Hotels in Lyon

Accommodation in Lyon needs to be chosen carefully. Staying in the heart of Vieux Lyon is the most convenient place for a whirlwind tour of the city’s UNESCO-classified sites. However, guests should beware of high prices, narrow streets, and some street noise (ask for rooms facing internal courtyards). Alternatively, active guests who don’t mind a steep uphill walk (or a Funicular railway ride) will be rewarded on Fourvière Hill with more space and panoramic city views. Another district for spacious and light-infused accommodation is across the Bonaparte Bridge from Vieux Lyon in the 2nd arrondissement. Here, sought-after hotels overlook elegant squares such as place Bellecour and place des Célestins. Nearby, new luxury hotel openings along the banks of the River Rhône in the Presqu’île area straddle the 1st and 2nd districts. For travellers seeking a hipster vibe, head further north for cheap accommodation in La Croix Rousse area. All that being said, recent openings at both the luxury and inexpensive ends of the hotel market means there has never been a better time to stay in Lyon.

Note: For the sake of less-mobile visitors or those with heavy suitcases, we’ve noted hotels that don’t have an elevator in the individual listings on this site.

Best Backpacker Hotels in Lyon

Lyon’s new-generation hostels are a far cry from their threadbare predecessors. Now these backpacker hotels come complete with stencil art, designer furnishings, and healthy cuisine. Among our favorites are: Slo Living Hostel, 5 rue Bonnefoi (tel. 04-78-59-06-90), in Saxe Gambetta with four or six-bed dormitories as well private double rooms; Away Hostel, 21 rue Alsace Lorraine (tel. 04-78-98-53-20), on the slopes of Croix-Paquet in the 1st district, with dorms sleeping four to eight and private doubles with Nespresso coffee machines; and Ho36 Hostel, 36 rue Montesquieu (tel. 04-37-70-17-03) in Guillotière, offering mixed and women-only (in Lyon Opéra only) dormitories as well as private family rooms and doubles.