ibis budget Bordeaux Le Lac

The staff were nice, but the air conditioning doesn’t work, so avoid this place in summer. There’s hardly any sound insulation either.

We booked at the last minute when we decided to stop overnight in Bordeaux. Booking was easy, and we could bring our dogs. The rooms are basic, but had what we needed for one night.

I liked how close it was to the conference centre, tram, and restaurants, including the Italian place a few blocks away. The room was comfortable for a budget hotel, and there was a good choice at breakfast. Each morning I woke up to the lovely smell of croissants baking.

I’ve stayed in many hotels over 55 years, and this was the worst. At check-in, I was charged the full room rate again even though I’d already paid Booking.com. They concealed the extra charge with lies about “tourism tax” and saying they needed my card for an “invoice print out.” It took 21 emails of complaints and 8 weeks to get back the €94.50 they’d charged me twice. Their excuses were disgraceful. The room was filthy, with excrement on the curtains. The security gate code was written on a post-it on the outside of the compound, and getting in from inside was difficult. This French “prison” was a disaster: dishonest, rude, and professionally incompetent in ways I can’t fit into a short review. They’ll rip you off, put you in a disgusting room, and then keep lying while you chase your refund for two months. An utter disgrace. DO NOT STAY HERE!