Hôtel Cardinal Bordeaux Centre

An eighteenth century mansion beside the cathedral

The Hôtel Cardinal occupies a private mansion of the eighteenth century in the heart of the UNESCO listed centre, on a quiet street a few metres from Bordeaux Cathedral and directly opposite the city hall. The building is organised, as houses of that period were, around a central courtyard, and that courtyard is what makes the hotel work: it puts a layer of stone between the guest rooms and one of the busiest parts of the city.

Ten suites, each treated individually

The house holds ten suites and no standard rooms, which sets the tone for the whole stay. Each is composed separately, with velvet, brass and marble used against contemporary furniture, and with artwork and literary references that answer the Musée des Beaux Arts next door. The result is closer to a set of apartments in a private house than to a hotel corridor, and it rewards guests who care about where they sleep as much as about what they visit.

The courtyard at the centre

Everything turns around the inner courtyard. It shelters the ground floor rooms, brings daylight into the middle of the building and gives guests somewhere to sit that is neither a lobby nor the street. In a quarter this dense, a private open space of any size is a genuine luxury, and it is the detail returning guests mention first.

Cathedral, city hall and the Beaux Arts

Staying here means living inside the monumental quarter rather than visiting it. Saint André Cathedral and the free standing Pey Berland tower are at the end of the street, the eighteenth century Palais Rohan, now the city hall, stands opposite, and the Musée des Beaux Arts occupies its wings with a garden open to the public. The Musée d'Aquitaine and the Sainte Catherine shopping street are a few minutes away, which makes this the right base for a stay built around museums and architecture.

Getting around from the door

The quays of the Garonne, the Place de la Bourse and the Miroir d'Eau are about ten minutes on foot through the old streets, and the Saint Michel quarter with its Sunday market a little further south. Two tram lines cross at Hôtel de Ville, immediately outside, which puts Saint Jean station, the Chartrons quarter and the Cité du Vin within a single ride. For arrivals by car, the surrounding streets are largely pedestrian, so it is worth arranging parking in advance.

Why we selected it

We retained the Hôtel Cardinal because it offers something specific: a suite only house, in a listed eighteenth century mansion, around a private courtyard, at the exact centre of the historic quarter. It is our recommendation for couples, for culture focused stays built around the cathedral and the museums, and for travellers who prefer ten keys to a hundred.