The Aquarius is right on one of the best beaches in Saipan. The staff is very friendly. No ice available and no lounge or restaurant on site. The building was a former apartment building so our room was a 3 bedroom full size apartment with kitchen and living room. Not the cleanest and not the nicest place but the AC worked great and location was excellent.
The Aquarius Beach Tower is on one of the best stretches of beach on Saipan, making it a wonderful place to stay. The rooms are very spacious, with the layout of an apartment. A huge plus is that the room has a washer and dryer available, and you can feel at home. There are just a few things that would make this go from a three-star to four or even five. The bathroom towels and the linens are substandard. The water isn't drinkable and, even during a three-week stay, the hotel only provides one bottle of water when you check in. The hotel could sell little pods of laundry soap and make a killing! It doesn't make sense not to have laundry soap or dish detergent available. It would also be helpful to have an area rug or something in the main room to lessen the noise. Gorgeous beach and nice location--just a few touches would make this place more comfortable!
This is more like a 1 BR apartment than anything else. Only about 8 rooms per floor. The tap water in the bathroom was not potable. The hotel is on the main drag through the Island, so it's convenient to everything, a short drive up north to the more "touristy" area. You can walk to a fantastic beach right behind the hotel and I had plenty of fun snorkeling. Stay here for location, not amenities. Wifi worked sometimes, but it's not great connectivity.
My third stay in this hotel, used to be the hotel for long term stay in Saipan. I understand this is the 3rd operator, used to be Castle Resorts, another one, now the building owner. The only improvement I have seen is the security system, now you need a keycard, just to get into the elevator. Don't get me wrong, the location is still one of the best beach locations in Saipan, not as noisy as the hotels in Garapan. Still good for families and groups with their 3 bedroom, and 2 bedroom suites plus the penthouses all with full kitchens and each with their own washer and dryer. The almost all Fiipino Staff still do great service with a smile! What gets me is even for a long term stayer like me, now they want the money up front every week as, if they did not have my credit card on file. Hopefully the they don't get as seedy as Saipan is getting to be, but that is another story.
The Aquarius Beach Tower is only a 10 minute drive to the busy beach and tourist area. This is more like an apartment setting with a kitchen/washer & dryer and lots of space. Ours faced the ocean and has a small balcony in the master bedroom and a larger one off the living area. You'll want to get a room on a higher floor as there are trees between the beach and hotel. The beach was pleasant and nice for relaxing or swimming...not really good for snorkeling here. The beach is also a destination for local residents to meet and barbeque. Everyone was very friendly! You will need to rent a car if staying at the Aquarius; we picked up a small car at the airport (~15 minutes from hotel) on a late flight. There is a person at the desk 24 hours a day; don't worry about the small lobby. Andrea (I think it's her name) was wonderful and went out of her way to help us set up a couple of day trips. We loved the choices for dining within a 5 minute drive just along the water. There is a beautiful walkway that stretches several miles too! Park your car at the pavilion (3 minutes from hotel) and you can walk all the way to the main section of town. Don't hesitate to stay here, the rooms are super clean, the kitchen is handy to cook in or to stockpile drinks in the fridge. Chairs are needed for the beach (the hotel does have straw mats for loan). I had a hard time finding a beach lounger to purchase. There is a major grocery and department store within a 3 minute drive too! Enjoy your stay, we loved it!
