Ibis Styles Mériadeck Bordeaux September 2025
Good Points:
1) Comfortable beds and pillows.
2) Check Out: As a privilege under the Accor loyalty programme, I asked for a late check out as our flight would not leave until 21:00. This was granted but only until 14:30. The hotel was busy (a marathon) so fair enough. The actual checking out process was seamless.
Location:
1) Not bad; on tramline A from the airport (stop: Gaviniés). Although the brand new Ibis and Ibis Budget are served by the same tramline, 4 stops closer to the city centre.
Negative Points:
1) Breakfast 1: The breakfast (@ €30 per night 2pps) is appalling. There are no hot options – other than the boil-it-yourself in the communal eggbath. My egg was stolen on two days out of four, requiring another 10 minutes’ cooking and close supervision. On day 4, the water in the eggbath was so low that even after 12 minutes’ cooking my egg was still raw (photo). You need a degree in Industrial Engineering to operate the toaster.
2) Breakfast 2 (No Fresh Options & Recommendation): No fresh fruit – only orange slices in mush and something else, also in mush. No yogurts. Tired cereals. If all you need is a continental breakfast there are better options: 'formules' (coffee, croissants/viennoiseries and, orange juice for @ €5 at any boulangerie); a bakery across from the hotel offered precisely this option and at that price. The closer you are to the centre, the more options you have, from breakfast 'formules', a full breakfast in an Irish/English pub or even a McDonald’s; at least you can order a bacon and egg McMuffin. Much better to ‘downgrade’ to the also 3* Ibis closer to the centre and choose your own breakfast elsewhere.
3) Check In: this took more than 30 minutes as they had ‘lost’ the reservation – made 3 months hence. In reality, Accor had ‘changed’ the reservation the very morning of our departure; in effect, charging us more. Catching the rapid fire French between the two receptionists I understood that I was going to be charged a higher rate. Luckily, I had confirmed my reservation on the Accor Loyalty website and had saved it to my phone which allowed the receptionists discover the original booking and lower quote. Eventually, I was charged the correct price and we could finally access our room.
4) Staff Friendliness: Normally, I buy a couple of the best Rioja wines available in ‘Duty Free’ to give to any staff member who goes above and beyond the call of duty during our sojourn. I invariably return empty-handed; there is always one member of staff with great service or information who takes the prize. The standard of customer care – compared with the standard at Ibis Styles Collouire, for example - was so impersonal that I ended up giving the wine to one of the waiters at ‘La Cheminée Royale’ restaurant (see separate review) in the city centre. No staff member really stepped up to the mark enough to have deserved a bottle.
5) Infrastructure: The hotel requires a massive upgrade in my view and – in its present state – is quite decadent; think 1980s ‘Futurscope’ décor. The bathrooms are small but functional. (photo).
6) Room Facilities: There are no facilities for tea or coffee – unlike other Ibis Styles hotels. On day one, we arrived too late for lunch. I ventured out to the local (excellent) Carrefour City to buy a picnic lunch: bread, pâté, cheese, ham, tomatoes and mineral water. After the lunch I went down in search of a coffee machine. These had been ‘retired’ from the breakfast service. I was offered a coffee from the bar. Two cafés au lait = €8! More than the cost of the lunch. The following day, the boulangerie across the road gave me two ‘coffees to go’ for €3.
7) Accor Loyalty Programme: amongst other things our status entitles us to a ‘welcome drink’. In in other Ibis Styles hotels, this courtesy has been extended to a ‘welcome drink’ for every night of our stay. We usually ask for a glass of wine. On the first night at Ibis Styles Mériadeck I did the same, only to be told that wine – as a welcome drink - was prohibited! You go to the cathedral of French wine only to be told that wine is not available! It was either beer or Perrier water… extremely disappointing.
8) Uniformity Across Branding: This is singularly absent across the Ibis Styles brand. In some hotels there are tea and coffee facilities; in others there aren’t. In some hotels there are hot options for breakfast (usually streaky bacon and scrambled eggs and often only available during the first sitting); here the choice and quality of what was available – barring the ubiquitous mini croissants and pains au chocolat - was atrocious: tired, dry cereals, tasteless sliced bread, only full fat or soya milk; the list is endless.
9) Recommendation: In all honesty I can find nothing to recommend about this hotel except the beds; and these are the same across all Ibis brands. Much better to ‘downgrade’ to the brand new Ibis closer to the centre – in the case of Bordeaux - or upgrade to a Mercure and pay a little more for any luxuries you may require. Personally, I will never use this brand again unless the hotel in question happens to be tried and trusted. There are too many tangibles and – they were about to charge us €635·20 on arrival – for the price we paid, €487 (€121·75 per night, booked well in advance). There are better, more modern options and closer to the city centre.