In June 2024 Damian played a basketball tournament in Valencia. He stayed with his team, so Marc and I booked a triple room at Ilunion Aqua 3, close enough to the City of Arts and Sciences to fill the gaps between games. This is how the hotel worked for a parent with one child, a tournament schedule and not much free time.
Not to be confused with: Ilunion Aqua 4, the 4-star sister hotel in the same building, or Ilunion Valencia 3, a different hotel in Benicalap where I stayed for the work part of the same trip.
Ilunion Aqua 3 – inside the Aqua mall, 750 m from the City of Arts and Sciences. Parking in the building.
Quick verdict
- Good for: families of three, sports weekends, and anyone who wants the Oceanogràfic within walking distance.
- Best thing: you’re inside a shopping centre, so dinner, snacks and a supermarket are a lift ride away.
- Watch out: triples max out at three. A family of four should look at Aqua 4’s 40 m² junior suites.
- Parking: in the same building, €14 + VAT a day.
Where is Ilunion Aqua 3?
At C/ Luis García Berlanga 19–21, inside the Aqua Multiespacio shopping centre, about 750 m from the City of Arts and Sciences and 1.1 km from the Oceanogràfic. The Turia gardens are a few minutes away, as are buses and trams to the beach. It’s a modern area, not old Valencia, but with kids that’s an advantage: wide pavements and everything close.
Ilunion Aqua 3 vs Aqua 4: what’s the difference?
They share the building, the address and the restaurant, which is why people mix them up. Aqua 3 is the 3-star: triples with two 90 cm beds plus an extra bed. Aqua 4 is the 4-star: 20 m² triples and 40 m² junior suites for up to four with a separate lounge. With both boys, I’d book the Aqua 4 junior suite. With one child, Aqua 3 was all we needed.
The triple room
Our triple had comfortable beds, a work desk (useful, because this was also a work trip), a flat-screen TV and Wi-Fi that held up. The bathroom was clean, with good water pressure, and towels were changed daily.
Breakfast
A varied buffet: pastries, cereals, fruit, cold cuts and hot dishes. Easy for a child who eats three things, and quick enough on game days.
A hotel for a basketball weekend
The hotel is clearly used to sports teams. On tournament weekends the lobby is full of tracksuits, which the kids find exciting and some adult guests probably don’t. Everything we needed (food, snacks, a supermarket) was downstairs in the mall, which on a weekend of early games and tired kids was worth more than a pool.
Between games we stuck to the free things nearby: the Turia gardens, Gulliver Park and the outside of the City of Arts. Our things to do in Valencia with kids guide has the full list.
What I liked and what I didn’t
- 👍 Location for families, the mall downstairs, parking in the building, reliable Wi-Fi, a breakfast that worked for a child.
- 👎 Triples only take three. It’s a practical 3-star, not a holiday hotel. Some listings say “Aqua 4” and “Aqua 3” interchangeably, so check which one you’re booking.
Would we stay again?
For a tournament or a short family weekend: yes. For a week’s holiday, I’d pick a hotel with a pool or go to the beach (see our 10 family hotels in Valencia).
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Ilunion Aqua 3: FAQ
Are Ilunion Aqua 3 and Ilunion Aqua 4 the same hotel?
No. They are two separate hotels in the same building inside the Aqua shopping centre in Valencia. Aqua 3 is a 3-star with triple rooms; Aqua 4 is a 4-star with 40 m² junior suites for up to four.
How far is Ilunion Aqua 3 from the Oceanogràfic?
About 1.1 km, and about 750 m from the City of Arts and Sciences, so both are walkable.
Does Ilunion Aqua 3 have parking?
Yes, in the same building, at €14 plus VAT per day.
Is Ilunion Aqua 3 good for families?
For a family of three, yes: triple rooms, restaurants and a supermarket in the mall downstairs, and the City of Arts within walking distance. A family of four should look at Aqua 4’s junior suites instead.
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