Note: I am already being nagged by some of you out there about posting a trip report of our recent marathon jaunt through Portugal, Spain, France, and the Netherlands. Life being what it is, I haven't been able to do that yet, so I will be posting a few reviews first, while I work on the larger reports.
After our recent Rick Steves Basque Country tour, we spent 4 nights in Lyon on our way to Paris. We stayed at the Hôtel des Remparts, 19 Place Carnot. This is a larger hotel than we usually choose, but as it happens the World Rugby Cup had games in Lyon that week. Not only were the smaller guest houses we looked at fully booked, but prices were considerably higher than we were expecting. Our room averaged €200 per night, breakfast not included. We opted for the hotel breakfast, a pricey €15 each per day. Most people would probably rather find a coffee and croissant elsewhere, but I prefer a heartier breakfast when traveling.
Nonetheless, we enjoyed our stay at the Remparts. The lobby is big, bright, and clean with plenty of room to sit and relax. The breakfast rooms are behind the registration desk, out of sight and sound of the lobby. There was a/c available, and an elevator. We were glad of the elevator this time, because our room was six floors up!
The room, a "classic" double, was, according to my notes, “small but lovely.” The window that opened onto a small atrium or courtyard gave fresh air and light. The built-in desk, wardrobe, night stands, and shelves were clean and modern, and the walls were painted in relaxing colors. The en suite bath had a shower, and plenty of towels. The room was very quiet, and the bed was comfortable.
The breakfast, while pricey, was quite good. There were several good breads, a good selection of fresh fruits, yogurt, and an interesting selection of local cheeses and deli meats. Eggs and sausages were available, as well as cold cereals. Juices and hot beverages were also to be found, although they were from machines.
We loved the location on Place Carnot, a large square full of trees and happy families, surrounded on three sides by cafés, restaurants, and student hangouts. Much of the fourth side of the square is taken up by the metro, tram, and train station; very convenient. I suspect, however, that a room opening onto the square would have been noisy at night.
Most of the popular sights in the Lyon Presq’ile are walkable from Place Carnot, and metro stations are available for sights further away, in Vieux Lyon, for example.
The staff was very helpful, and made dinner recommendations and reservations for us before our first night arrival. All the staff members with whom we dealt were pleasant and helpful.
One suggestion, or rather, a word of caution: do not use the Google Maps instructions to find the hotel. We took the Rhone Express and metro into town from the airport, arriving at the Perrache station. Google maps showed a lengthy, convoluted route to get from that station to our hotel. But when we stepped out of the station and glanced around, we could actually see the hotel’s sign, just meters from the station entrance. I also saw a suggestion elsewhere that if you’re arriving by TGV, plan your arrival for Perrache station, not the more common Part-Dieu; you’ll end up two minutes from the hotel.