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Bordeaux House
Categories: Event Planning & Services Hotels Hotels & Travel Hotels Hotels & Travel Bed & Breakfast Hotels, Bed & Breakfast [Edit]
6600 Washington StYountville, CA 94599
(707) 944-2855
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
17 reviews for Bordeaux House
17 reviews in English
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Review from Monica S.
Santa Monica, CA
2/9/2012
You get what you pay for. The location was great for being able to walk everywhere in Yountville. The room was charming but small. There was no in room refrig, microwave or coffee maker,you have to go to the lobby for that. Charming but basic accomodations.
The welcome could be a bit warmer, for what I read here, the manager is not the most popular person in Yountville! But the rest of the staff are hardworking and kind. -
Review from Amanda R.
Alexandria, VA
2/11/2011
Bordeaux House is perfectly located in the center of downtown Yountville. All restaurants good and great are just a short walk away.
The exterior of the inn and landscaping are just adorable.
We stayed in the Gerwurtz (lower watertower) room, and were charmed by the lovely, if slightly over-the-top, furnishings. The jacuzzi tub was awesome!
Jean, the innkeeper, was perfectly hospitable to us, despite other Yelpers' reports. She chatted at breakfast in a very friendly way.
The only suggestion I have to improve the overall vibe would be to eliminate some of the excessive in-room signage. Detailed, and in some cases ALL CAPS/highlighted instructions to guests about turning the faucet gently, etc seemed a bit much given that this hotel targets wine tasters, not frat boys. -
Review from Christopher D.
Waco, TX
4/12/2011
The Inn is centrally located in Yountville and quite comfortable. The exterior presents a homey feel that is literally steps away from the French Laundry.
The innkeeper and staff are attentive, answered questions posed and responded with quirky senses of humor that were enjoyable.
The room amenities were pleasant and the breakfast served was favorable and plentiful. Further, the late-night availability of a digestif made the evenings all that much more satisfying.
Will stay there again! -
Review from Jessica F.
New York, NY
12/12/2008
The sole justification for giving the Bordeaux House fewer than three stars is pretentious snobbery, pure and simple. It is a small inn next door to the French Laundry and two blocks from the center of downtown Yountville. It is surrounded by trees, a small fountain, a rose garden and serene, quiet neighborhoods. It is an absolute steal in the area, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to save their money for wine, dining and spa treatments. If you want to lounge in your room, yes, I would agree that the rooms are a hair on the dated side--think Shabby Chic meets Louis Quatorze by way of Elton John--but they are amply equipped and comfortable.
We stayed for two nights, a Monday and Tuesday, in the Chablis room. This is the corner room upstairs facing Washington Street. Two private decks look out onto the French Laundry herb and vegetable garden. The room is enormous. It has a walk-in closet, large TV, king bed, two chairs and sitting area, an enormous bathroom with whirlpool, wood-burning fireplace and a safe.
We returned on Saturday night, the same week, at the last minute, when the French Laundry called us (we were already in San Francisco) and told us they had a cancellation for Saturday night. The only room available was the Riesling room. This was downstairs next to the inn office. It was smaller than the first, but had a large patio. The only thing lacking from the first, other than size and the whirlpool, was the walk-in closet--this had a closet in the bathroom. I didn't care. As others have said--you're here to be outdoors drinking wine, not hanging out watching QVC in your room. Bathrooms in both places were immaculate and full of anything you might need, including extra soap, towels and eye makeup remover towelettes!
We met both the innkeeper and the manager, who is far friendlier than the innkeeper. However, we didn't have a problem with Joan, the innkeeper. So she isn't the warmest woman on earth. Do you need another mother? This isn't a B&B. Let me repeat this. This isn't a B&B. You can spend a week here and not interact with a soul the entire time you're there if you want. If this were a B&B, I would care more. At a B&B, you kind of want someone motherly hovering over you bringing you food and making sure you sleep well. This. Is. An. Inn. You want a mommy, bring one.
The inn lobby/office is where breakfast is served. An egg dish, some kind of breakfast meat, numerous cereals, homemade granola, yogurt and hard-boiled eggs are all on offer every morning, along with homemade preserves, breakfast breads and pastries. The food is ample and adequate, with the coffee being the closest to rocket fuel I have found on the west coast.
Let me be clear. I was there to eat at French Laundry, arguably one of the best, if not THE best, restaurant in the country. I am not a hayseed. I have stayed in $18/night Mexican hotels with no hot water, and I have stayed at the Four Seasons and Raffles L'ermitage and the like. If you don't have a stick up your butt, and you have the right kind of priorities, you will be more than satisfied. The rooms might be a little threadbare, but they are ALL clean, they are ALL fully equipped with shampoo and hairdryers and towels, and you will certainly be comfortable.
For $159/night for the enormous Chablis room, weekday, and $175 a night on the weekend for the Riesling room, I think we got the deal of the century. Expedia had nothing listed for the last minute stay under $229/night, and while I like a luxurious hotel as much as the next person, I would rather spend my saved $50 on another bottle of wine or some good takeaway from Oakville Grocery. People who sneer at this place are merely snobs. -
Review from ken l.
San Jose, CA
7/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
6 stars because of the price and location. Probably one of the cheapest places to stay in Yountville, under $200 but its also one of the quaintest. This place has tons of charm and character, no four star hotel but it a nice place to stay and they serve breakfast in the morning. It kinda cool that a old grumpy looking lady checks you in old school style with no computer and just hands you one key. We stayed in the tower at the top and really thought our room was neat. The room was small but we didn't mind it was clean had enough room for us. I would stay her again anytime and would recommend to all. At least recommend to people who are not snutty!
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Review from Mrs. G.
San Jose, CA
10/13/2007
Totally my fault. I can't believe that I Yelp, rely on Yelp for recommendations, however, failed to Yelp the tainted house before taking hubby there for his bday.
It was a last minute trip to the Napa area and everything, I mean everything ,was booked. I happened to come across the Bordeaux House. It looked nice from the website (note to self: never trust websites). It was floral, yes, very floral, but seemed like a nice quaint place to take hubster for his bday where we could walk to the restaurants and not have to worry about indulging in sh*t loads of wine and driving.
Long story short...the lady who runs the dump is RUDE and abrupt. The rooms are OLD and smell like my grandma's house (sorry, grandma... bless your heart). The place could be nice if Mean Jean gave the rooms a nice coat of paint and new furniture. It wouldn't take much to make the place "acceptable" .... don't stay here. I apologized to the hubster and he swears he had fun and didn't even notice the smell... I know him better than that! \
Note to self... always Yelp before making the reservation..... -
Review from Lawrence T.
Mountain View, CA
11/25/2007
Cheap accommodations for the location but the surly innkeeper made one night reasonable. Why would someone that obviously is not friendly or likes people run a B&B?!?!
The bedding was a little old and musty but the location is walking to downtown and the bakery.
If you are on a budget, look harder but in a pinch try harder, then if you find absolutely nothing, stay here. -
Review from Monique L.
Beaverton, OR
9/11/2008
I don't know why people have such negative reviews about this place. The innkeeper was very nice on the phone as well as when we arrived.
We reserved the smallest, least expensive room on the property so we didn't expect much and were not surprised when we checked in. The room we stayed in was Panache. It was not the floral upchuck others have described. It was nice & clean & the bed was comfortable. The only part that was a little sketch was the shower, so small that if you're not careful the thin shower curtain sticks to your arm, ick. And the shower head is pretty low, my husband had to crouch to get his head wet, and he's only 5'10"-5'11".
The location is FANTASTIC, we walked to dinner & the main street. Another plus on the price is a hot breakfast that included a homemade egg fritta, cereal, bagels, yogurt, coffee that was like rocket fuel & juices.
Again, I cannot stress the great rate! This was a very busy weekend for the Napa Valley because it was the weekend before Harvest. So rooms at other hotels ranged from $250 - $700/night with a 2-3 night minimum, and they don't give you breakfast. So for just over half the price of the cheapest room anywhere else, this is a super great deal!
How much time do you spend in your room anyways when there's so much to do?! -
Review from Sonia T.
7/11/2008 10 photos
I can't believe the poor listings! My bf and I have stayed here twice and for what it is, it's a great deal!
It's not expensive, it's clean and it's in an amazing location!
Yes the innkeeper is not the friendliest woman on the face of the planet but see her for what? 5 minutes in total?
I have never had any problems with the room or the service. It's perfectly suitable.
Also, I must say to all of you who recommend "looking harder" or "spend another $50" that for that price you really can't find much better unless you jump to $200 and up for a room. Trust me, I have a done a lot of research on all things Napa Valley. I could send you color coded spreadsheets you wouldn't believe.
For me, I prefer to spend my money on wine and dinners, not on a hotel room I barely spend any time in. Would I recommend it for people going to relax in their room all day? No. But if you don't plan on spending a lot time in your room, this place is great!
We stayed in the:
Sherry Room - Second Floor Main Building. Very Roomy, TV, Fireplace, Closet
Panache Room - Second Floor in the Tower. A little small, sink in room, small shower, TV -
Review from Eric S.
San Jose, CA
7/11/2011
A small inn located next door to the French Laundry, the Bordeaux House is a comparatively inexpensive hotel given its location. Parking and WiFi are free. There is a two night minimum on week-ends, which is unfortunate but not unusual in the area.
We stayed in a ground floor room that was reasonably comfortable, although the amenities are not acceptable for the rates. Among the list of bizarre items that can be labeled "quaint" when you're paying $40/night for a B&B but are unacceptable at over $200/night: a Provençal-style armoire offers some barely adequate storage, complemented by a tiny closet containing the safe. Unfortunately, the armoire is positioned in such a way that you can barely open the door to the closet, making it very impractical to access the safe.
Also, lighting is insufficient. A switch at the door controls a floor lamp and the TV.
There is signage absolutely EVERYWHERE. Don't remove the emergency light unless it is to use it during a power outage (good thing I brought a power strip with me, there are very few outlets in the room), "WARNING! $250 FINE IF YOU LEAVE A FIRE BURNING UNATTENDED!", "LADIES! PLEASE USE THE MAKEUP REMOVAL TOWELETTES SUPPLIED!", "SWITCH AT DOOR MUST BE ON FOR LAMP AND TV TO OPERATE!" to name a few. Ridiculous.
Also, even the sleaziest fleabag motel I've been to had a proper ice machine. All Bordeaux House has to offer is a table top fridge in the office area with a tiny ice machine inside (you probably have a bigger one at home, I know I do). And not even a scoop so you have to use your fingers to grab it. Nice.
The problem with this old building is that the floors squeak. There was a couple staying in the room above ours and we could hear every step they took... and then the unmistakable rhythmic squeak, squeak, squeak...
Fortunately (for us, unfortunately for the recipient of this activity) the squeaking lasted all of 45 seconds, but if you have a youthful healthy couple above you, good luck catching a Z.
The icing on the cake was the unpleasantness of the innkeeper. We arrived 30 minutes late for breakfast and asked if we could just grab some food, and were told "sorry, breakfast is over" in a tone that left no room for discussion. Well, the damn quiche was sitting right there, it's not like it would have been such a hassle to her if we had grabbed a slice, we didn't ask her to cook us breakfast or even stay in the breakfast area and dirty up dishes. For over $200 a night, cracking a smile once in a while and offering food that you're going to trash anyway doesn't seem like so much to ask.
To be completely fair, it's relatively decent accomodation at a decent price for this area; I would normally give it 3 stars but the noisy room and unpleasant innkeeper cost it a star in my book. -
Review from Alik W.
King, WA
1/30/2010
Maybe Jean has upgraded since the prior reviews? We stayed for several days in the Riesling room and had a great experience. The fireplaces are very welcome in the damp and chilly winter. The bathrooms are nicely appointed, with some of the softest towels I've met outside a luxury hotel. There's breakfast cooked at least partly to your specs every day, the coffee is excellent, and the complimentary port/brandy/sherry is a great nightcap.
As for the decor -- yes, it's floral and antique. We wanted exactly that. Bed was soft, pillows plentiful, and quilt fluffy and warm. What more do you need?
We found Jean herself to be perfectly nice. Granted, we were the only guests on the weekdays and had her full attention. However, she always had good recommendations for us, made sure our needs were met, and seemed glad for the business. Plus, she still had the best rate, even in the off season!
Long story short: we'll be back! -
Review from lucy a.
San Pablo, CA
2/20/2007
Room was clean. Location is GREAT. Great restaurants close by. Right on the wine trail. Hot tub was clean and just the right temp.
Everything else was pretty lame. Paid too much for a room that felt like a clean pretty motel room instead of a B&B experience.
Won't be returning. Would not recommend it. -
Review from Melissa W.
Belmont, CA
4/2/2006
I can only assume the innkeeper knows she's got a fab location and doesn't need to try very hard and she'll still get some business because it's cheaper than the other options near by. But it would be nice to see a little more effort put into the place. From the outside it looks great. But inside it feels neglected. The bedding seemed old and dingy... and ummm... there was a plastic sheet on the bed!!! Ewwww. But the room was large and pretty clean so it was fine for one night. If I had it to do over again I'd spend another $50-$100 and stay somewhere else.
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Review from B H.
San Francisco, CA
11/17/2009
First, this place absolutely serves its purpose if you are only looking for a bed to sleep in and plan to spend all your moola at French Laundry or wine tasting. To that point, I agree with much of Jessica F's post. But to be fair, Yelp is a place where customers come to find out what they will get for their money. Outside of the Napa area, the Panache room would be priced around $65.
Pros:
- very charming brick buildings from the outside
- sherry, brandy, and port greet you upon check-in, self-serve
- no nonsense check-in
- make-up wipes- love these!
- unbeatable price
- i could hear the relaxing sound of an outside fountain from the bed
Cons (in Panache room):
- seemed to be an old, squeaky mattress
- there are munchkins in the walls banging on the pipes and plumbing
- as noted in other posts, shower and toilet space is nearly as small as an airplane bathroom
- shower pressure was merely dribbling for my boyfriend. I was cracking up!
- decor: don't come here for the decor.
Again, it absolutely serves the purpose of offering a place to sleep post-wine tasting and dining. That's why it has earned a 3 instead of a 2. But quality is low. You'll have to shower in another place. Maybe at Jessica F's. She's no hayseed! -
Review from Sam B.
Walnut Creek, CA
5/23/2011
Wonderful location and grounds. Our room was on top of the old water tower. Facilities were clean and very well managed. Breakfast was completely delightful. We will definitely stay there again.
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Review from Beth B.
Newark, CA
3/19/2011
Ver bad service, In January 2011 Made a reservation for 2 couples, which would be 6 room nights. Received email confirmations with confirmation number. Arrived for my Birthday weekend to be told they don't have my reservation, I cancelled it first via email, after no email cold be produced they to be told I cancelled via telephone. Sorry didn't cancelled my birthday weekend. The woman was very matter of fact and could have cared less. Terrifble customer service...
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Review from Scott B.
Los Altos, CA
9/8/2010
Despite the fact that we had a reservation with confirmation E-mail, when we showed up to check in for a weekend stay, they had no record of our reservation and no room available since the inn was full. The innkeeper was surly as promised by other reviewers and wasn't very apologetic about the problem, though she did help us find cheaper and better accommodations just outside town, so it wasn't a total loss.
