"Excellent stay with exceptional staff, a hotel that truly understands hospitality
From the moment we arrived until the moment we left, my sister and I had a wonderful stay at Mama Shelter Bordeaux. What made our visit so memorable wasn’t just the hotel itself, but the people. Every single member of staff we encountered was warm, welcoming, professional and genuinely eager to help. There wasn’t one interaction that fell below that exceptionally high standard, and it created such a friendly, relaxed atmosphere throughout our stay.
Before our arrival, I emailed the hotel to request a kettle and cups for our room. It was a small request, but everything was waiting for us exactly as promised when we arrived. At many hotels we’ve had to chase simple requests like this at reception, so it was refreshing that everything had already been taken care of. It was a seamless start to our stay and immediately gave us confidence that the team genuinely cared about their guests.
We stayed in a medium twin room. Unfortunately, the air conditioning wasn’t working in that part of the hotel when we arrived, and there wasn’t another twin room available. However, the staff couldn’t have handled the situation any better. They provided us with a fan, which proved more than adequate for the duration of our stay, and they also offered us a discount on the room rate. We felt this was a very fair and thoughtful solution, and we really appreciated the way the situation was managed.
One evening we enjoyed dinner on the rooftop terrace, which was a real highlight. The food was excellent, the atmosphere was lovely, and the service was, once again very attentive. Although we didn’t have breakfast at the hotel, it was clearly popular and always looked busy.
One member of staff, who we believe was called Seron (apologies if we’ve remembered the name incorrectly), went out of his way to make us feel welcome. One evening, when we sat in the breakfast area to enjoy a quiet moment, he kindly offered to make us each a coffee without us even asking. It was such a thoughtful gesture and perfectly summed up the genuine hospitality we experienced throughout our stay.
A special thank you also to Louis, who welcomed us on arrival and checked us out when we left. He was an excellent ambassador for the hotel, friendly, professional and genuinely interested in ensuring we enjoyed our stay.
Although we’ve mentioned Louis and, we believe, Seron in particular, we genuinely wish we knew the names of every member of staff we met because every single person was equally welcoming, friendly and accommodating. One moment that really stood out was when a member of the housekeeping team knocked on our door simply to check that our room had been cleaned to our satisfaction. We thought that was a wonderful touch and a great example of the hotel’s attention to detail. It’s little things like this that make guests feel genuinely valued.
We also loved the quirky character of the hotel. Everywhere was spotlessly clean, and the location is superb, right in the heart of Bordeaux’s beautiful old town, making it the perfect base for exploring on foot.
Our only suggestion would be regarding the hotel’s visibility from the street. Because of its discreet exterior and pedestrianised location, it’s quite easy to walk past without realising it’s there. If local planning regulations allow, a projecting sign would make it much easier for first-time visitors to spot. The existing A-board signs are positioned inside the first lobby, so they’re not visible until you've come across the entrance.
Overall, we had a fantastic stay and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Mama Shelter Bordeaux. In fact, our experience has inspired us not only to return to Bordeaux but also to try other Mama Shelter hotels across Europe. If the standard of hospitality we experienced here is anything to go by, we’re sure we’ll be in very good hands wherever we stay next.
Thank you to the entire team for making our visit such an enjoyable and memorable one."
