Hôtel La Zoologie

“A green haven in the midst of a bustling city”

A delightful hotel keeping many of the features of the old zoology faculty of Bordeaux University, but with a modern, industrial twist to the rooms. The restaurant offered good French cuisine and wine. The rooftop bar is a great place to unwind after a day’s sightseeing, but sadly the wine on offer… more

A delightful hotel keeping many of the features of the old zoology faculty of Bordeaux University, but with a modern, industrial twist to the rooms. The restaurant offered good French cuisine and wine. The rooftop bar is a great place to unwind after a day’s sightseeing, but sadly the wine on offer there was dreadful. A big thank you and special mention for the staff on Reception who could not have been more helpful, friendly and went over and above the call of duty to make us welcome and to help with recommendations and with booking other restaurants.

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“Good First Impression, Let Down by Room Design and Service”

On first arrival, this appears to be a lovely boutique-style hotel with attractive public areas and a welcoming atmosphere. However, we found the room design and overall practicality could be improved, particularly for two friends sharing. Lighting in the bedroom was quite limited, and there was n… more

On first arrival, this appears to be a lovely boutique-style hotel with attractive public areas and a welcoming atmosphere. However, we found the room design and overall practicality could be improved, particularly for two friends sharing. Lighting in the bedroom was quite limited, and there was no fridge. We also had to request cups and milk twice (though staff were quick and courteous in providing them). The main issue for us was privacy — our room faced directly onto the outdoor terrace, so we felt very visible from the restaurant area. The bathroom and shower were fully glazed without any frosting or screens, which was uncomfortable for two people sharing. To their credit, the staff did provide two bamboo screens, which helped. In the bar, service was rather slow — after waiting about 15 minutes without being approached, we eventually decided to leave. The spa area is small but pleasant, though access for hotel guests is quite restricted in timing. There are a few steps into the hotel, and it would have been nice to have some assistance with luggage when checking out. The location is slightly outside the main centre in a less polished area, but there are good transport links nearby. Overall, this hotel has charm and potential, but some improvements in room design, amenities, and service would make it a much better experience.

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“Beautiful decor, but cold and impractical”

GOOD Lovely staff Great location, 10 minute walk from main station Clean and spacious room Comfortable bed Large fluffy towels Good breakfast buffet Quiet room Interesting decor, clever reuse of old University science building with beautiful zoological art motifs everywhere BAD No top sheet. This … more

GOOD Lovely staff Great location, 10 minute walk from main station Clean and spacious room Comfortable bed Large fluffy towels Good breakfast buffet Quiet room Interesting decor, clever reuse of old University science building with beautiful zoological art motifs everywhere BAD No top sheet. This seems to be a horrible trend in hotels worldwide - travellers should not have to bring their own sheet or light covering. The doona was too hot and thick, but the room was too cold if you took the doona off. Would a top sheet and a light-weight blanket be so impossible to provide? No mini fridge - couldn’t keep complimentary water bottles cold. Although there’s complimentary tea and coffee equipment and supplies, there’s no milk, because no mini fridge No bathroom, as such, just 3 separate facilities within the room. Toilet next to main door, with its own door, but hand-washing facilities on the other side of the room in a separate alcove near the bed. No door or screen on the shower, just a very cold open cavity, next to the hand basin. No soap holders near the basin or in the shower space Nowhere to hang wet clothes, shower cap, or washing. Not enough hanging space on a small metal grill on the wall for two full-sized bath towels - one had to be draped on the back of a plastic chair No plug for the hand basin for hand washing of clothes Curtain rod is 3 to 4 metres off the floor, but no cord or rod to close the curtain - you just have to tug awkwardly at the curtain to close the gap in the middle No power points next to the bed for charging devices Air con control is a small shiny black plastic box on the wall - the power switch is an invisible touch button on the top edge of the device, in the same shiny black plastic. The controls are touch icons in tiny faint grey font, almost invisible. So completely unintuitive that you have to ring reception for assistance with something that should be easy to operate. The walls and ceiling are all concrete and the ceiling is so high, it’s almost impossible to heat the room (same for the cavernous shower space - must be a miserable experience having a shower in there in winter). While the design and decor of the hotel is beautiful and ingenious, the practical details have been ignored. It’s a classic case of form over function.

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