Press room
Verified information, the story of the house, editorial angles, ready-to-publish copy and high-resolution photographs for preparing an article, report or feature about Les Pénates Bordelaises.
A few minutes from Parc Bordelais, Les Pénates Bordelaises offers a different way to stay in Bordeaux. The house combines the comfort and privacy of high-end accommodation with the freedom, personality and conversation of a private home.
Five spacious rooms are divided between the main house and the garden. Shared spaces centre on a 50 m² lounge that opens widely onto the greenery and a heated seasonal outdoor pool.
Les Pénates also reflects its hosts. Maria Luisa, a Sicilian-born conductor and pianist, brings music, gardening and cooking into the house. Sylvain, an entrepreneur, traveller and heritage enthusiast, shares neighbourhood addresses, Bordeaux itineraries and his favourite routes through the vineyards.
The result is a calm, personal address: close enough to the historic centre to explore Bordeaux easily, yet removed from the tourist bustle so guests can feel they truly live in the city.
Fact sheet
Ready-to-publish copy
These three descriptions may be reproduced or adapted for an article, guide, address selection or feature about Bordeaux.
Short version
50 wordsLes Pénates Bordelaises is an independent adults-only guesthouse near Parc Bordelais. Five 28 m² rooms, a shared lounge opening onto a garden with heated pool, an artistic identity and the personal recommendations of Maria Luisa and Sylvain create a distinctive urban retreat in Bordeaux, welcoming guests since June 2022.
Standard version
200 wordsA few minutes from Parc Bordelais, Les Pénates Bordelaises offers a personal way to stay in Bordeaux. This independent guesthouse has welcomed adults only since June 2022 and brings together five 28 m² rooms in a Bordeaux house and its garden. Every room has a 160 × 200 cm bed, private shower room and air conditioning.
At the heart of the house, a shared lounge opens onto a garden and a heated seasonal outdoor pool. Guests can enjoy breakfast, read, work or prepare a simple meal using the shared refrigerator, microwave, tableware and coffee machine.
The personality of Les Pénates comes from its hosts. Maria Luisa, a Sicilian-born conductor and pianist, created a living garden and a house where music has a natural place. Sylvain, an entrepreneur and traveller, shares neighbourhood addresses, Bordeaux itineraries and vineyard routes.
In a residential district near Barrière du Médoc, the house is within easy reach of the historic centre by tram, bicycle or on foot. Accueil Vélo certification and secure bicycle storage also make it particularly suitable for cyclists passing through Bordeaux.
Long version
300 wordsLes Pénates Bordelaises grew from a simple idea: to offer accommodation in Bordeaux with the comfort of a boutique hotel and the freedom, personality and conversation of a private home. Open since June 2022, this independent guesthouse sits near Parc Bordelais in a residential district connected to the historic centre by tram line D.
The house welcomes adults only in five spacious 28 m² rooms. Three are in the main building and two open directly onto the garden at ground level. Every room includes a 160 × 200 cm bed, private shower room, separate toilet, air conditioning and individual décor. Guests can check in independently using a personal code.
The heart of Les Pénates is a shared lounge opening onto the garden. Guests have breakfast there, relax or prepare a meal using shared facilities. Outdoors, greenery surrounds a heated seasonal pool. Together they form a peaceful retreat close to the shops, restaurants and artisans of Barrière du Médoc. The nearby public car park and tram make stays straightforward.
The house reflects the lives of Maria Luisa and Sylvain. Sicilian-born Maria Luisa is a conductor and pianist whose music, garden and cooking naturally shape the property. After fifteen years in technology entrepreneurship, Sylvain created Les Pénates and shares his knowledge of Bordeaux, heritage and vineyards.
Works by Bordeaux artists enliven the spaces, while Accueil Vélo certification and secure storage support visiting cyclists. Les Pénates is an address for discovering Bordeaux differently, without giving up calm, comfort or privacy.
The name
In Roman mythology, the Penates were the protective deities of the household and its stores. By extension, the word “pénates” came to mean one’s home: the place where one feels protected and enjoys returning.
The name captures the spirit of the project: offering travellers a temporary retreat in Bordeaux, combining the comfort of quality accommodation with the freedom and personality of a lived-in home.
The five rooms are therefore called the five Pénates. Each has its own identity, colour palette and atmosphere while sharing the same relationship with the garden, art and the house.
The rooms
Every room measures around 28 m² and is designed for two guests. They were conceived as genuine living spaces rather than simple overnight rooms.
On the ground floor of the house, facing the street, Pénate 1 includes a workspace. Its décor combines mineral and warm tones.
On the first floor of the house, facing the street, Pénate 2 also includes a desk. Ochre and natural shades create an enveloping atmosphere.
On the first floor and facing the street, Pénate 3 favours light, soothing tones. Like the other rooms overlooking the avenue, it has triple glazing.
At garden level, Pénate 4 includes a desk and opens directly onto the outdoor spaces and pool.
Also at garden level, Pénate 5 opens directly outdoors. Its deeper palette contrasts with the light and greenery of the garden.
The garden rooms open directly onto the terrace and pool. The rooms in the house retain more of the traditional Bordeaux character. All share the same level of equipment and comfort.
The hosts
A musician, an entrepreneur and the wish to share their Bordeaux.
Born in Sicily, Maria Luisa Macellaro La Franca pursues an international career as a conductor, composer and pianist. Multilingual and passionate about cooking and horticulture, she imagined the garden as a living space where flowers, herbs, trees, birds and insects all have a place.
Music belongs naturally to the life of the house. Maria Luisa works, rehearses and occasionally gives lessons or intimate concerts there. The piano and scores are not decorative objects: they are signs of a home genuinely inhabited by creativity.
More information on Maria Luisa’s official website →
After fifteen years in technology entrepreneurship, Sylvain welcomed the first guests to Les Pénates Bordelaises in June 2022. A traveller with a passion for wine, heritage, history and chess, he readily shares neighbourhood addresses, Bordeaux itineraries and advice for exploring the vineyards.
Their joint project lies in this balance: offering the comfort and privacy of boutique accommodation without erasing the personality, conversation and freedom of a private home.
Art and music
Music and art have a central place at Les Pénates Bordelaises. The piano, scores, Maria Luisa’s rehearsals and occasional concerts give the house an identity that extends beyond accommodation.
The spaces also feature works connected to Bordeaux creativity, including pieces by Jofo, Mr Poulet and Fred Rush Collin. They were chosen for their personality and the dialogue they create with the colours, materials and rooms of the house.
The artworks are not grouped in a separate exhibition space. They accompany guests’ everyday life and contribute to the atmosphere of the rooms, lounge and shared areas.
Additional information about the works and artists is available for editorial projects focusing on art or interior design.
Editorial angles
Les Pénates Bordelaises can inspire several subjects that go beyond tourist accommodation alone.
Angle 1
Near Parc Bordelais and Barrière du Médoc, Les Pénates offers a different starting point from the tourist centre. Food shops, artisans, restaurants, a market and the tram to the historic heart create a genuine neighbourhood life.
The house makes it easy to alternate visits to central Bordeaux with quieter moments in a residential setting.
Information, favourite addresses and itineraries are available on request.
Angle 2
A conductor, composer and pianist, Maria Luisa brings music into the house through her work, rehearsals, lessons and occasional intimate concerts.
Works by Jofo, Mr Poulet and Fred Rush Collin also connect the different spaces with contemporary Bordeaux creativity.
Interviews with Maria Luisa and further information are available on request.
Angle 3
Flowers, herbs, trees and plants were chosen to create an abundant garden that is pleasant for guests and welcoming to birds and insects.
The saltwater pool lies at the centre of this environment. The garden becomes an urban retreat after a day in Bordeaux.
Garden photographs and design information are available in the photo library.
Angle 4
Accueil Vélo-certified, Les Pénates provides secure storage and a starting point for cycling through Bordeaux, reaching the riverfront or planning vineyard routes.
The hosts can suggest routes towards Pessac-Léognan, Margaux, Saint-Émilion and Sauternes, including loops combining bicycle and regional train.
Route selections and practical advice are available on request.
Angle 5
Maria Luisa and Sylvain share their favourite restaurants, neighbourhood artisans, Bordeaux itineraries, trips to Arcachon Bay and routes through the vineyards.
Their selection is not intended to be exhaustive. It reflects their own way of experiencing Bordeaux and its region.
Personal recommendations are available on request.
Location
Les Pénates Bordelaises sits between Parc Bordelais and Barrière du Médoc, in a residential area known for its houses, local shops and quality of life.
The historic centre remains easy to reach on tram line D, while the neighbourhood reveals a more everyday Bordeaux through its bakeries, pastry shops, wine merchants, restaurants, market and artisans.
The location also provides convenient access to the Médoc vineyards, Pessac-Léognan estates, Arcachon Bay and the main roads out of Bordeaux.
The garden and pool create a contrast with the density of the city centre. Guests can spend the day sightseeing, then return to the calm of the house without leaving Bordeaux.
Photo library
The photographs are available for articles, reports, guides and editorial selections about Les Pénates Bordelaises.
The 50 m² shared lounge, the heart of the house and a meeting place for guests.
Credit: Les Pénates Bordelaises
From the lounge, the view crosses the terrace and garden to the pool.
Credit: Les Pénates BordelaisesFurniture, books, artworks and personal objects give the shared spaces the atmosphere of a private home.
Credit: Les Pénates Bordelaises
Homemade breakfast served in the lounge or beside the garden.
Credit: Les Pénates Bordelaises
The garden designed by Maria Luisa combines flowers, trees, herbs and spaces for rest.
Credit: Les Pénates Bordelaises
The heated outdoor saltwater pool is available to guests during the summer season.
Credit: Les Pénates Bordelaises
The garden and pool offer a peaceful setting just minutes from Bordeaux historic centre.
Credit: Les Pénates BordelaisesPénate 1, a 28 m² room on the ground floor of the house.
Credit: Les Pénates BordelaisesPénate 2, a 28 m² room on the first floor of the house.
Credit: Les Pénates BordelaisesPénate 3 and its light, soothing atmosphere.
Credit: Les Pénates BordelaisesPénate 4, a garden-level room with direct access to the garden and pool.
Credit: Les Pénates BordelaisesPénate 5, a garden-level room opening directly outdoors.
Credit: Les Pénates Bordelaises
Maria Luisa Macellaro La Franca and Sylvain Eche, hosts of Les Pénates Bordelaises.
Credit: Les Pénates Bordelaises
An orchestra rehearsal in the garden of Les Pénates Bordelaises.
Credit: Les Pénates Bordelaises
The Virtuoses de Bordeaux rehearse before a concert at Les Pénates Bordelaises.
Credit: Les Pénates Bordelaises
Works by Jofo inspired by the theme of the Pénates.
Credit: Les Pénates Bordelaises
Sylvain, a chess master, playing at Les Pénates Bordelaises.
Credit: Les Pénates Bordelaises
A masterclass on Bordeaux wine led by Sylvain.
Credit: Les Pénates Bordelaises
A temporary exhibition held at Les Pénates Bordelaises during the Mois de la Photo.
Credit: Les Pénates Bordelaises
A work by Mr Poulet inspired by the Pénates.
Credit: Les Pénates Bordelaises
Accueil Vélo-certified, Les Pénates is a starting point for exploring Bordeaux and its vineyards by bicycle.
Credit: Les Pénates BordelaisesRights
The photographs in this press room may be used for articles, reports, guides, selections and editorial content about Les Pénates Bordelaises.
The credit “Les Pénates Bordelaises” is mandatory unless another credit is stated below the photograph.
Advertising or commercial use, resale, transfer to a third party or substantial alteration of a photograph requires prior written permission.
Making a photograph of an artwork available does not transfer any rights in the artwork itself. The artist and title must be named whenever provided.
Photographs showing Maria Luisa, Sylvain or any other identifiable person must be used strictly in editorial content about Les Pénates Bordelaises.
Journalists
Maria Luisa and Sylvain can answer interview requests about the house, their backgrounds, music, the garden, tourism in Bordeaux or exploring the vineyards.
Requests to photograph the house, garden or rooms are considered according to the editorial angle, dates and occupancy.
Press stay requests are reviewed individually according to the publication, audience, proposed angle, requested dates and availability.
Copy, photographs, room information, itinerary ideas and Bordeaux advice can be supplied according to the project’s needs.
Maria Luisa and Sylvain respond directly to editorial requests as promptly as possible.
Press contact
Maria Luisa and Sylvain answer requests from journalists, authors, photographers, guide creators and media professionals directly.
To help process your request, please include the publication name, proposed subject, content format, preferred dates and any photography or interview requirements.
Contact details
Les Pénates BordelaisesMaria Luisa Macellaro La Franca and Sylvain Eche62 avenue d'Eysines33200 BordeauxFrance+33 7 49 44 01 01lespenatesbordelaises@gmail.comwww.lespenatesbordelaises.com
