Maison La Course

REGION : Bordeaux – South West France
ATMOSPHERE : City
STYLE : Luxury guesthouse
ROOMS : 5 rooms and suites

A change of course

Something special is indeed hidden in the heart of Bordeaux, more exactly in the public garden neighborhood, on the edge of Chartrons, this former wine merchant’s district that has become a haven for second-hand goods dealers, antique dealers, and design shops. La Course is one of those rare and precious places where time stands still, literally, and figuratively, offering its guests an enchanted interlude. More than a place, as magical as it is, La Course is a state of mind. It is “an ode to life,” says Florence, the owner, who has fallen under the spell of this very special 19th century hotel.

PROPELLED IN THE ERA OF MODERN COMFORT and magnificently renovated, the building retains the luxury of its origins but now offers itself “an extra soul through colorful notes, fantasy and the unexpected.” In this family home, which has been greened up, sewn with gold thread and furnished with antique furniture, the atmosphere is chic but relaxed, bourgeois without being stuffy.

FIVE BEDROOMS AND SUITES, all unique, are scattered throughout the floors. There is “Oyat”, named after a perennial plant cradled by the ocean breeze that populates the dunes and the edges of the pine forests. “Lasaia” is populated by butterflies, while “Uriel”, the romantic one, has a four-poster bed, a central bathtub and even a secret passage to a children’s room. “Orensio”, a mysterious island in the colors of the South Seas, is ideal for family expeditions and can accommodate up to 4 people, while “Seiros”, on the third and last floor, has a loft-like glass roof with a view of the stars and opens onto a terrace with a private pool!

WHY EVER COME DOWNSTAIRS? To enjoy breakfast in the light of the flowery stained-glass windows, the good vibes of the living room or the kitchen, the serenity space (massage and hammam), a wine tasting (on request) in the house’s secret cellar or one of the holistic activities of the Salamander Club, emblem of this ultra feel good house.

To do

WELLNESS Privatize the hammam or book a body or face massage upon reservation
WINE CELLAR Enjoy a wine tasting but also teas or beers on demand
KITCHEN Open access and equipped with a wine by the glass dispenser
BICYCLES Borrow one of the bicycles available to explore the city
COURTYARD For the pleasure of having a coffee in the sun or reading a book away from the world
THE SALAMANDRE CLUB Creative workshops, tastings, artistic or literary meetings, dancing… A moment of exchange and sharing between visitors and friends of the House.

Around

• Near La Course: quays of the Garonne River, antique shops, public and botanical gardens, Science and Nature Museum, CAPC museum of contemporary art, Palais Gallien, esplanade des Quinconces, the Water Mirror…
• In other neighborhoods: the Cité du Vin, la grosse cloche bell, Museum of Decorative Arts and Design, Base Sous-Marine and Bassins de Lumière, Darwinian eco-system…)
• Gourmet food tour at the Marché des Capucins, in one or another of the multiple wine bars, discovering gastronomic or bistronomic restaurants (Gordon Ramsay’s Le Pressoir d’Argent**, L’Oiseau Bleu*, Le 7, Maison Nouvelle, L’Observatoire du Gabriel*, Le Quatrième Mur*, Tentazioni*, Garopapilles*, Le Pavillon des Boulevards*, Soléna*…)
• Delightful outings in Arcachon, in the Basque country or on the Landes coast.
• Œnotourism (visits, tastings, exhibitions, workshops…) in the wine castles.