Chez Emilien

Hotel Description

You know what struck me first about Chez Emilien? It’s tucked on this quiet stretch of rue du Maréchal Joffre where you can actually hear yourself think – which honestly, in Bordeaux’s city center, is kind of a miracle. I mean, you’re literally a five-minute walk from all the chaos around Place Gambetta, but somehow this little pocket feels completely removed from it all.

The building itself has that classic Bordeaux limestone thing going on, and when you step inside, there’s this immediate sense that someone actually cares about the place. It’s not trying to be fancy – it’s a solid 3-star spot – but everything feels thoughtfully done. The lobby smells faintly of lavender and old wood, and there’s usually some soft jazz playing that doesn’t make you want to immediately find the volume control. Check-in was refreshingly straightforward when I stayed there last spring, no upselling or lengthy explanations of amenities I’ll never use. The woman at reception (I think her name was Marie?) knew the neighborhood inside and out – she pointed me toward this incredible little wine bar on rue Mably that I never would’ve found otherwise.

What really works about this place is the location without the location headaches, if that makes sense. You can walk to Cours de l’Intendance for shopping, hit the Saturday market at Marché des Capucins (about 15 minutes on foot), or catch the tram right at Gambetta if you want to venture out to the wine regions. But here’s the thing most hotels won’t tell you – parking in this area is actually manageable. There’s a public garage two blocks over on rue Esprit-des-Lois, and street parking isn’t the nightmare it is closer to the cathedral. The rooms themselves are what you’d expect from a well-run boutique spot – clean lines, decent-sized bathrooms, and windows that actually open (thank god, because French hotels can get stuffy). I had a room facing the interior courtyard, which meant blissfully quiet nights even on weekends when the bars get lively. The WiFi worked properly, the bed was comfortable without being memorable, and there’s enough storage space that you’re not living out of your suitcase. Honestly, after a day wandering Bordeaux’s wine shops and getting properly educated at the Cité du Vin, all you really want is a clean, quiet place to crash – and Chez Emilien delivers on that without any fuss. It’s the kind of place that does the basics really well and doesn’t try to be something it’s not, which in a city full of overpriced “luxury” spots trying too hard to impress, feels pretty refreshing.

Rooms

• Superior One-Bedroom Apartment with 2 × 3 single beds for 3 adults, 1 child

Reviews

• Sofia from Greece (9/10)

  Η τοποθεσία, γρήγορα προσβάσιμη στο κέντρο και στη στάση τραμ.

• Sarasa from Spain (7/10)

• Eloïse from France (9/10)

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities