Hôtel Cardinal Bordeaux

The upsides of the hotel are the great location, and friendly and helpful front staff. The daily notes and gifts were a kind gesture. The main downside is the cost, as I don't think it's worth the amount charged compared to other fairly upscale accommodations in France for a similar price. I felt that given the cost, the rooms were also stingy in the amount of amenities given and limited our use of the kitchen. We were also mislead and had extra 'mini-bar' charges to our room which left us with a tainted perception on departure.

I absolutely, positively loved the Hotel Cardinal! For me it hits the sweet spot of a really lovely place that is unfussy. As far as I can tell, it’s an apartment building that has been converted into a hotel. There’s not really a lobby, there is a small space, but it’s not really a place you can spend more than 2 minutes in. There are no further property amenities, no gym or pool. What there are are top notch, 5 star polished “rooms”, and incredibly attentive staff. I’ve out rooms in quotes because we had a 600+ square ft apartment, plus an outside deck. We had a substantial kitchen, while we didn’t cook, it’s pretty fantastic to have a dining room table that could seat 6, so we weren’t squeezed around a tiny table. We worked at that table, hung out, and had our simple breakfasts. A few negatives, the hotel doesn’t have parking, they do tell you where reasonably priced parking is located, and it’s a few minute walk. But when you’ve driven in from far away, figuring out both where the parking lot is, then finding the hotel, dropping my family with luggage was still not ideal. Also, our room had low ceilings is significant portions of the space (3rd floor). That said, these were the only negatives, the finishes truly spared no expense, I’ve stayed in Ritz Carltons with less. The design choices are a mix of modern and classic (mostly modern), but everything was truly lovely, and functional, not just pretty. They put books in the shelves, and we all actually opened them up at some point because they were actually cool, interesting. The staff just couldn’t be nicer or more helpful, both before arrival, and after.  It’s really hard to define what this experience is, it doesn’t feel like a hotel, it feels like an Airbnb, but with support, and a guarantee that the place will be exceptional. The polish of the room, the amount of space we had, unfussy support added up to an ideal stay for me, and my family.

Incredible service. Unbeatable friendly, warm & very personalized service. Great location, quiet yet within 5 minutes walk you're in the main shopping area, and within 10 to 15minutes you see lots of the major attractions of Bordeaux.

I'm not 100% sure but I think it was my 5th time staying at Hotel Cardinal...and every time I'm pleasantly surprised by the amazing staff and their attention to detail. A very warm and cozy feel mixed with beautiful decor in the ideal location to visit the city of Bordeaux. I will always want to stay here whenever I am in Bordeaux.