Novotel Bordeaux Centre 4 estrelas

We stayed at this hotel for 3 nights during our visit to Bordeaux. It was a last minute booking that we made on the day of check-in due to the problems that we experienced in another Accor hotel. The reason that we chose Novotel was because of our previous positive experience with the brand while staying in Paris. The hotel's walking distance location to the old town and main attractions was also a very important factor for us. Our trust in Accor group as a brand and our membership in their program was also one of the main factors. We were welcomed by the very friendly reception staff at the arrival. Novotel is a mid scale brand of Accor and the hotel reflects just that. There was no mention of our Accor status or welcome drink offer that should come with the status until we reminded them to. The hotel rooms seem to be refurbished to a point based on the brand's new furniture and amenity specifications. For example, there were Rituals branded hand washes and shower products, there was a new desk with a wireless charging unit and the fridge was filled with soft drinks as in our previous stay in Paris. However, you could see the old hotel from parts of the refurbishment that was left out – the bed frame, the bathroom fittings and the wardrobe pieces were reminders of a 90s hotel. Also the towels in the room were a bit old and not so soft – something you would expect from Ibis but not Novotel. So the room was a mix of old and new Novotel. Unfortunately, our stay was not problem free. The shower was not draining when we showered and there was an unpleasant smell coming to the bathroom and toilets (which are separate rooms). The hotel staff kindly changed our room to a higher floor and a more refurbished room when we explained our problem which didn't have this issue. In general, we thought that the building is really old and it's showing its age with plumbing and small details even though the hotel is being refurbished recently. Another unpleasant experience was when we tried to use our welcome drink at the hotel bar. The staff said that the drink voucher only covers one drink – not one drink for all guests in the booking. So the welcome drink worked as a way to sell us a drink rather than a welcome gesture of the brand for being a return customer. We didn't enjoy the sandwich bag packed hot drink options provided in the room. The paper cups for hot drinks and nothing but instant coffee or tea seems a bit cheap for a brand like Novotel. For example, Paris Novotel had Nespresso machines and porcelain cups when we stayed and it really makes a difference (also more environmentally friendly). Similarly, when staying at Paris Novotel, our room minibar was being refilled everyday with soft drinks but this wasn't the case in this hotel ( I don't know what brand policy is but honestly it is a nice gesture to have some soft drinks ). Our booking didn't include any breakfast so we could purchase breakfast for 19.5 Euros per person per day. We used the breakfast buffet only one morning due to the higher than normal cost. While it was a good breakfast buffet with nice options, we couldn't justify going to the same buffet the next morning. The seating area was so full of tables and seats that you couldn't walk comfortably without disturbing the other tables. For example, the person behind me was trying to get off her chair when she got my skin trapped between my chair and her chair. But apart from these issues, the reception staff were excellent. They aimed to solve all our issues and did their best to provide us a comfortable experience. And we did stay comfortably but just not at the level that we were previously demonstrated by other Novotel brand hotels.

Booked this hotel via Priceline in May based on reviews here on TripAdvisor for a one night stay in September. Like many flights this past summer/autumn our flight was cancelled from the US due to a French air traffic control strike and prevented us from arriving in Bordeaux the day of our hotel booking. The cancellation policy is strictly adhered to and would offer no refund. They did however relent and provide a lower value voucher to be used within 4 months which sadly won’t be used. Our fault for not investing in travel insurance……

This is about 10 minutes away from main Bordeaux Center which was nice to be out of the totally crowded area but extremely walkable. No problems everyone was lovely really large room. Maid service was impeccable. It was super safe and as a solo female traveler that is important. Room was so clean and had a small fridge while was nice and a table and couch as well. Nice outdoor drinks area.

This is a great hotel in Bordeaux for many reasons: It's location is perfect--near the tram stop, as well as stores and laundry facilities (for a long stay). The room was clean and comfortable, with prompt and excellent housekeeping service. The staff was very friendly and helpful. The breakfast was delicious, and Ioved the fitness center. The terrasse bar was a nice touch also! I stayed 12 days at the hotel with the French Traveler workshop and conference.

The hotel is well located, only a 5 minute walk to the Cathedral and the rest of the old town minutes beyond. The staff was most helpful in making dinner recommendations. Even though the temperature in Bordeaux was over 100 degrees at the the time, the AC in the room was weak. It was much stronger in the common areas.