Hôtel Burdigala by Inwood Hotels

We booked an Executive Room at Hôtel Burdigala, and it was stunning. The bed was so comfortable, the bathroom was lovely, and the included soaps were nice. There was a great coffee machine, plus robes, slippers, creams, a speaker, and thoughtful lighting throughout the room, wardrobes, and bathroom. The hotel itself is beautiful too, especially the staircase in the photos. The drinks at the bar were delicious, and we enjoyed access to the gym and fitness suite. Everyone on staff was friendly, attentive, and helpful. Getting here from the airport was easy by tram, line F, the orange one. The stop is about five minutes from the hotel. It’s around a 10-minute walk to central Bordeaux, where there are lots of bars and restaurants. We’d love to return, and I highly recommend staying here.

We had a wonderful time here with our toddler. Our suite was really spacious, and the staff were very, very welcoming and helpful. It’s close to the commercial centre and several nice restaurants, and Uber deliveries from plenty of good places arrive quickly. We also loved the cocktails at the bar. Highly recommend.

The staff were the highlight for us. Reception did everything they could when we ran into missed flights, needed taxis, and had restaurant cancellations. They handled it all cheerfully and professionally. The hotel is within walking distance of the main shopping streets in central Bordeaux, and has a homely feel, with sofas, games, books, and open areas alongside the stylish design. Our Junior Suite with a terrace was fabulous. The walk-in shower was perfect, though handles would help getting in and out of the bath. I liked the branded liquid soap, shampoo, and conditioner. Breakfast looked limited at first, but there turned out to be plenty to choose from, including eggs cooked to order. We ate at Madame B’s and the food was very good, but service was slow: drinks and three courses took three hours. It isn’t the cheapest stay, but I’d recommend it if it fits your budget.

The first part of our four-night anniversary stay in a duplex was good. The beds were comfortable, the staff were friendly, and the shower had reliably hot water. The hotel is about 10-15 minutes from the old town and five minutes from a bus stop or tram. Then, on our third night, heavy rain brought a leak through the roof on the second floor. I woke at 3 a.m. to constant dripping. The drops stopped when the rain did, so I put out a water bottle to catch them, but I was awake all night. We told reception in the morning, and they saw the leak and said we had to move. We had to delay our day and pack everything before they could transfer our things once the next room was ready. They moved us to a suite, but it felt much smaller than our duplex, which I think was one of their biggest rooms, so it felt like a downgrade. The toilet area was like a closet. I’m neither tall nor big, but sitting down put my face against the door. They gave us two drinks at the downstairs bar for the trouble. After losing a night’s sleep and packing everything again, two glasses of wine didn’t feel like enough. I’d have appreciated a reduction in the room taxes, or at least having one entrée covered when we’d eaten at the restaurant the night before and charged it to the room. The new room had more problems. The LED strip didn’t work, leaving parts of the main room dark, and it didn’t have the steamer our duplex had. When we called, reception insisted there was one and asked to come check. He didn’t find it, and I was shocked he didn’t believe us at first. I wasn’t going to pack a steamer that would take up half my luggage. After we explained that the old room had one and was closed, he retrieved it from there. The next morning, the coffee machine wouldn’t work either. Housekeeping confirmed it, and someone had to clean debris out of it. We didn’t know how to clean that machine, and neither did the staff. That delayed our morning again. The following night the luggage scale was dead, and we didn’t bother calling reception. That made two days in a row when our plans got delayed. If we’d stayed in the original room without the leak, this might have been five stars. The replacement room had lights and accessories that didn’t work or weren’t there. Please check rooms before assigning them, to make sure everything is present, working, and lit. At checkout, I asked for a receipt because we’d charged dinner at Madame B’s to the room and paid the local taxes on site. The printer was out, so reception said they’d email it. At our next destination, we found an email saying only that we’d been charged 163€, with no breakdown between dinner and room taxes. The stay started well, with friendly morning reception staff and comfortable beds, but this didn’t feel like a five-star experience.