Mama Shelter Bordeaux — Hotel in Bordeaux

This place feels like a bar/ restaurant first, and then a hotel second. It feels like they are trying to be a younger brother of a W hotel, but don’t provide the same level of comfort and service.

It is fine for them to have a bar experience in the lobby, but the hotel room should be isolated from this. While staying on the first floor, you can hear the music from the bar late into the night. It made it difficult to sleep. The front desk staff were able to help address this issue, which is why I’m not giving 1-star. They first asked the bar to lower the volume about a quarter after midnight, and then again around a quarter before one. They were unable to move my room that night as they were sold out, but did so the next afternoon.

In rooms facing the back, the window do not open and directly face the hotel stairwell. It was uncomfortably warm in the room, so I tried the AC to cool the room off. Despite being on its coldest setting, only heat came from the vent and made it worse.

There isn’t a deadbolt on the door, and housekeeping walked in on me several times before I could reach the door. One of the times that this happened, I just started to take a shower.

The main reason that I chose this hotel was for its location, which was central and excellent. It should be noted that homeless people do seem to hang out in the evening across the street. It never felt unsafe to me, but I’m not sure if a solo woman would feel the same. The elevator requires a key card to use, so the hotel levels are secure.

The breakfast was OK, though I don’t think it is a good value. It is a buffet that offers (including, but not limited to) scrambled egg, sausage/ bacon, provençale tomato, grilled vegetables, pain perdu, pain chocolate, fresh fruits and cereal. You’d be better off going somewhere else in the morning to eat.

I will say that the front desk is good. I don’t normally make complaints while staying in a hotel, but they did manage the noise situation well. Their work was appreciated. My issue is with pretty much everything else. Perhaps I’m not the target demographic for this brand, but I will never stay here or at any of its sister...

Beware: Unsafe and Unprofessional Management at Mama Shelter Bordeaux

My recent stay at Mama Shelter Bordeaux was nothing short of a nightmare. I felt utterly unsafe and harassed at this hotel, where I had hoped to enjoy my time in Bordeaux. Instead, I found myself under constant attack and harassment from the hotel security, despite being a paying guest with every right to feel safe and respected.

On my very first night, I was subjected to aggressive and unacceptable behavior from the security staff. Not only did he harass me throughout the night, but he also physically attacked me without any justification. This was not a minor incident – I felt threatened, vulnerable, and utterly unsafe in what should have been a secure environment.

Naturally, I reported the incident immediately to both the reception and the hotel manager, expecting that they would take swift action to ensure my safety. Shockingly, they did nothing. Instead of holding their security accountable, they outright dismissed my experience, saying the security guard was “just doing his job.” No one listened, no one cared, and absolutely no action was taken to prevent this from happening again.

I am still here, and I dread the thought of having to spend another night in this hotel. It’s impossible to feel safe when the very staff meant to protect guests instead harasses and intimidates them. This is a hotel that not only fails to protect its guests but actively puts them in harm’s way.

I strongly urge anyone considering staying here to think twice. If you value your safety and want a professional, respectful experience, stay far away from Mama Shelter Bordeaux. This is a place that blatantly ignores guest concerns and enables aggressive behavior from its staff. I wouldn’t wish this experience on anyone, and I’m speaking out to make sure no one else has to go through what I did.

Avoid this hotel at all costs unless you want to risk being attacked and...

Unfortunately this place was style over substance. A really cool setting in central Bordeaux sees the bottom floor of the hotel transformed into restaurant, bar, entertainment and meeting space. Unfortunately, on Sunday, the surroundings didn’t match the service.

This can be a terrible time to visit as less busy services can often lead to sleepy, inattentive staff. A couple were left waiting to be seated by the door for upward of ten minutes before making their way to the bar and the team member on duty finally seating them. It was hard to watch.

A lukewarm but tasty starter of stuffed mushroom arrived. The cocktails were ok - nothing to blow you away and actually had a bit of a strange smell (perhaps the dehydrated fruit?). My onglet / bavette style minute steak was cooked very well and frites were obviously made in house but lacked the crunch I was hoping for. My dinner guest sent his sirloin back. It was cold! We have had many rare thick cuts that were not cold so it was disappointing. When it returned, there was what looked like a hair in the frites. I can only put this down to a stray bit of brush but who knows. Off putting. Also, the dish still wasn’t hot.

We ordered a second round of drinks that never arrived. In total there were a maximum if 10 tables. Our server was good but a little slow and not at all engaging. It was the other member of the floor team, responsible for greeting and seating, dropping the check and assisting on the floor who wasn’t on his a game that night. Disappointing overall experience as we had a perfect experience in Paris...