Le Raphaël – Sur les hauteurs de Bordeaux

Hotel Description

Look, I’ve stayed at plenty of places in Bordeaux, but Le Raphaël honestly surprised me – and I mean that in the best way. It’s perched up on Boulevard Joliot Curie in the Bastide area, which… okay, I’ll be real with you, isn’t where most tourists end up. But that’s actually what makes it brilliant. You’re away from the cruise ship crowds stumbling around the old town, yet you can still see the whole city spread out below you. The tram’s right there if you want to zip into the center (takes maybe 15 minutes), but honestly, I found myself just enjoying the quiet up there. The building itself has this understated elegance – none of that over-the-top château nonsense you sometimes get in wine country, just clean lines and genuinely comfortable spaces.

What really got me was how they’ve thought about the little things that matter when you’re actually living somewhere for a few days. The rooms – well, mine faced toward the city and I could see all the way to the Garonne winding through everything. There’s something about waking up to that view with a proper cup of coffee (and yes, the coffee’s actually good, not that burnt hotel lobby stuff). The staff knows the neighborhood, too, which sounds obvious but you’d be amazed how rare that is. When I asked about dinner spots, they didn’t just hand me a tourist brochure – they told me about this little bistro three blocks down where the locals actually eat, and about how the Sunday market on the square gets pretty lively if you’re into that sort of thing. Parking was straightforward, which… if you’ve ever tried to navigate Bordeaux’s old streets with a rental car, you know what a relief that is.

Here’s the thing though – this isn’t some flashy resort experience. It’s more like… well, like staying at the well-appointed apartment of a friend who has excellent taste and actually lives in the city. The whole Bastide district has this residential vibe that I didn’t expect to love as much as I did. You’ve got the botanical gardens practically next door, perfect for those early morning walks when the city’s still waking up, and the area feels genuinely French in a way that the tourist center sometimes doesn’t. I ended up extending my stay an extra night just because I wasn’t ready to leave – something about the rhythm of the place, you know? Plus, when you do venture into central Bordeaux for the wine bars and the cathedral and all that, it feels like you’re discovering it rather than just checking boxes on a list. If you’re the type who wants to experience Bordeaux like someone who actually lives there rather than just passing through, this is your spot.

To book a hotel in Bordeaux during the wine harvest season, visitors should make reservations well in advance as the city attracts wine enthusiasts from around the world.

Rooms

• Two-Bedroom Apartment with 4 × 1 large double bed for 4 adults

Reviews

• Magali from France (9/10)

  L’appartement est spacieux et propre.

• Vbudimir from Croatia (9/10)

  Nice, new and clean

• Julie from France (9/10)

  Propre spacieux accessible lumineux.

• Elena from Russia (9/10)

  Современная квартира, стильная обстановка, абсолютно все необходимое на кухне и в ванной ! Бесплатное парковочное место – очень важный плюс ! Рядом супермаркет. Пешком до исторического центра не спеша можно дойти за 30 минут

• Charline from France (9/10)

  L apparemment est top .

• Adrien from France (1/10)

• Karol from Poland (9/10)

• Iurica from Italy (8/10)

• Jaime from Spain (9/10)

• López from Spain (9/10)

SURROUNDINGS

Facilities