Best Western Grand Hotel Francais

The hotel is situated in an ideal area close to many shops, restaurants and tourist attractions. Be aware that you cannot park outside the hotel. It is best to contact the hotel and ask for the name of the parking garage that you can get a discount to park in. The room is a good size and our balcony had a decent view. The bed is very comfortable and the bathroom is well-appointed. Toothbrushes and other hygiene products are not available in the room. The value for money is quite good, considering the location. The staff is very polite and helpful.

Booked this to celebrate a big birthday. It was a lot more expensive than many other hotels in the area but decided to splash out on a little luxury, based on reviews. It really was not worth the money. It's a basic three-star hotel, which in France probably equates to a 2 star in Ireland. Room was tiny. It was clean, admittedly, but it was a bit shabby (old tired A/C machine that looked grubby). The fan in the bathroom did not work, which was an issue given the fact that the bathroom was on the inside of the room with no window. The shower was OK, but I had only very tepid water for one shower on the day we checked out. View was of the fire escape, and often of other guests leaning out their windows to smoke. I tried asking at reception for a better room, given that it was a big birthday celebration (having failed spectacularly to get anywhere via the booking website I used for the last time ever) and was greeted with that most French of responses, the Gallic shrug, which conveyed complete and total dismissiveness. Staff were at best brusque, verging on rude, which is not usual for Bordeaux. Luckily, restaurants were lovely in the town, but the hotel definitely took away from what was meant to be a special weekend away. We could have stayed in other 3 star establishments for literally half what we paid here. Avoid it if there is anywhere else moderately clean available.

The hotel is housed in a beautiful old building in a perfect location for exploring Bordeaux. The staff were all welcoming and exceptionally helpful when approached. The room was better than it appears on the hotel website, with a large and well-equipped bathroom that included double sinks and both a large shower and separate bathtub. We would certainly stay here again on future visits.

This hotel is all about location, it's a few minutes away from the busy shopping area and about a 15 minute walk from the best restaurants dotted around Saint - Pierre and Place du Parlement. A 5 minute walk in the other direction takes you to the beautiful area of The National Opera and within 10 - 15 minutes you can reach the tram at Place de la Bourse or at Hotel de Ville for the airport. As you enter the hotel you feel a sense of grandeur, the reception area and staircase are beautiful with grand lights and staircase and a beautiful tiled floor. There is a luxurious cocktail bar right next to reception (we didn't see anyone in there the whole time, maybe because it's a bit expensive). Our room was a bit of a disappointment, it was tiny and the bathroom was only just about big enough, although sitting on the toilet wasn't comfortable with legs pressed against the wall! The hairdryer cut out after about 30 seconds so had to be used on the cool setting. There was only soap provided, no other toiletries, not even a shower cap. Only one hook to hang towels for 2 people - poorly appointed. The bed was comfortable, nice pillows although very small. Not much wardrobe or drawer space, it was ok for a couple of nights but wouldn't want to have stayed longer. Air con worked well and there was a safe in the wardrobe. There was some mould on the walls and the paint was peeling in places, we weren't expecting luxury but at £150 per night for B&B I was expecting a higher standard. There were a couple of herbal teabags in the room but no coffee and to get water we had to go downstairs to reception to fill up a bottle which the hotel provided. Buffet style breakfast was 3* at best, there was little offered in the cooked food area and the coffee was from a machine. There were the usual pain au choc and croissants etc along with some cake, yogurt and fruit with some cheeses and ham to accompany the baguettes. The lady organising the breakfast was lovely, she worked really hard to make sure that everyone got what they wanted and that the area was kept neat and clean. Reception staff were lovely, extremely helpful and friendly at all times. I feel that this hotel is really a 3.5* overall. Had the bedroom been better it would have been a strong 4, but although some have rated it higher, I expect a lot more for the price paid.