Stayed for week on first trip to Bordeaux. Hotel is of budget standard but comfortable. Would only recommend if rate comparable with other 2* hotels, albeit fairly comfortable. .Room large , but much space wasted with sink unit , hob and a microwave which had seen little frequent use. However, cupboards completely empty without any crockery nor even a kettle and so just unnecessary. Room not as depicted in captions seen beforehand. Staff friendly and helpful. Breakfast ok with an acceptable help yourself buffet. Lighting in corridors a problem as quickly went off en route to room. Fairly tired hotel which had seen better days but still had enjoyable stay. Able to get to hotel by catching Bus 1 which will be waiting outside airport on arrival, and then changing to tram at "Merignac Lychees " stop. Tram then stops outside hotel at "St Augustin " stop. Journey will take 30 mins and cost 1.40 eu. Tickets are valid for hour on both tram and bus for 1 hour. Driver on bus has ticket supply. Taxi will take 10 mins and charge up to 30eu. Hotel Alton is popular with overnight coaches and found breakfast time popular in the half hour before they leave. Food disappears very quickly too, and probably a few extra rolls etc for the birds so get down early if parked outside previous night. St Emillion and Arcachon are both good day excursions by train from Gare St Jean. Easy to reach anywhere in city on foot or by using public transport. Hotel is 2km plus out which means 30 min walk or 10 mins on tram (with no more than 10 min wait). The Meriadeck Centre is only a shorter trip away. Here they have a good Flunch chain restaurant where you can have the best value meals in Bordeaux. Difficult to see anyone not enjoying this city.

I booked a room at the Alton because I was visiting Bordeaux 2 university. This hotel is perfectly located for that. Could not be better. The room was vast, with a large bathroom (bath, not shower. A plus for me). There was even a small kitchen with electric plates and a fridge (unplugged). The bed was not particularly comfortable but OK. Because of the large space, it was a nice room to work in. (non-free) Wifi covers the whole hotel, with a good signal. There was only a soap/shampoo dispenser on the whole in the bathroom, together with a plastic cup. That's all.

Now, the negative points. The restaurant of the hotel was closed on Sunday evening, as was every restaurants in vicinity. The good thing is that I had to walk to the center of Bordeaux (about 30 min), that was a nice walk, and I had a lovely dinner right in the front of the Cathedral! Still, it would be handy if the restaurant was open since the hotel was. I know that this is the custom in France (encourage by a tough law on working the WE). The breakfast was not good. (bad) Coffee and (fake) orange juice are distributed by machines. A few croissants and paints au chocolats were available, not fresh, as well as second quality ham and a few cheese (best part of the breakfast for me). But even more depressing was the room were it was served, looking like the dining room of a secondary school (up to the plastic trays). We are talking about a THREE STARS hotel. Those people never went in a "logis de France ..."

The whole hotel is pretty old. Furniture are worn out, the staircase looks like the one of an "HLM". The room was reasonably clean, but not very neat. The corridors smelled strongly of sweat and confinement. A funny touch is that each room has a doorbell that has exactly the same shape than the light button, resulting in me being wakened up in the middle of the night.

Altogether a convenient experience, but not pleasant. If you are there for work fine. But please do not take a room in this hotel if you are traveling for leisure in the "Bordelais".

Was travelling through France/Italy and booked the Alton via internet the night before. I found the hotel very clinical, almost hospital like. The rooms were ok. The hotel was about 2kms from the centre and although there was a tram stop just outside the hotel, you couldn't buy a ticket at the machine. The hotel was fine for one night.

We booked a double room through Expedia with the specific instructions that we were on our honeymoon and required a double bed. The Hotel Alton accepted this booking with these conditions, but when we arrived tried to give us two single beds.

It took us telling them that we would have our money back and go somewhere else before they suddenly "found" us a room with a double bed.

The room is drab, outdated and the lighting system in the hallways is on a timer and quite frankly quite dangerous. The lights go out before you have a chance to find the next switch.

I wouldn't eat at the restaurant again either, after my husband was ill from the food there.

Make it easy on yourself, and find somewhere else to stay.