Villa Segur

The staff were pleasant, and the place was clean, quiet, functional, close to the train station, and had a charming little courtyard. My suite had a sitting room with a fridge, microwave, and some dishes, though the basics stopped there: no kettle, tea, coffee, salt, or sugar. This is very specific to my room and experience, and other rooms seem better. I was in the Josephine Baker room. A strange smell like burning electronics made it hard to sleep, and I couldn’t open the windows because of the mosquitoes. The bedroom is up a narrow spiral staircase, while the bathroom is downstairs, which is awkward if you need to get up in the night. When I told the staff about the smell and how it affected my sleep, they seemed sympathetic but offered no accommodation or compensation. My husband needed extra time to rest in his room, and we were charged for that. The hospitality seems limited to kind words. I also found it reprehensible that they ask guests for reviews while suggesting they’ll only consider ratings above 9/10.

Breakfast was served on our own balcony, which was a lovely touch. The room was spotless and tastefully decorated, with everything we needed and a big walk-in shower. It’s on a cute, quiet street close to the station and an easy walk from a pretty square. I’d definitely stay again.

I was happy to choose Villa Segur over the chain hotels nearby. The room was clean and cute, with a small sitting room, kitchenette, and bathroom downstairs, plus a large bedroom and desk upstairs via a white-painted staircase. Its window looked onto a tidy little courtyard with plants and a nice spot to sit. Arriving after 8 PM and leaving before 7 AM was no problem.

They have a huge selection of wines on display as you come in, and the portions are generous. It’s a classic French restaurant in the heart of Bordeaux, with a very reasonably priced set menu and some lovely choices. I enjoyed the crème brûlée and smoked salmon. The tartare wasn’t the best, according to the others with me, though it wasn’t awful either.