhere else.