Staying in Bordeaux City, the options have strengthened over the past couple of years. First on our list would be the Grand Hotel, a Regent property. Truly a majestic accomoodation, with an unsurpassed location for exploring the historic city, or doing a bit of wine purchasing.  The hotel faces the impressive Grand Théâtre and is located inside the Golden Triangle, the finest shopping and pedestrian area in the city. 

The Regent Grand Hotel Bordeaux
2-5 Place de la Comedie
33000 Bordeaux
France

Tel: +33 5 57 30 44 44
Fax: +33 5 57 30 44 45
 Email: info.bordeaux@rezidorregent.com

Another suggestion would be the 4-star Mercure Chateu Chartrons, 81 cours Saint-Louis, 33300 BORDEAUX

Outside of town, in the vineyards, Bordeaux has to its credit world-class hotels du charme.

1. Les Sources du Caudalie is a fairy-tale property set amdist the vineyards of Chateaux Smith-Haut-Lafitte. The main draw here-aside from wine tourism--is the Vinotherapy spa. The Caudalie beauty products and treatments are unsurpassed for quality.

2. Close to Bordeaux but nestled in a beautiful natural setting, surrounded by prestigious vineyards, in the adorable little village of Bouliac,Le Saint-James has an unusual architectural style. Designed by Jean Nouvel who was inspired by the region’s tobacco drying barns, Le Saint-James is a design treasure bathed in natural light. Everything here is devoted to the cult of beauty and pleasure with exceptional wines to accompany the sublime food prepared by top chef Michel Portos. The quality of the local produce and the influence of exotic Mediterranean flavours inspire him to create incredible dishes such as “roasted langoustines with a sushi of crunchy vegetables and iced cream of boquerones” or the “crépinette of pigs trotters and squid spiced with pequillos served in their juices with slices of chorizo sausage”.

3. With 24 rooms and 4 suites, Chateaux Cordeillan-Bages provides for an unforgettable sybaritic experience. In a beautiful setting of vines on the outskirts of the Pauillac region,Château Cordeillan-Bages is an attractive 18th century mansion converted into a hotel and restaurant. This small hotel is a member of Relais & Châteaux. Chef and host Thierry Marx's strict yet inventive cuisine, makes every meal at Cordeillan-Bages an unforgettable experience.

We first visited Bordeaux 14 years ago and left completely unimpressed--by the wine culture and by the city itself, which appeared as a gloomy, half-modern and half run-down city without identity.

Now, everything has changed.

As the New York Times, the Independant of London, and many others have noted, Bordeaux has undergone a transformation, nay a transmogrification from the city that France and the rest of the world had written off into a stunning example of civic pride, urban renewal, high culture, gastronomy, and architectural preservation. There is more to come, as the process of cleaning facades and sprucing up neighborhoods is in process. The immigrant quartier of St. Michele--centered on a stunning Gothic Church that is a World Heritage Monument of UNESCO--is the next one up.

The urban project launched in 1996 by Alain Juppé and made concrete by the cleaning of façades, the development of the quays along the Garonne river, the commissioning of the tram that runs on a ground-level power supply and the requalification of urban areas strengthened this desire to protect and showcase Bordeaux's heritage.

Bordeaux is also naturally situated at the center of the vast wine region (since it was always the commercial hub of the whole region) and therefore forms a perfect base for visiting Medoc, Graves, Sauternes, or Pomerol. And if you don't have time to go out too see all the vineyards, they will come to you through numerous retail wine merchants and the Wine School.

The food markets of Bordeaux count among the finest we have seen in France, Italy, or Spain. Locales like Les Cupucins--which has a history going back to 1749 but is now housed in a modern parking structure--have an amazing breadth and range of products, inlcuidng both permanent vendors in stalls and others who come in for the day. Vegetable & fruit vendors spill out onto the streets outside the market as you head towards Place Victoire. Fresh seafood, an astonishing selection of oysters, cheese mongers, butchers, and a wine shop all find their home here.