A beautiful Art deco building in the shape of a prow tied to the shores of Vieux Lyon, lit up after dark in waves of changing colours by 130 optical fibres attached to the same number of windows.

Inside, a school in retro mode :In the guise of a reception hall, we find a vaulting horse from 1914 which was used in the gym of the Lycee Royal de Versailles, a classroom for breakfast, with tables and benches facing the teacher's desk, which changes into a bar in the evening. There's a big glassed-in library inherited from the « Collège des Lazaristes », full of  natural science textbooks.

Upstairs, the room numbers are inscribed on slates; a vintage fridge has unlimited drinks and the walls are enamelled with quotations and a few moral principles. The rooms, 39 in all, are of three kinds, with as many rates. Minimalist, completely white, with a pupil's desk and a metal cupboard and sprinkled with flat-screen TVs. So one either likes or doesn't like the decor, but those with a school-kid spirit will certainly feel like repeating a night or more.

Contact and information: www.college-hotel.com
5 Place Saint-Paul
69005 Lyon
T. +33 4 72 10 05 05
To go to rates, click here
To go to hotel map, click here
Photo: Collège Hôtel  

Linked articles - Ideas to discover Lyon and where to eat:

How about going out for a stroll in Old Lyon?
A rose is born !
When Lyon reveals itself at the pace of the river
The African plain in the heart of Lyon
Vélo'V j'adore....: a smooth ride in Lyon 

Where to eat in Lyon:

Brasserie Georges: a gastronomic monument
Brasserie des Brotteaux: a gastronomic stopover
Café du Bout du monde: an expat rendez-vous in Lyon
The Pailleron in Lyon: Gargantua's treat