Mondrian Bordeaux Les Carmes — Hotel in Bordeaux

We stayed at the Mondrian Bordeaux for five nights in August 2025 booked through the Amex FH+R program. We found our stay to be ok. ||It’s a newer hotel built into a historic building bordering a residential neighborhood in Bordeaux. The rooms are nice (as a result of the newness), with adequate size but aren’t quite the luxury or quality you would expect from other five star international luxury chains in Europe (like Relais and Chateaux). I think the photos on the website probably make the interior of the hotel and the rooms look a bit nicer and more expansive than in reality. ||We had a Premier King room and were not offered an upgrade at check-in through the potential Amex benefits. Our room overlooked an apartment building next door. It wasn’t a nice view from the room. ||Breakfast was served each morning in the attached Morimoto restaurant as buffet style. Breakfast was pretty good and the team at breakfast were welcoming and clearly worked hard. While there was a decent selection of food, the food was the same every day. So, it may get a bit monotonous if staying for more than a few days. Cocktails at the bar were nice when the bar wasn’t busy. When busy, bar service in the restaurant areas wasn’t very attentive. ||The indoor pool is chic and was a nice reprieve from hot days. There is a small gym that was never crowded. We didn’t try any spa treatments. ||The luggage bell staff were all nice and often opened doors and greeted guests. ||Other than service at breakfast, drinks at the bar, and bell staff, we felt the general hotel service to be below average to average at best. On check-in day, we arrived at the hotel around 1:00pm. Our room was not ready and we were not offered an early check in through the Amex FH+R benefits as is often offered when available (although Mondrian had a €30 paid early checkin option through their app which seems like rooms were available but not offered to us). In fact, we weren’t able to check in until nearly 3:30pm (after the normal published hotel arrival time). We spent the afternoon in the outdoor bar area having drinks as we were told by staff when we arrived our room would be ready in under an hour. It wasn’t. Then, around 3pm the check in line became quite long due to guests arriving; multiple guests were clearly frustrated at the wait time. Only two staff were checking in guests and they clearly were overwhelmed. Check-in and check out seemed unnecessarily long and onerous for a modern hotel. After waiting behind a few guests who arrived after us, we were finally able to get keys to our room. Regarding further service issues, our room was not cleaned twice in the mornings during our stay. Evening turn down service was missed once.||The location of the hotel is about a 15 minute/~€15 from the city center pedestrian zone by taxi or Uber. It’s a 11 minute walk to the river and adjacent tram station. It’s a 15-20 minute drive to the main train station in Bordeaux. ||Overall, the Mondrian in Bordeaux has a chic exterior and pool area and good cocktails. The pretty and historical exterior doesn’t quite make up for the average service, “premier” rooms with no worthwhile view, and a pretty bad arrival experience. On return to Bordeaux, we would likely stay somewhere else, given the hotel’s price point and impersonal,...

We had been really looking forward to staying at The Mondrian.||We booked the Summer Offer B and B which included, room available from 9am, (Heure d'enregistrement: La chambre est disponible à partir de 09:00.) and ...||"Arrive when you want, parking is on us, get upgraded, sip a cocktail per person at the bar, and leave by 2pm" ...||We arrived with our car and had to go looking for the valet - there was no sign to clearly indicate where the reception was so I first went in to the restaurant where a member of staff (not overly friendly) sort of directed me. ||Once at the reception, after a short wait, we began the booking in process. It was shortly after 2pm and the receptionist said she had to phone to check if our room was ready! I advised that it was supposed to be ready from 9am (as per my booking conditions) and she said that it is hard to have the room ready for 9am if people are leaving from the night before after 12pm! I had to mention the upgrade also - the receptionist clearly wasn't aware about the terms of the offer!||I had to go back to the reception to ask about our free cocktail. The male member of staff seemed surprised we hadn't been given our voucher at checkin. No apology was offered.||I have to say the room was beautiful and would have been perfect if the airconditioning worked. There was also slime of some sort on the table and a grape seed in the bathroom that a previous occupant must have spat out! Other than that the room appeared to be clean.||There was a heatwave warning in force and in any event, no-one wants to sleep in a warm room. I spoke to a member of staff at the reception if he would be able to set the aircon to 17.5oC - he advised that a technician would look at the problem remotely. When we arrived back to our room after dinner the thermostat initially read as 17.5oC (although it certainly didn't feel like that). We were unable to sleep as it was so warm! I got up at one stage and the thermostat was showing 21oC - I guess the technician turned it up again remotely.||The bed was harder than I am used to and the pillows were too soft.||We ate at the hotel's restaurant, Morimoto - separate review but bottom line we were not impressed.||Breakfast was okay but coffee and omelette order was slow and the member of staff wasn't particularly pleasant. It was not a 5 star breakfast by any means!||At check out our bill included the parking which was supposed to be complementary as per our offer. The receptionist seemed reluctant to deduct it from the bill and made it sound as if she was doing us a favour rather than it being her mistake. She didn't apologise!||The Summer B and B offer turned out to be a bit of a scam! If you have booked this package make sure you get what you are paying for and check your bill.||We did have a nice enough stay as the hotel itself was beautiful - but although the hotel may look 5 star the service, staff and room comfort are definitely not. ||The receptionist (the same one booked us in and checked us out) was very unprofessional given that she clearly did not know the details of the packages offered by the hotel and it left us feeling rather embarassed having to ask and check every detail because she didn't know her job! We wouldn't go again and won't be recommending this place to...

We were very excited to visit Mondrian Bordeaux after a wonderful stay at Mondrian Cannes, and while there were many highlights, there are also areas where we believe the experience could be elevated to truly meet the 5-star Mondrian standard.

What we loved: The design of the hotel is stunning – elegant, warm, and very much in line with Mondrian’s “residential” concept. Our suite with a terrace was beautifully designed, spacious, and a lovely place to relax. The spa is also very well done – calm and stylish – even though a bit more space for lounging would have been nice, it’s clear the available area has been used smartly. The gym is excellent, equipped with the latest Technogym machines and everything needed for a full workout.

The front desk team was consistently friendly and welcoming, setting a positive tone for our stay. Special mention goes to the blond young gentleman at the front desk, who greeted us with a smile every single time we passed by, and to the bellboys, who were always polite and professional. Check-in was quick and efficient, and we appreciated that our room was ready upon arrival.

Where there is room to grow: Breakfast could be enhanced to better reflect the level of a 5-star hotel. While the buffet offered the classic staples – scrambled eggs, cold cuts, cheese, cereals, and pastries – everything was of good quality but felt quite standard. Egg dishes could be ordered, which we appreciated, but it would have been wonderful to see some more creative or “signature” options on the menu – perhaps inspired by local flavors or with a more refined presentation. A few special touches or unique dishes would make the breakfast experience feel more memorable and aligned with the overall design and concept of the hotel.

Service consistency: There are clearly some very well-trained staff members who truly understand 5-star hospitality and made us feel cared for. At times, however, service felt a bit inconsistent, with some staff less attentive or proactive. A little more training and focus on anticipating guest needs would help ensure a consistently luxurious experience throughout the property.

Overall: Mondrian Bordeaux is a stylish and promising hotel with excellent design, a beautiful spa and gym, and a genuinely welcoming front desk team. By introducing a more inspiring breakfast with unique or signature dishes, offering proper in-room dining, and ensuring more consistent and timely service, the property could easily match the high expectations associated with the Mondrian name.

We look forward to seeing these improvements in the future, as this hotel truly has the potential to become one of the standout luxury addresses...