Le Grand Hotel

Its setting alone makes Le Grand Hotel special: directly opposite the Grand Théâtre opera house, which was designed by the same architect in the 1770s, at the heart of Bordeaux’s beautifully preserved, 18th-century town centre. Its opening has at last given the city the sort of grand hotel it has lacked since the original Regent Grand closed in 1990. The reincarnation is five times larger, as it has cleverly colonised several adjacent buildings, resulting in a slightly convoluted layout within the handsome, golden-stone façades. Interior designer Jacques Garcia has come up with a theatrical take on 19th-century Second Empire style, with sultry low lighting, plenty of plush finishes, giant flower arrangements and a row of black Baccarat crystal chandeliers. Bedrooms, although rather tame by Garcia’s flamboyant standards, are cocooning, with high beds, deep mattresses, richly patterned fabrics and marble-and-mahogany bathrooms.

RESTAURANTS LE PRESSOIR D’ARGENT & BRASSERIE L’EUROPE

the ground-floor Brasserie l’Europe has already captured a loyal local clientele, and the sumptuous restaurant Le Pressoir d’Argent (named after the silver lobster press that presides over the dining room) has overpassed his gastronomic ambitions.

SPA AND RELAXATION