The executive room I had during my stay at the Marriott Lyon Cité Internationale seemed more convincing than the suite I had had during my previous stay.
Having to go to Lyon to attend a basketball game and then spend the weekend there, I went back to the Marriott Lyon Cité Internationale which we have already told you a lot about here. To be honest, I didn’t have much choice either: because of the loyalty program, I had to stay at a Marriott and apart from going to the Moxy at St Exupéréry Airport, it’s the only Marriott in the capital.
For the record, the list of articles on this stay in Lyon.
| Review # | Type | Post |
| 1 | Train | Paris-Lyon, Trenitalia, Executive Class |
| 2 | Hotel | Marriott Lyon Cité Internationale – Executive Room |
| 3 | Restaurant | Le bouchon des cordeliers – Lyon |
| 4 | Train | Lyon-Paris Trenitalia, Executive Classe |
Booking
I booked a standard room a fortnight before my arrival at 120 euros a night on the Marriott application. The morning of my arrival I noticed in the application an upgrade to an executive room.
Location of the hotel
As its name suggests, it is located in the Cité Internationale district, which means that it is very out of the way. Not too bad as it is served by public transport and a taxi will take you into the city centre in 10 minutes but it is worth knowing.
Arrival at the hotel and check-in
I arrive by taxi from Lyon Part Dieu station in the late afternoon and head for the reception.
The welcome is very friendly, more attentive and professional than during my previous stay. The formalities are quick as I checked in online, they thank me for my loyalty, mention my upgrade and inform me that in the absence of a lounge the minibar is free.
I was tempted to complain about the stinginess of the upgrade as suites were available but I’m not in the mood to parley this day and I’m in a hurry. So I go straight up to my room through this very nice lobby.
The room
The executive room assigned to me is a good size and rather nicely decorated.
Sober, warm, a bit of a Scandinavian style I think.
Opposite the TV cabinet, but this wall lacks decoration and is so empty that it is sad.
There is also a table for a mini lounge area.
Very nice to sit and drink something and enjoy the view, but less convenient and comfortable than a real desk if you want to work. In addition, the table is far from any electrical outlet, which is problematic when your computer’s battery starts to run down.
There is also a small balcony which is very pleasant.
I might as well tell you that in this month of February I didn’t spend much time there but it must be very pleasant in the nice season.
The view of the Parc de la Tête d’Or, which looks like Central Park under the winter sun, is superb.
The minibar ( complimentary ) is adequately stocked.
The bathroom is large with both a shower and a bath.
Finally I am very happy with this room and I do not regret not having been upgraded to a suite. Indeed the junior suite I had during my previous stay was bigger but the lack of furniture made it really sad and moreover the furniture was very worn and damaged.
Finally, this one looks better and offers a much better view!
One complaint: I don’t know if it was me who didn’t understand or if the air-conditioning was defective, but it was impossible for me to obtain a suitable temperature. The heat was unbearable and I ended up turning it off. A problem that seems to be recurrent in this hotel as Olivier was also confronted with an air-conditioning problem with a room that looked like an icebox.
Bar and restaurant
The hotel has an Italian restaurant with an excellent reputation and a bar which I particularly enjoyed during my previous stay.
I still won’t try the restaurant during this stay. When I came back from the basketball game I attended on the first night it was midnight and of course it was closed.
I wanted to fall back on room service but it ended at 10.30pm! What’s the point of room service in this case? After 10pm there was no way to order anything but pizza, which I find intriguing. If they can make pizzas and not the rest, does that mean they are not made to order? Strange.
As for the bar, which in theory closes at 1am, I found it closed at midnight the first night.
However, I will go back the next day before and after dinner in town. The staff have changed since my last visit but are still as competent, passionate and attentive.
For a hotel bar the menu is quite elaborate.
In general, the bars in this type of hotel are there out of obligation and are rather unimpressive. I would like to congratulate this property for investing in its bar and making guests want to visit it by desire and not by default.
I will also try the snack service at the bar…fast and good.
Hotel facilities
The hotel does not have a spa but has a gym which I will have time to try this time.
It is in fact an independent business to which hotel guests have free access.
While it is modern and well maintained, it is small and not very well equipped.
At the time of my visit, 2 clients were monopolising 3 machines on one side and on the other a coach with his client were occupying all the small space reserved for weights and floor exercises.
In other words, I could do almost nothing and left after fifteen minutes. In a nutshell: zero.
Staff and service
Pleasant and efficient at the reception (not like last time), always great at the bar.
Check-out
I’ll do my checkout on the Marriott app, saving me a stop at the front desk.
Bottom line
Paradoxically a more compelling stay than the previous one. The slightly stingy upgrade allowed me to discover a more pleasant room.
Once again I would like to mention the excellent bar and its staff.
A few negative points however: the temperature of the room, the room service that stops at 10:30 pm and the really ridiculous gym.
