Bordeaux

Bordeaux conjures up all sorts of images: the architecture is stunning, the markets vibrant and culture colourful, and there’s fantastic shopping, but wine is likely to be your first thought. This area has been connected with the wine industry since Roman times. Great wine lists come with the territory when it comes to the best places to stay in Bordeaux, with a delicious claret or summer rosé at the top of the list.

Bordeaux also offers up great pairings for that wine: it’s becoming a foodie capital. But it’s not just a destination for your taste buds, in 2007, the city and its elegant streets – adorned with 18th-century buildings – were declared an UNESCO World Heritage Site - it’s the world’s largest urban World Heritage Site. And the other half of the city is home to some spectacularly modern structures. It has also been classified as a ‘City of Art and History’.

What not to Miss

• Capital of the Aquitaine region and located in the Gironde département, Bordeaux sits on a bend of the River Garonne, before the Garonne meets the Gironde estuary and finally the Atlantic. After years of neglect Bordeaux’s docks are one of France’s new hot spots, with some fantastic cafes, bars and restaurants, plus some interesting museums.
• The pedestrianised centre of town is where you’ll find most of the major sights - try starting with Sainte-Catherine Street. You’ll get a great view of the whole city from the top of Saint-Michel’s tower.
• Les Quais is where you’ll find the impressive Aquitaine Bridge, and stunning views over the other bridges,
• Gambetta Square is a good place to see grand neo-classical architecture,
• La Victorie is where you’ll find the roman Victory Arch and the public gardens are impressive.
• The Musee D’Art Contemporain is a great modern art museum and the Musee D’Aquitaine is a great place to find out more about the local area. There’s also a wine museum…

Within the city, our pick of the best places to stay in Bordeaux ranges from historical townhouses in the Chartrons district to an eco-friendly B&B and contemporary designer hotel. Head out into the countryside and you’ll find neat rows of vines filling the landscape with many a turreted château offering an elegant style of living. The choices are endless.

In the Heart of Bordeaux

• The Hotel de Seze is a classic grand dame hotel in a fine, 18th century building. There are 55 generously proportioned rooms with traditional decor and a smart restaurant, bar and cigar lounge. There’s also a small spa with a hot tub and a sauna.
• Villa Victor Louis is a stunning villa converted into an eight room hotel. The 18th century decor may make you feel like royalty, and you’re in a wonderfully central location.

Contemporary chic

The best places to stay in Bordeaux are an eclectic mix! Our favourites in the contemporary bracket are:

• Seeko'o Hotel - This luxury design hotel might look out of place to some; a modern cube sat amongst 18th century buildings on Bordeaux's waterfront. It offers forty five up to the minute suites, all mood lighting and designer furniture. And it claims to be very environmentally friendly. A lively bar serves great cocktails plus the spa is well worth a visit.
• Maison Fredon is a luxury, five room hotel and restaurant in the centre of town. The rooms are individually styled in a chic, but classic, French style, with exposed beams and contemporary art.
• Le St James is a contemporary design hotel with 15 spectacularly modern rooms and suites in separate pavilion conversions. There’s also a gourmet restaurant and glorious gardens.

Most Romantic

• Le Boutique Hotel is an elegant townhouse hotel with 20 rooms and two self-catering apartments. The rooms are chic and filled with light and modern art, and there are stand alone bathtubs.
• The Yndo Hotel is a contemporary property with a modern townhouse feel inside a stunning 19th century mansion. There are just 12 rooms decorated in a mixture of period and designer furniture and details. Luxurious and trendy.
• La Grande Maison de Bernard Magrez is a 19th century mansion just outside the centre of town with six elegant rooms and a wonderful restaurant. This is a luxurious spot that foodies will love.

Best B&Bs

If you don't want to blow the budget then the best places to stay in Bordeaux can be the city centre B&Bs and guesthouses.

• La Villa Chaleemar is very centrally located and ideal if you want to be in the thick of things. The rooms have a Scandanavian feel with light painted wooden furniture. When the weather's good there's even a patio for sitting out.

For Great Value

• Mama Shelter, Bordeaux is a boutique hotel designed to be simple and comfortable, but it also manages to be hip. There’s a buzzy bar and restaurant and a fantastic roof terrace which is just perfect for sundowners. There are 97 rooms starting from around £60 per night.

For an Apartment or holiday villa

• If you’d prefer to stay in a self catering apartment or property we recommend you visit our online partner, Booking.com.

Travel Information

• Bordeaux-Merignac Airport is an international airport only 9kms from the centre of town. A lot of major airlines service Bordeaux, and if you can’t get a direct flight you’ll have no problem transferring in Paris. When leaving the airport you can catch a bus into the centre of town, which takes about 40mins, or a shuttle - which is quicker but also more expensive. A taxi costs about €40.
• Bordeaux is well connected to the French train network, SNCF, and, if you’re coming from London via Paris it’s about a six hour journey.
• Though 60 miles inland from the sea, around 20 odd cruise ships dock here each year.
• If you want to hire a car - which we highly recommend if you’re staying in Bordeaux and want to see a bit more of Aquitaine or the Dordogne - we recommend you visit our online partner, Rentalcars.
• Bordeaux has a temperate, maritime climate, meaning the summers are hot, but it’s close enough to the coast to get the cooling sea breezes, and the winters are cool, but not extreme. Most visitors come between May and August, with the ‘proper’ summer months being the most popular. As well as being warm and sunny, the Aquitaine region is colourful with flowers at this time of year. You might think harvest season is a great time to visit a wine growing region, but actually a lot of wineries are closed to the public during the harvest. Winter is cool and wet and spring is warm and wet - but with plenty of sunshine.

Still not sure which to book?

• Browse our list of the best places to stay in Bordeaux
• Expand your search to include all the best places to stay in the Gironde,
• or skip over a region and consider the best places to stay in the Dordogne,
• or contact one of our friendly Gurus for advice.