The Novotel Bordeaux Centre Ville is built around families. It stands at 45 Cours du Maréchal Juin, a short walk from the cathedral, and offers 142 rooms, a restaurant called Les Décantés serving French cuisine with a children’s menu, a bar, a terrace and, unusually for a city hotel, a playground, an arcade and game room and a foosball table. There is also a gym, bicycle parking and a 24-hour front desk, and the hotel holds BREEAM and Green Key certifications. Cats and dogs are welcome. The Palais de Justice tram station is three minutes on foot, the cathedral is eight, the Rue Sainte-Catherine eleven and the Place de la Victoire fourteen, with the Grand Théâtre about seventeen, so the location is central but not in the middle of the pedestrian zone. Guests give it 8.4 out of 10 from over a thousand reviews, with the best scores for cleanliness and staff. Rooms have air conditioning and free in-room WiFi, and a buffet breakfast is available for a surcharge. It is a solid choice for family city breaks and for anyone who values facilities.
Location and getting around
The tram takes you quickly to the centre and to La Cité du Vin, and the cathedral quarter is a pleasant walk. Mérignac airport is about twenty-three minutes by car, and Mérignac-Arlac station five minutes by car. The hotel sits on a busy boulevard, so plan to use the tram in the evening.
Rooms and facilities
Check-in is from 3:00 in the afternoon and check-out is at noon. The hotel has a banquet hall and two meeting rooms, dry cleaning and laundry services, and a porter. Smoking is not allowed on the premises.
Who it suits
Families with young children, who will make use of the playground, the game room and the kids’ meals, and groups who want a restaurant and bar on site. Parents on a rainy day will be glad of the arcade.
Good to know
The most frequent guest complaints are about broken lifts, a busy breakfast service and worn hallway carpet, so it is worth asking for a room on a lower floor and arriving for breakfast early or late. The hotel is less atmospheric than the old-town options, so if you want cobbled lanes on your doorstep, choose differently. For practical, comfortable and child-friendly accommodation with a restaurant, and a short tram ride to the sights, it is a dependable pick, particularly for stays that mix city sightseeing with a vineyard day.
If you are planning family days, the playground and game room can shape the whole itinerary. Parents can take children to the hotel for an hour of play between a morning museum and an afternoon tram ride, and the restaurant’s children’s menu reduces the pressure of finding somewhere that welcomes small diners. The bicycle parking is a useful detail if you hire bikes for the quays, and the 24-hour front desk helps with late arrivals after a long day trip.
Check which room categories sleep a family comfortably, and ask about cots and extra beds when you book, since a larger room makes the stay far easier with small children.
Why stay here
- ✓Les Décantés restaurant
- ✓Bar and terrace
- ✓Playground
- ✓Arcade and game room
- ✓Gym
- ✓Bicycle parking
- ✓24-hour front desk
- ✓Pet friendly
Good questions
Is the Novotel Bordeaux Centre Ville good for children?+
Yes. It has a playground, an arcade and game room, a foosball table and a restaurant with a children’s menu.
How far is it from the cathedral?+
About eight minutes on foot, with the Palais de Justice tram station three minutes away.
Does it allow pets?+
Yes, cats and dogs are welcome.
