La Parenthèse des Capucins - Bordeaux

Georges was so welcoming and kind, and his restaurant suggestions gave us some of the best food of our trip. The room was excellent, very clean and full of thoughtful personal touches, with a great shower, a separate toilet, and a comfortable bed with soft linen. It’s about a 15-20 minute walk from the main part of town. My husband and I actually liked that, since the walk helped us work off all the food we’d eaten. We had an amazing stay, would highly recommend it and would definitely return.

We spent four nights in the Royal room. It was clean, nicely furnished like the photos, though there were no flowers in the “fireplace,” and the bed was comfortable. The rainfall shower was great, and the towel warmer was a nice touch. Towels aren’t changed like in hotels, which I’m fine with for environmental reasons, but a sink sign said to leave used towels on the floor for fresh ones, which was misleading. I’m adding a photo of the sign. This is a guest house rather than a hotel, so bring your own conditioner, hand cream, solid soap and other extras beyond shower gel and liquid soap. The website said there was a coffee maker, but there wasn’t one. I drink tea anyway, and when I mentioned that an electric kettle would do, Georges bought one that day and put it in the room with mugs and tea bags. I wish I’d asked on the first day. A shared tea and coffee corner would be a nice addition. Georges was very accommodating about my dietary needs at breakfast and bought some things especially for me, which I appreciated. Breakfast was nicely served and quite satisfactory. Sharing a table with other guests was pleasant, and we met interesting people each day, though some seemed to stay only one night. We arrived at night by fast train from Paris and took a taxi because we had luggage. It cost 10 Euros. The house is about a 15-minute walk from the station, comfortable without bags. That worked well since we took day trips on two days. There are also a couple of bus lines nearby and a tram a few blocks away. The neighborhood is quite run down, with many shuttered shops and some rather seedy-looking places on the street. The businesses that are open, apart from some laundromats, aren’t likely places tourists would go. I don’t think I’d feel comfortable walking back alone at night as a woman. There’s no sign for the house apart from its number. Georges only emailed us about this shortly before we arrived, and we hadn’t seen the message by then. Fortunately, he was watching for our taxi because I’d given him an estimated arrival time. There’s also a 20 Euro extra charge for checking in at night. We arrived around 11:30 pm, and the website lists the check-in hours. I don’t know whether any rooms are wheelchair accessible; the ones I saw were up a flight of steps. I’d recommend the guest house, as long as you know what to expect.

We stayed at La Parenthèse at the beginning of July and hope to return. Georges and Corinne have put a lot of care into the decor of this charming, characterful maison d’hôte, which has recently opened. It’s only a few minutes’ walk from the Marché des Capacins. Our Marchand du Vin room was spacious, quiet and spotless, with a large, very comfortable bed. Georges was a friendly, attentive and helpful host who made sure we had what we needed, and he served a delicious fresh breakfast each morning. It was a perfect base for exploring Bordeaux. Thank you for the hospitality, Georges!

Just wow. The owner has thought of so many lovely touches: a balcony with a jacuzzi, a ceiling window where you can watch the stars from bed, and lighting for a romantic mood. What more could you want?