Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

All,

As we are making preparations for BWE in France for May 2015, it is important that hotel rooms are secured as soon as possible.

Although you are free to get a hotel anywhere, the recommended hotels for BWE 2015 will be in Bordeaux Lac. This will be the pickup and drop off point for the bus to go touring and to dinner, etc. The Bordeaux Lac is also connected to Bordeaux center via a tram that opens up next week.

There are several hotels in Bordeaux Lac, most of which are run by the Accor group. They include:

Mercure Bordeaux Lac (mid-range)
http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-055 ... ndex.shtml

Pullman Bordeaux Lac (higher end)
http://www.pullmanhotels.com/gb/hotel-0 ... ndex.shtml

IBIS Bordeaux Lac (budget)
http://www.accorhotels.com/fr/hotel-035 ... ndex.shtml

All three are walking distance to each other.

We have secured a special, non-refundable rate for the Mercure that includes breakfast. The rate is 125 Euros for one person and 135 Euros for two people, including breakfast. You can make this reservation using the special rate "Wineblog" by telephoning the Mercure or emailing at this email: h0551@accor.com. The rate is good for the 18th to the 23rd of May. Anytime before the 18th and after the 23rd will be at the normal rates (however the weekend days are usually lower anyway so shouldn't be a problem).

If you do not wish to do a non-refundable, then you can book directly with the hotel using the links above. The fully-refundable cost for two, including breakfast, is approximately 170 Euros per night. Without breakfast the fully-refundable rate is around 140 Euros per night.

If you wish to save money, you can also book the IBIS, which is lower in price.

Please note: it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to make hotel reservations, and you will need to pay the hotel directly. We won't be collecting money for hotels.

Our understanding is that the hotels are starting to fill up for this time, so don't hesitate to make your reservation.

If you have any questions, please let us know.

Thanks,

Tim

Note, there is also an even cheaper budget hotel in the same location for those on a very very tight budget:

http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-308 ... ndex.shtml

Cheers

Sounds good, Timmy.
As we do at the conventions in the US, we should try to stay in the same hotel as much as possible.

Could we have a tentative timeline? I understand all Chateaux are not firmed up, but there is a chance I can meet up with friends and I'd like to known when the free time is. Thanks.

Hi Harry,

I'll be putting out a full post as to where we are, but the tentative timeline is as follows:

Sunday 17th: Arrive in Bordeaux
Monday 18th: Full day tastings, left bank
Tuesday 19th: Full day tastings, right bank
Wednesday 20th: Morning and lunch tastings left bank, afternoon and evening free
Thursday 21st: Full day tastings, Sauternes, Graves
Friday 22nd: Full day tastings, left bank, final dinner in Pauillac

I am also planning to have a dinner in Paris on the 16th for those interested (addendum to the official program)

Cheers

Tim, thanks for this. One clarification-will the group be having dinner Mon, Tue, Thurs also, and just be free Wednesday?

Hi Harry,

The intention is to have dinner as a group Mon, Tue and Thursday as well. Note, this will partly depend on what chateaux we confirm. If, for example, we only have dinner at a property on one of those nights, then we will bring it back to the group to ask if there is a preference to do a group dinner in a restaurant or to be on your own.

Wednesday is currently an "on-your-own" afternoon and evening, and we will not plan anything that afternoon, except in the case that a really difficult property comes back and tells us that is the only option. But I don't think that will happen at this point.

Cheers,

Tim

Dear Fellow BWEs:

I am reading this thread with a mixture of excitement, jealousy and regret. Those who are going are in for a real treat. The BWE Bordeaux trip in 2005 was one of the most memorable of my life. Not just because of what we did, but more importantly who we were with and the memories we made together. You were all a large part of that: Alex, and Tim, and MichaelP, and Bill and Jan and Tom and Gail and Harry and and and...

I wish I could join you. But this is not the sort of trip that Peggy would enjoy, and as we get older I find it becoming more and more important to spend that precious free time away from work together. So I will have to decline, but I must tell you that it makes me very sad that I won't be there with you.

Bon voyage!

That's why you need to go for a quick 3 day surgical strike David!
We had a good conference call yesterday, things are shaping up nicely.

Rumors have it we are having dinner at Lynch on that final Friday, David, but I don't want to steal the organizers' thunder!

Tim, Sunday is the seventeenth, not the eighteenth. Does the special rate apply to Sunday?

BTW: The Accor members site does not recognize "Wineblog" when you input it into the preferential code slot. I guess you must call or email to get the rate, yes?

Stefan,

As of the moment, the rate applies to the 18th, not the 17th. Alex is reaching out to the Mercure to see if we can secure it for the 17th as well.

However, the rates online are actually less than that for the 17th, I believe, since it is a Sunday.

Also, you are correct, you must email or call to use that rate.

Cheers,

Tim

So we need a hotel in Bordeaux for 6 nights?

Thanks,

Michael-P

Will people more likely gather in Paris the weekend before or after?

Michael-P

Hi Michael,

The program will be from Monday morning til Friday evening. So yes, assuming that you are there for the entire program, we are looking at six nights of hotel in Bordeaux, arriving Sunday and leaving Saturday.

Theoretically, you can come up Monday morning instead of Sunday, but you will miss the morning tasting then as well as possibly lunch on Monday.

I will arrange a dinner on Saturday before. But I can also arrange for after as well, it is up to you.

What are others planning?

Cheers,

Tim

Which hotel are we planning on establishing as BWE Central?

Mercure Bordeaux Lac.

Bon Vogage, indeed.

I second David's thoughts. But too intense for me and wife now. But memories of 2005 last forever, especially the camaraderie.

I will follow the grand event vicariously on BWE.

Stuart

I booked Sat-Sat at the unrestricted rate without breakfast. The special rate is better, so I will probably change later if that is possible. Breakfast is 15.90 Euros/person at that location. The unrestricted rate is about 8 Euros/day more than the nonrefundable rate, which also does not include breakfast. Alex's rate is the best you can get even if you are a member of the Accor Club (as I am). The reasons I took the unrestricted rate are that
1. at my age there is a good chance that I will croak before then (Accor does not refund in such a case), and
2. the Pullman and/or Novotel might become available at an attractive rate later, and
3. Having spent most of today arranging our five separate tickets with three different airlines, I did not now want to endure the pain of talking with Accor to get Alex's rate.

I booked us for Mercure Bordeaux le Lac, in 17 May, out 23 May (6 nights), no breakfast (to save a few $).
I booked online because when I called the hotel they said I need to book online to get the wineblog rate. When I tried that online I got nowhere.

Now I need to do what Stefan did re airlines.

Michael-P

Also booked in Mercure 17-23 at group rate. About 6 emails back and forth with no clear understanding of the winblog rate but they eventually confirmed. Same rate for Sunday as the other days.

Not sure what I'd do without breakfast and starting first tasting at 10am. I'd be done by early afternoon if not before!!

Still waiting to book into Paris for Sat pre/post.

Danny

Am I misreading this, or is the rate on the website less than the negotiated rate?
How much does $135 Euros translate into?

Yes, it seems the price went down a little. Now the direct booking price is a few euros less than the group price (both nonrefundable).

Jim,

From here quoted room rates through Accor website are cheaper but don't include breakfast. Add on the 15.90 Euros per person and group rate still saves a few $$ though difference not huge.

I'm booked!

Nalan and I fly from SF to Paris then into Bordeaux on 17 May at 240p.
We plan to depart Bordeaux by train to Paris on 23 May for 3 days in Paris before heading back to SF.

Michael-P