When we left home, we were shocked to find it quite cold. On the journey, I actually wanted to stop in Nancy, but with a summer dress and a summer jacket, and with the temperature below 10 degrees, it was a bad idea. So we kept going until Lyon.
Before we arrived in Lyon, however, a deluge began and it rained like crazy. We hoped as rarely for a covered drive.
When we arrived at the hotel, it was clear: it would not work. So you get nice water stains on your luggage.
Let's say something about the Intercontinental. I'm not a fan of this chain (anymore) and I don't even consider most of the hotels. But Lyon is one of the exceptions. In the medieval hospital (part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site), a hotel was opened in 2019. In terms of design, it is very reminiscent of the IC Marseille. The design is by Jean-Philippe Nuel and it looked very nice. One advantage of Intercontinental is that if you sign up for Ambassador status, you get a free weekend stay of 2 nights, which is practically a 50% discount. This can be worthwhile, especially if you book an expensive suite. In Lyon, there are 28 Duplex Junior Suites, 1 Prestige Suite and 1 Presidential Suite. I thought long and hard about whether to take the Duplex or the Prestige Suite. Even with the free weekend voucher, the price difference was striking. The Duplex cost €800 per night (so €1600 for three nights), while the Prestige Suite cost around €2900 (so €5800 for three nights). That was a bit much for Lyon, especially since one of the top features of the Prestige Suite is a roof terrace, which is only of limited use in October (and even less so in the pouring rain). As an ambassador, I would have been entitled to an upgrade to the next category. In Marseille, this meant I got the Presidential Suite, but now hotels can “buy themselves out” with 600 points. The latter was of course the case with me.
As I said, the hotel is in a historic building and that is impressive. Even from the outside, it is a massive building that makes you want to stay in it.