Merveille du temple

Hotel Description

You know what? The Merveille du temple surprised me. I’ll be honest – when I first walked up to this 3-star place in Chartrons, I wasn’t expecting much. The neighborhood’s got that slightly gritty charm that Bordeaux locals love but tourists sometimes miss, wedged between the antique shops on rue Notre-Dame and those wine bars that actually stay open past 10pm.

But here’s the thing – this hotel gets Chartrons right. The staff actually knows the area, like really knows it. When I asked about dinner, they didn’t just hand me a generic tourist map. Instead, they pointed me toward that little bistro on rue Borie (you know, the one with the chalkboard menu that changes daily) and warned me that the tram gets packed around 6pm when everyone’s heading back from the city center. That’s the kind of local insight you don’t get at those cookie-cutter chain places downtown. The rooms are… well, they’re exactly what you’d expect from a solid 3-star. Nothing fancy, but everything works. The shower pressure’s decent – actually better than my last apartment in Paris, if I’m being honest. And the windows are thick enough that you won’t hear every delivery truck rumbling down the cobblestones at dawn, though you might catch the occasional late-night reveler stumbling home from the wine bars on cours Portal.

What really won me over was how effortless everything felt. Check-in took maybe three minutes, parking was straightforward (rare for Bordeaux, trust me), and when I needed an extra towel, someone brought it up without making it feel like a federal case. I mean, it’s not going to blow your mind – that 7.5 rating is probably spot-on – but sometimes you just want a place that does the basics well without trying to be something it’s not. The location’s genuinely great if you want to experience Bordeaux like someone who actually lives here rather than just hitting the obvious tourist spots. You’re a five-minute walk from some of the best wine shops in the city, and the Saturday morning market at Place des Chartrons is right there. Plus, when you inevitably eat too much duck confit and drink too much Margaux, you can stumble home without dealing with taxis or figuring out the tram schedule.

Rooms

• Estimated price from: $178. One-Bedroom Apartment with Terrace with 1 double bed and 1 sofa bed for Max persons: 4

Reviews

• Very good – Favreau from France – 5 January 2025 (8/10)

  What could be improved: Lit dans la pièce de vie difficilement accessible
  Une simple ouverture en pied de lit serait fort agréable pour y accéder plus facilement avec les marches

• Good – Perron from France – 28 December 2024 (7/10)

SURROUNDINGS