Great location in the center of Aix, nice staff, late arrival, very clean room, large room that didn't feel crammed with stuff, nice view although it was all very quiet thanks to the double window, wifi was functional and fast enough, the bathroom was comfortable and well equipped. Breakfast was very good.
The overall feel was that of a functional place rather than a charming one but it was really comfortable ; I don't know why this hotel only has three stars.

I have stayed here on several occasions in 2011 and 2012--and recommended it to family who also stayed here. The location is great--walking distance to pretty much everywhere in Aix (including la Rotunde). The tourist office originally directed me here and I am glad they did. I have stayed in 4 different rooms at different times, all of which were fine (clean, nice, but size does vary a lot so ask if you want a big room). The staff are helpful, although their knowledge of English varies quite a bit. I would say it is good value for the price. Downsides would be street noise (related to being centrally located) and breakfast is not included. Wifi is free however, and there were lots of TV channels. There is an elevator, but only at the back entrance.

Being unfamiliar with the town of Aix and picking a hotel almost at random from an online booking engine, my friend and I absolutely lucked out with the Hotel Artea. Now, if I was to return to Aix or I knew someone that was going, this would be the only place I'd stay/recommend. It's at the ideal intersection of value, location and comfort and the perfect base for exploring Aix.

On our way to Aix by train the handle on my suitcase keeled over and died, so I was not in a good mood after lugging it from the station to the door of the Artea. (About a five minute, perfectly fine walk if you don't have a suitcase with a broken handle.) The Artea is located right by the new tourist office, near the Rotunde and the main street, the Cours Mirabeau. As a DIY/hardware store occupies the building at ground level, first impressions may not be amazing, and my face dropped when we walked in and discovered that a flight of stairs was the only way to get to reception on the first floor (remember: broken suitcase). But then, as if by magic, a helpful front desk agent appeared, lugged my dead weight case up to reception and gave us a room literally around the corner from it (so: no more dealing with the dead weight) and things just went up from there.

My favourite thing about the Artea is that it felt French, if not Provencal. The room had double French doors leading out onto a small balcony, tiled floors, distressed furniture, soft and warm bed linens and a beautifully decorated bathroom with luxury amenities. It was spotlessly clean and extremely comfortable. A long corridor led to the small breakfast room, and a little bar area was directly next to our room with comfy, tub-style armchairs: a nice, quiet place to enjoy a drink or have a coffee in the afternoon.

Its location cannot be beat. From leaving the front door to arriving on the Mirabeau took about 3 minutes, and the Old Town could then be accessed off to the left of that main street. It was wonderful to be able to leave the hotel in the morning and know that no matter where we headed to in the town, we could always easily return to our hotel to drop off shopping bags or have a little rest.

Right outside the hotel is a new shopping complex that includes the new tourist office, as well as several coffee shops and restaurants that offer convenient dining locations.

Best of all, the room rate was extremely reasonable. A taxi back to the bus station cost €8 (we could've walked, but for the aforementioned suitcase). My only complaint, if I was pushed to have one, was that because of the tiled floors the room could be noisy as we could hear furniture being moved and heels clacking on the floor above, but this was only a minor annoyance and it wouldn't deter me from staying here again.

I highly, highly recommend the Artea for the value-seeking traveler who wants a convenient location right in the heart of the beautiful Aix-en-Provence.