Appartements avec Terrasse – Cite du Vin

Hotel Description

Honestly, when I first walked up to the Appartements avec Terrasse on Rue Lucien Faure, I wasn’t expecting much – the building looks pretty standard from the street. But here’s the thing about staying in Chartrons: you’re literally in one of Bordeaux’s coolest neighborhoods, and most tourists have no idea. I mean, while everyone’s cramming into the old city center, you’re a five-minute walk from the Cité du Vin (hence the name) and surrounded by these amazing wine bars that locals actually frequent.

The apartments themselves are… well, they’re solid 3-star territory, nothing fancy but everything works. What really sold me was stepping out onto that terrace – and honestly, not every unit has the same view, so definitely ask when you book. Mine looked out over these typical Bordeaux rooftops, all that beautiful cream stone, and you could actually see the Garonne if you craned your neck a bit. The setup is pretty practical: you’ve got a decent kitchenette (the coffee maker is one of those pod things, not amazing but it’ll do), and the beds are comfortable enough, though the pillows are sort of flat – I ended up using two. The Wi-Fi actually works well, which isn’t always a given in these converted buildings.

Location-wise, you’re golden if you know how to work it. The tram’s right there on Cours du Médoc, so getting into the center takes maybe ten minutes, but honestly? Some of my best meals were within walking distance. There’s this little bistro called Le Bouchon Bordelais just around the corner that doesn’t look like much but serves incredible duck confit. And if you’re into wine (I mean, you’re in Bordeaux), the whole Chartrons area used to be where all the wine merchants had their warehouses – you can still see some of the old négociant buildings if you wander around.

The neighborhood gets pretty quiet at night, which is either perfect or boring depending on what you’re after. I could hear some street noise in the morning – delivery trucks and such – but nothing that kept me awake. Parking’s the usual Bordeaux nightmare, but there’s a public lot about two blocks away that’s not too expensive. Check-in was straightforward, though they do that whole “pick up keys from the office” thing rather than having someone on-site all the time.

Look, it’s not going to blow your mind – the 7.4 rating feels about right. But if you want to stay somewhere that feels more like living in Bordeaux rather than just visiting it, and you don’t need someone polishing your shoes every morning, this works really well. Plus, you’re saving money you can spend on better wine, which in Bordeaux is sort of the whole point. Just make sure you get one of the units with a decent terrace view – that morning coffee looking out over the city makes the whole stay feel more special than it probably has any right to.

Rooms

• One-Bedroom Apartment with double bed, 1 double bed, sofa bed and 1 sofa bed for 4 adults
• One-Bedroom Apartment with double bed, 1 double bed, sofa bed and 1 sofa bed for 4 adults

Reviews

• Amagoia from Spain (7/10)

  Que pudimos entrar antes de la hora oficial de llegada. Fanny no nos puso pegas.

• Thierry from France (8/10)

  La situation

• Silvia from Italy (5/10)

• Ilam from Morocco (7/10)

• Carole from France (8/10)

• Julien from France (8/10)

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities