Columbia Hillen
Though I’ve been to Roswell, I’ve ne'er seen a spaceship - and surely not 1 from my chamber window.
Now I person acknowledgment to the 4-star, Renaissance Bordeaux Hotel , for that was among 1 of the delightful views from my 7th level inferior suite.
Columbia Hillen
The 17-meter spaceship is simply a sculpture by British creator Suzanne Treister, portion of Bordeaux’s nationalist art, and it was wide to spot from my vantage point. And not the lone one. From the different broadside of the window, I could spot implicit the iconic solid dome of La Cite du Vin, the city’s absorbing depository of wine.
Columbia Hillen
Even from a distance, this 149-room spot successful the city’s aged docks country presents an awesome architectural plan - 8 immense oblong-shaped pre-World War Two factual silos stretching precocious into the sky, 2 of which comprise the hotel’s exterior facade.
Columbia Hillen
Step wrong and the presumption consecutive up done the aperture to the apical of the hollow silos is downright dizzying. From there, a corridor leads to a colorful lobby - agleam with exotic angiosperm decor covering 1 partition and modern vibrant paintings, ‘bubble art’ connected another.
An assortment of seating featuring brushed fountain-ink sofas and cane armchairs positioned among potted plants basal beside the open-plan ‘Gina Coffeeshop’ with gold-colored tables with dried plants successful vases connected them.
Columbia Hillen
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows is an exotic plot with trees, bushes and a wood spot pathway and metallic chairs and brushed lacquered whicker backed armchairs with quadrate wood tables for outdoor relaxation.
At the reception desk, affable young radical dressed casually, yet smartly, successful achromatic T-shirts connection a warm, easy-going welcome.
Our room, 722, featured modern decor, furnishings being a premix of wood and metallic connected a polished wood floor. An armchair and java array and a agelong leather-clad model spot with pillows which I stretched retired connected to regard implicit Bordeaux’s aged harbor analyzable created added comfort.
Columbia Hillen
Two aspects of Renaissance Bordeaux Hotel are peculiarly outstanding for the panoramic views they connection from the 9th floor. One is its indoor swimming excavation with panoramic views and the different the roof-top ‘Gina Restaurant & Bar’ from whose unfastened terrace we marvelled astatine a beauteous sunset portion enjoying classical Italian dishes prepared by cook Fabien Courtois.
Columbia Hillen
My companion chose ‘la dolce vita’ - charcuterie with marinated vegetables, creamy burrata and pesto and portion I eyed the trofie, a abbreviated thin, twisted pasta from Liguria, with carpaccio truffle and truffle cream. Meat and seafood comprised our mains on with grilled octopus with roasted vegetables, scalloped potatoes and bisque vinaigrette.
Columbia Hillen
From a well-stocked vino cellar, we selected a biodynamic reddish wine, Aurore de Dauzac Margaux from the Médoc portion with its beardown oaky notes. Other dishes connected the paper see cod, salmon and ravioli. Our evening acquisition was topped disconnected with glasses of Italicus, a refreshing Torino-based liqueur dating from the 15th period made with bergamot, Sicilian lemons, roseate petals and grapefruit.
Halles du Bacalan nutrient court. Photo by Columbia Hillen
Renaissance Bordeaux Hotel is good located successful the city, wrong casual walking region of the fashionable Halles du Bacalan nutrient court, La Cite de Vin museum and the Bassins des Lumières located successful the city’s erstwhile submarine basal which hosts elephantine immersive integer exhibitions.
Moxy Hotel. Photo by Columbia Hillen
For a second, somewhat contrasting Marriott hotel, effort the Moxy, a fewer steps away. Playful and trendy, duplicate thenar trees basal extracurricular successful pots portion wrong is simply a tech-savvy 'plug and meet' gathering country with escaped speedy wifi and USB ports.
The lobby country is awash with unfastened desks and seating of each kinds including woody chairs, brushed armchairs and precocious stools, wherever guests, chiefly young professionals, enactment connected their computers.
Shelves and different surfaces are covered with a potpourri of funky ornaments from exemplary ships and artifact figures to books and plants. Hanging from the ceiling is an American shot and a plaything with a skateboard arsenic the seat. There’s besides a array shot crippled successful the mediate of the country and a vintage photograph booth successful the corner. A elephantine partition TV is tuned to a sports channel. Even the reception table is innovative, acting arsenic some check-in table and a bar.