Hotel Charlemagne

“Very pleasant Hotel in a convenient location in Lyon”

Pro’s - Very comfortable beds. - Balcony overlooking the town was a bonus. - Bathrooms worked well with a pleasant shower and free toiletries provided. - Staff were friendly and nothing was too much trouble. Never had a problem replacing towels etc and housekeeping was very efficient. - Room was … more

Pro’s - Very comfortable beds. - Balcony overlooking the town was a bonus. - Bathrooms worked well with a pleasant shower and free toiletries provided. - Staff were friendly and nothing was too much trouble. Never had a problem replacing towels etc and housekeeping was very efficient. - Room was spacious (upgraded to a superior) which was ample for 2 sharing. - Near a tram station which made for a good base to explore the city. - Air con was effective (Essential too as it was incredibly hot and humid). - Tea and coffee facilities were provided. A rarity for European hotels. - Free ice cold filtered water provided at various points throughout the hotel. Brilliant idea and saves having to buy bottles of water throughout the trip. - Loads of mini markets nearby selling all manner of toiletries and groceries. The casino shop at the corner of the street was a lifesaver. Cons - The bathroom situation was unusual (certainly from an English travellers perspective). The toilet was in its own cubicle near the room entrance door, separate from the rest of the bathroom. In some ways, it helped avoid bathroom clash when theres two sharing a room, but the cubicle was absolutely tiny, so anyone over 5’10 would struggle to use it. Having a separate toilet wasn’t a problem per se, but there was no sink, so you either had to use anti bac gel or walk to the main shower room to wash your hands afterwards. Also the cubicle could have done with being slightly bigger to accommodate taller people. - Maybe not a con per se, but the bedrooms really could have done with having a fridge. Things to Consider - Whilst the hotel is very close to a lot of tourist attractions (as well as a very short tram ride from the Musee des Confluences) - the area around the hotel can appear sketchy at night. Also if you wish to walk north to rather than take the tram, you’ll have to walk through a tunnel which smells of urine which is rather unpleasant. Once you’re through the other side, you’re in the main square and walking distance or a short metro ride from most things, so I’d still say the location is good. If the tunnel issue might bother you, then I’d advise taking the tram one stop north, then either getting the metro or walking up north into the city centre. Overall the hotel is brilliant and were it not for the bathroom issue - it would get a solid 5 stars. Whilst the area may seem a little sketchy at night, I certainly encountered no problems and the takeaway selection was superb. I’d definitely upgrade to a superior room for the extra space and balcony. Would I stay here again - absolutely and given the value for money, I have not regrets about staying here.

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“Disappointing “4*” hotel with some important issues to resolve”

I expected more of this “4*” hotel, located an easy few minutes’ walk from Lyon’s Perrache station. Despite having pleasant staff and good rooms, there were issues which need addressing. I had to change rooms because my first one was at 28 degrees C, despite the “air conditioning” being on. I had … more

I expected more of this “4*” hotel, located an easy few minutes’ walk from Lyon’s Perrache station. Despite having pleasant staff and good rooms, there were issues which need addressing. I had to change rooms because my first one was at 28 degrees C, despite the “air conditioning” being on. I had a really dreadful sleep. Management’s response: “too expensive to turn on the air conditioning”. My safe was unusable. Management’s response: ”we have a key to unlock it”. The sliding doors onto the balcony could not be locked shut, making the room insecure and accessible from other balcony rooms on the same floor. Management’s response: “some customers have forced the windows”. I don’t expect any issues like this from a 4*hotel - these problems simply shouldn’t exist.

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