L’Atelier d’Auguste – Terrasse en plein cœur de Bordeaux

Hotel Description

Look, I’ll be honest – when I first walked up to L’Atelier d’Auguste on rue des Augustins, I wasn’t expecting much from a 3-star place. But you know what? Sometimes the best discoveries are the ones that sneak up on you. This little spot sits right in the heart of Bordeaux’s historic center, and I mean *right* in it – you’re literally steps away from the cathedral and all those winding medieval streets that make you feel like you’ve stumbled into a different century.

The real gem here is actually in the name – that terrace they’re talking about. Most hotels in this part of town are squeezed into these old stone buildings where you’re lucky to get a window that opens properly, but somehow L’Atelier managed to carve out this outdoor space that feels like your own private slice of the city. I spent way too many evenings up there with a bottle of local wine (there’s a cave à vin literally around the corner on rue du Pas-Saint-Georges – the owner knows his stuff). The terrace isn’t huge, mind you, but it’s got this intimate vibe where you can actually hear the city living and breathing below without feeling like you’re in a fishbowl.

The rooms themselves are… well, they’re exactly what you’d expect from a thoughtfully renovated building in the old quarter. Nothing fancy, but clean and comfortable with those thick stone walls that keep things surprisingly quiet considering you’re surrounded by restaurants and bars. I mean, you’ll still hear some street noise – it’s Bordeaux, not a monastery – but it’s more like a gentle urban lullaby than anything disruptive. The bathroom was actually bigger than I expected, which is saying something for this part of town where space is at a premium. What I really appreciated was how they’ve kept some of the original character – exposed beams, that sort of thing – without making it feel like a medieval theme park.

Here’s the thing about the location that the booking sites don’t really capture: you’re positioned perfectly for both the touristy stuff and the real Bordeaux. Walk five minutes toward the river and you’re at Place de la Bourse with all the Instagram crowds, but head the other way toward Saint-Michel and you’re in neighborhood bistro territory where locals actually eat. The Saturday market at Place des Capucins is maybe a ten-minute stroll, and honestly, that’s where you want to be grabbing your morning coffee and pastries anyway. Parking’s a bit of a nightmare (like everywhere in the center), but there’s a public garage on rue Judaïque that’s not too expensive if you’re driving.

I’ll admit the 7.4 rating feels about right – it’s not going to blow your mind, but it delivers on what it promises. The staff actually seemed to care about helping you figure out the city rather than just checking you in and disappearing. Would I stay here again? Yeah, probably. It’s got that sweet spot of being comfortable and well-located without trying too hard to be something it’s not.

Rooms

• One-Bedroom Apartment with 2 × 1 double bed and 1 sofa bed for 3 adults

Reviews

• Jakub from Czech Republic (9/10)

  Nice accommodation, great location, well equipped kitchen and friendly owner. We were satisfied

• Deanagh from Ireland (6/10)

  Very good location. Staff very friendly. Spacious plenty of room shower was a good size and really nice.

• Cristina from Ireland (8/10)

  A quiet and well located apartment

• Martin from France (6/10)

  Situation in center of Bordeaux, no traffic, no noise. Close to restaurants, shops etc.
  appartment is nicely decorated , kitchen well equiped, bathroom oke. Nice terrace outside, however, due to rain we could not make use of it

• Diana from Australia (8/10)

  The location was great.
  My husband was also very happy that he could watch the rugby and the F1.

• Claire from United Kingdom (6/10)

  Great position. Outside space.

• Fastfollow from Russia (4/10)

  Antoine, the person who managed checkin was very helpful.
  Historical center and the most part of must-see places are in 10-15 min

• Anna from Switzerland (4/10)

  Location was good

• Emre from Netherlands (9/10)

  it was really in the center and nicely decorated. The person showed us around gave some useful tips.

• Miguel from Spain (7/10)

  La luz y comodidad

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities