Azur en Ardenne

I stayed at Azur en Ardenne for a work conference, and it was by far one of the worst experiences I’ve had, especially as someone with coeliac disease. Despite informing the hotel well in advance and pre-ordering my meals, it felt like my dietary needs were completely disregarded. Most of my meals consisted of nothing more than gluten-free rolls with cold cheese or meat, meal after meal. Any time we fought for something more substantial, the kitchen seemed panicked, making me fear that what they prepared wouldn’t even be safe. The serving staff were clearly confused and unprepared. On multiple occasions, they offered me lactose-free meals, insisting that "they’re the same though?" as if gluten and lactose were interchangeable. This lack of understanding left me feeling incredibly uneasy. Worse, they brought me dishes only to take them away again in a panic several times, making it impossible to trust that anything they served was safe for me to eat. While the reception staff were lovely and tried to help, the manager and chef were defensive and intimidating. They offered no compensation, made me feel like I was being ungrateful for the bare minimum they provided, and even made unsettling comments about how much I had eaten, as if they had been watching me. After I didn’t eat the first snack they offered, they stopped offering me any during the conference breaks, while everyone else was given biscuits and sweet treats. If you have any dietary restrictions, avoid this hotel at all costs. The lack of care, the confusion from the staff, and the overall feeling that my safety wasn’t taken seriously (that I was annoying/a burden) made this an extremely stressful and upsetting stay. I wouldn’t trust them with any dietary requirements.

At the heart of the hotel is a hidden gem of a spa. I booked me and my wife in for the trio of treatment , hamam, massage and a fantastic facial. The first treatment was so relaxing that I nearly melted onto the treatment table where the therapist did an excellent job of sorting out my back which has been really bad for last week. I highliy recommend a visit to this quality spa and the skill therapist. I am glad I treated us to a little luxury as it was worth every euro as they treated us like royality.

My only issue with the hotel was that children could only use the pool between 8 and 10am and 6 and 8pm. Otherwise, our two day stay was excellent. The staff were friendly and helpful. The room was a nice size (but could have been laid out better). The views from the terrace and restaurant are lovely. There is a children's play area and it's an easy walk to the maze (le Labyrinth) and mini golf nearby, so there is lots to do. The menu is quite small but delicious and the staff at the restaurant and bar are lovely. We had a problem with the air conditioning unit in the room and a handyman came to fix it in less than 5 minutes. A really nice stay, just a slight pain planning our days around swim time for our son, but I do get why hotels do this when there ate members of a health club to consider as well as hotel guests.