Bordeaux City Gardens

Hotel Description

You know what surprised me most about Bordeaux City Gardens? It’s tucked away on this quiet little street – Rue Duplessy – that most tourists never stumble across, but honestly, that might be its biggest selling point. I mean, you’re literally a five-minute walk from Place Gambetta and all the main shopping streets, but when you step outside in the morning, it feels like you’ve discovered some secret corner of Bordeaux that the guidebooks forgot to mention.

The building itself has this beautiful old Bordeaux limestone facade that catches the light just right in the late afternoon, and when you walk into the lobby, there’s this immediate sense that someone actually cares about the details here. The staff behind the desk – and I’m usually pretty cynical about hotel service – they genuinely seem to know the city. Not just the obvious stuff like where to catch the tram (though the Gambetta stop is right there), but they’ll tell you which wine bars the locals actually go to on Rue Saint-Rémi, or that the morning market on Cours Victor Hugo is way better on Saturdays than any other day. The rooms are what you’d expect from a solid four-star place, nothing revolutionary but thoughtfully done. Mine overlooked a small courtyard garden – hence the name, I guess – and it was surprisingly quiet for being so central. Actually, the soundproofing is better than a lot of places I’ve stayed in Paris, which matters because Bordeaux can get pretty lively, especially during wine harvest season.

Here’s the thing about this place though – it gets the balance right between being polished enough that you feel like you’re treating yourself, but not so fancy that you’re afraid to come back after a long day of wine tasting with maybe slightly muddy shoes. The neighborhood itself is perfect for that kind of trip, honestly. You’ve got serious wine shops within a couple blocks where the owners will spend twenty minutes talking you through different châteaux, but you’re also close enough to the river that you can walk down to the new waterfront development when you want something more modern. Parking was actually manageable – there’s a public garage just around the corner on Cours Georges Clemenceau that won’t bankrupt you, which in a city center like this is sort of a miracle. And if you’re planning to explore the wine regions, you’re perfectly positioned to hop on the ring road without fighting through the old town traffic. I’d definitely come back here, especially in spring when that little garden courtyard really comes alive and the whole Gambetta area has this energy that makes you remember why people fall in love with French cities in the first place.

Travelers should reserve a hotel in Bordeaux at least two months ahead of their visit to ensure availability and secure better rates, especially during the peak summer season when the city hosts numerous cultural festivals.

Rooms

• Apartment – Ground Floor with 2 × 1 extra-large double bed for 2 adults

Reviews

• Femke from Netherlands (8/10)

  Hele ruime locatie, goed geoutilleerde keuken. Modern ingericht zoals op de foto's en
  naast een heerlijk en mooi park. Fijne kledingkast. Goed te lopen naar het centrum, hele aardige ontvangst.

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities