Hôtel du Théâtre

The staff were incredibly kind and helpful, and breakfast was tasty and filling. The hotel is in a good spot for shopping and sightseeing, and I thought it was brilliant value for money. I’d recommend it to anyone coming to Bordeaux and would gladly stay again. The building and rooms are a bit old and quirky, which I liked personally, though some people might not. The rooms are basic but comfortable, which suited me. There’s no lift, probably because the building is old, and some steps to the third floor are steep and oddly shaped, so keep that in mind if you’re unsteady on your feet. The shower was fixed quite low on the wall. At 6 feet tall (183cm), I found it awkward at first, but got used to it.

The only good thing I can say about this “hotel” is its location. During my four nights at “Hotel du theatre”, I got better hospitality falling asleep at a party. I arrived exhausted after my driver tried six different routes to reach it. The roads were blocked by pillars or closed, and what should have been a 15-minute drive took 45. At the hotel, the door was locked and the lights were off, although reception was supposedly open. I could see an empty desk through the window. I eventually spotted a keypad and remembered the emails said I’d get a code, but I couldn’t find the code in any of them. I called the hotel. I speak a little French, but the woman on the phone spoke no English. I tried slow English and French, but couldn’t understand her fast French, and she couldn’t understand me. She gave up and said she’d call her “friend” to open the door. A young man let me in, sat behind the desk, and said nothing. I thought he might be checking me in, but had no idea what was happening. He handed me a paper with two numbers on it, then used Google Translate to explain. The welcome letter in my room said the hotel was under new management and wasn’t up to par. It asked guests to leave high ratings, and said not to review the stay at all if the rating would be below 8-10. The hallway lights had to be switched on by me, and their timers didn’t stay on long enough to get up all the stairs. The bathroom was disgusting. There was hair from the previous guest on the toilet, counter, shower, and along the wall bases. The counter was stained, had white paint splatters, and was covered in dust and dirt. Hair and dust bunnies were in the corners by the walls. As someone who is neurotypical, I found it so upsetting that I had a panic attack. I felt uncomfortable in the space I was meant to “live” in for the next five days. I asked to move rooms and was taken one floor up to a much smaller room that was only slightly cleaner. Hair still covered the baseboards and shower, and the toilet seat had a big crack down the middle. I was exhausted and had given up, so I cleaned the bathroom and went to bed. During my whole stay, my room was never cleaned, the small bins were never emptied, and towels were never replaced. The shower was either hot or cold, and its head was coming off the wall so badly I was afraid to touch it. My window wouldn’t open properly, and the walls were paper thin. Even my neighbour gently using their door sounded like my bathroom door opening and closing. It was loud enough for my boyfriend to hear over the phone. The ad mentioned a breakfast hall, but I never saw one. This felt more like an empty apartment building than a hotel. I only saw one staff member twice during my stay, even though I left and returned several times every day. The ad also lies about multilingual and helpful staff, concierge service, luggage storage, tour and ticket assistance, and porter or bellhop service.

We got great value for a one-night stay, especially since the hotel is right in central Bordeaux. Our flight landed at 11:30 p.m., so being able to check in after midnight was brilliant. The room was basic, but good for the price. Staff were helpful and let us leave our luggage while we explored the city and waited for our next check-in. I’d recommend it.

I slept well in the end, and the location is very central. The staff were friendly and helpful. Still, the place could be cleaner, and the bathroom on the fourth floor had no hot water that evening, probably because other guests had already used it all. Some things, especially in the bathroom, could use repair or renovation.