Maison échoppe – Bordeaux

Hotel Description

You know what? I almost walked right past Maison échoppe the first time I tried to find it. Rue Chabry is one of those narrow Bordeaux streets where the buildings huddle together like old friends sharing secrets, and this little 3-star gem just sort of… belongs there, you know? It doesn’t scream “hotel” at you – which honestly turned out to be exactly what I loved about it. The building itself is this converted échoppe (those traditional Bordeaux townhouses), and they’ve kept so much of the original character that you feel like you’re staying in someone’s beautifully renovated family home rather than a generic hotel room.

The location is actually brilliant once you get your bearings. I mean, you’re literally a five-minute walk from Place Gambetta – and if you don’t know Gambetta, it’s this gorgeous circular plaza that locals use as their meeting spot before heading out for the evening. The tramway runs right through there too, so getting anywhere in the city is dead simple. What really surprised me though was how quiet it gets at night. You’d think being so central would mean dealing with noise, but these old stone walls are thick, and Rue Chabry doesn’t get the bar crowd traffic that some of the other streets around here do. I slept better there than I have in some countryside hotels, honestly.

The staff genuinely knows their stuff about Bordeaux – not just the obvious tourist spots but the real gems. The woman at reception (I think her name was Claire?) told me about this tiny wine bar called Le Bistrot du Sommelier that’s tucked away on Rue Bahutiers, maybe a seven-minute walk away. Turned out to be one of those places where the owner personally knows half the vignerons in the region. That’s the kind of local insight you just don’t get at the big chain places. The rooms themselves are what you’d expect from a thoughtfully renovated échoppe – not huge, but cleverly designed with these lovely original details like exposed beams and old tile floors. The bathrooms are modern without feeling sterile, and there’s actually decent water pressure, which… well, anyone who’s stayed in old European buildings knows that’s not always a given. Parking can be a bit of a puzzle if you’re driving – there’s not much street parking right there, but there’s a public garage about three blocks away that’s not too expensive. Check-in was smooth, no drama, and they were totally fine with me leaving bags there after checkout while I wandered around the Saint-Pierre district one last time before my train. With a 9 rating, you know they’re doing something right, and after staying there, I get it completely.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $100. One-Bedroom Apartment with 1 double bed for Max persons: 2

Reviews

• Superb – Travis from Norway – 3 July 2025 (9/10)

  Cool stone house in the middle of Bordeaux, a short walk or bus ride away from nearly everything in the city. Comfortable bed and bathroom and decent kitchen facilities.
  
  What could be improved: The door is very hard to open. This is mentioned in the check-in instructions i.e. “to use force” but more detail is required because it is unclear where to apply the force and in which direction to turn the key. Had to ask for assistance the first time.

• Nice house as a base for Bordeaux weekend – Becky from United Kingdom – 25 June 2025 (9/10)

  Nicely decorated, comfortable and had everything we needed for the weekend. It’s well located in a quiet neighbourhood but close enough (10 mins walk) to two different tram lines to take you in to the city centre. Communication from Bryon was great and he even let us have a later check out when we left. Big bed, air con and shutters led to a good nights sleep. A really nice base for a few days in Bordeaux!
  
  What could be improved: Tricky front door, message Bryon and he said it’s just because it’s secure so needs a good push. Easy when we sussed it but maybe needs to be included in check in instructions.

• Exceptional – Thomas from Ireland – 19 July 2024 (10/10)

  Lovely apartment, very reasonable and within walking distance from the city.

• Superb – Nikolaos from Greece – 21 June 2024 (9/10)

  Nearly perfect , only things I would be careful is the stairs that are small so you need to be careful and the front door is broken so you need to get used to open it and close it with force.

• Superb – Oleh from Czech Republic – 19 June 2024 (9/10)

  Location is nice. To the centre of the city is 20 minutes walking. District is quiet and calm. Around the corner is a small supermarket, approximately 3 minutes of slow walk. To the nearest tram stop is about 13 minutes of walk. Apartments are recommended for persons, whom like to get a real spirit of Bordeaux.

• Charming tiny house – Bruno from Italy – 17 August 2024 (10/10)

  House is charming in a nice neighborood not far from center. All detached houses, some bohemian flavour. Well equipped and nice interior design. Bed is good.
  
  What could be improved: Pillows are too thin .

• Très bien – Vanessa from France – 15 September 2024 (10/10)

  Nous avons tout apprécié
  
  What could be improved: Échoppe bien placé, nous avons tout le nécessaire, pour commencer notre séjour !!! Ils ont pensé à chaque détail pour rendre notre séjour encore meilleur !!!

• Tutto sommato esperienza positiva – Rosaria from Italy – 8 July 2024 (8/10)

  Grazie alla fermata dell'autobus a 5 minuti a piedi, abbiamo facilmente raggiunto il centro città.
  
  What could be improved: Al piano terra è presente una forte umidità, accompagnato da un odore poco gradevole.

• Superb – Andre from France – 30 June 2024 (9/10)

  La tranquillité du quartier
  
  What could be improved: La est un peu difficile à ouvrir

• Séjour au top ! – Lucie from France – 3 April 2025 (8/10)

  Logement super agréable, chambre très spacieuse et appréciable.

SURROUNDINGS