Novotel Lyon Centre Part Dieu

The dining area is lovely and the food was delicious. Our room was clean and comfortable, and the staff were friendly and helpful. The neighborhood doesn't look especially upscale, but the hotel itself is very nice. The underground parking was a welcome extra, though the spaces are very tight.

The room and bathroom were clean and quite good, and the hotel even left us a pack of Kinder eggs for Easter. It's beside the railway station, with a shopping mall opposite. The stay went well until I tried the air conditioning and found it wasn't cooling. At first, reception said it would start cooling after about five minutes. After I showered and the room was still hot, I called again and was told the system was set to heating only, with cooling available only in summer. It reached 20°C during my stay, but the hotel seems to assume that outside summer it's cold enough that everyone should be comfortable without cooling. Guests should be able to choose the temperature, as they do with showers, taps, and food. I ended up sleeping with the windows partly open to make the room more bearable. The curtains and television made them awkward to open, and then I could hear people talking and shouting, luggage being dragged, police cars, ambulances, and car horns. Rain made the problem even worse. The room, bathroom, and cleanliness were fine, but advertising air conditioning while disabling its cooling function and only letting guests discover that when they try to use it is unacceptable. The heat kept me from sleeping, and I haven't had this kind of discomfort at any other hotel I've stayed in. I would have given five stars without this issue.

Avoid this hotel unless you're completely certain your plans won't change. I had a death in the family and needed to attend a funeral, something I obviously couldn't foresee, but they refused to refund the £800 room cost. They kept pointing out that I knew the terms and conditions. I did, but some compassion would've been appreciated. They had plenty of notice and can rent the room again, so they'll effectively get a free booking. Shameful way to run a business.

The room was quiet and clean, with very good bedding. Breakfast was a varied and very good continental spread, and the service felt both professional and friendly. The hotel is well placed near the train station and subway, with a shopping mall across the street.