Apparteo Bordeaux

The place is small, and the sofa bed doesn’t help. Hygiene was poor, especially the toilets, which looked like they hadn’t been properly cleaned in a long time. The window is locked with a piece of metal, which is a bad setup in hot weather when the room is closed up with the bathroom and kitchen. The smells linger.

The location worked really well for us, near the marine museum, cite du vin and the bassin lumiere. The rooms were clean and had fans, cooking amenities, washing-up supplies and shower gel. There's a nice big balcony shared with just one other room, though the other guests didn't sit out there while we were there. Also a tea and coffee station, a fridge and a vending machine for snacks. I'd been a little unsure after reading the reviews, but we were happy with our stay.

The apartment is in the newer part of town, with trendy bars nearby, an easy walk to musuem de vin and bus 4 right by the building. The shower was good, and they did reimburse us for the hotel we had to find on our first night. It was very cheap, which helps explain the two stars, and Stephen the student was genuinely helpful and sorry about what happened. We arrived on Bastille Day 2022, when reception wasn't available. It took about 10 minutes to reach anyone while we waited in 39C heat. A student realized there was no key for our apartment and, after more than half an hour of frantic calls, we were told we'd need to stay somewhere else that night. He tried everything he could, but nobody who could fix it was answering. After trying a few places, we found a nearby hotel. We were honestly scared we'd end up sleeping on the street. We got access the following day. The apartment was incredibly hot during the heatwave, had no AC, and looked nothing like the photos. There was no access to the communal area, and the fridge was very loud, right next to the bed. This is student accommodation that rents out vacant rooms to visitors, including in summer. If you stay, arrive while reception is open. Evenings, weekends and public holidays seem to carry the risk of the same problem.

A handy base for a short visit to Bordeaux. Everything was very clean, the amenities were new and in excellent condition, and there was a fridge, microwave and complimentary coffee. Simple accommodation, but it had what we needed.