Marriott Lyon Cité Internationale

The room itself was a downgrade, despite the staff member telling me she had already upgraded me. It did have a balcony, but it was fully enclosed. There were bugs, the shower didn’t work properly, and the A/C was broken. We changed rooms without an apology. I asked again about upgrading because suites were available, but that didn’t happen. The second room was okay, though it also had bugs. Lyon is a beautiful city, and this hotel spoiled a lot of the experience for us. I’d avoid booking here. The lobby was musty and smelled awful when we arrived, and the greeting was poor. Nobody helped with our luggage. As a Marriott Platinum member, I’ve seen good and bad, and this was bad. The front desk staff’s English wasn’t very good, though I can accept that not everyone in another country speaks English. I tried to use my suite night awards and they were declined, which was annoying, but I know they aren’t guaranteed. Room size: decent for the price. Room condition: old, rough, and buggy. Smell and noise: musty and old. Cleanliness: not clean, bugs present. Thermostat: broken in the first room, okay in the second. Junk fees: none. Amenities: none. Location: decent, but you need to take the bus. Check-in and service: pleasant enough, but English was limited and we weren’t upgraded. Platinum benefits: not honored.

There’s a lovely park right behind the hotel, and public transport is convenient. We booked for three people, but the room wasn’t ready when we got in late at night, so we had to wait for the third bed to be set up. The air conditioning barely worked and it was so hot. The shower cubicle was so narrow that my elbows kept bumping into the sides.

The team looked after my friend and me, and even left her a handwritten birthday card in the room. We had a great stay at the Lyon Marriott. It’s away from the busy parts of town but still easy to reach the city. I’d come back.

Getting two bottles of water turned into a ridiculous back-and-forth. I clearly asked for them to be left at the door so I could rest, but someone knocked and handed them to me in person. Earlier, I’d explained to housekeeping that I didn’t need the room cleaned, only two bottles of water, and they told me to call the front desk. I did, repeated the request, and was told someone would come. When that person arrived, they asked if I wanted the room cleaned. It felt like a comedy. I wasn’t asking for free alcohol, just water. Maybe the rule about two bottles per day is treated as sacred here. Housekeeping hadn’t been done for three days. The staff also barely understood English. I’m not fluent myself, but I could communicate better than they could, which is shocking for a hotel hosting guests from around the world. There’s no lounge, despite this being a Marriott, and breakfast was acceptable but nothing special. I’ve stayed in countless Marriotts around the world, and this was by far the worst. It feels like a lower-tier hotel that doesn’t meet Marriott standards.