157 Boulevard de la Croix Rousse, 69004 Lyon

Hôtel de la Croix-Rousse

Name: Hôtel de la Croix-Rousse
Address: 157 Boulevard de la Croix Rousse, Lyon, 69004, FR
Price range: 92 EUR
Rating: 3.4

Hotel 2-star in Lyon

Presentation

The Hôtel de la Croix-Rousse bears the name of its neighborhood, and that is no coincidence. You climb the Canuts hill, in Lyon’s 4th arrondissement, all the way to number 157 on the boulevard of the same name, between the traboules and the old weaving workshops.

In the 19th century, this was where the canuts lived, those silk workers whose name eventually came to designate the whole district. The building that houses the hotel dates from that era. You can tell from the high ceilings, the staircase that creaks a little, and the feel of a house that has lived several lives before becoming a hotel.

Joanne and Yann have been running the property for more than fifteen years. The welcome has that family tone that cannot be manufactured. You are greeted with a smile between 3:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m., and even after a missed train, as long as you let them know if you will be arriving late.

One point to know before booking: the old building was not designed with accessibility in mind. An elevator serves most floors, but not the first, and the property remains poorly suited to people with reduced mobility. For everyone else, it is simply part of the house’s slightly vertical charm.

Thirty-three rooms are spread across the floors, single or double, with tasteful, understated decor. Wi-Fi is provided via fiber, free of charge, and some windows look out over Lyon from above. The bathrooms, for their part, remain human-sized. You do not linger there; you just pass through.

On the top floor, a few rooms open onto a balcony. The view reaches beyond the neighborhood rooftops and stretches toward central Lyon. A detail that never appears on a cover photo, but one that can change a night.

On the first floor, a shared space serves as both a work area and a small auxiliary kitchen. There you will find a microwave, a kettle, a Nespresso machine, a steamer, and even a bottle warmer for families traveling with a baby. Nothing spectacular, but enough to snack or have a coffee without heading back down into the city.

From the morning onward, one thing to know: breakfast is not served on site. That is not really a problem in Croix-Rousse, where cafés open early and bakeries are plentiful. You head down the boulevard, push open the door of one of the local bistros, and your morning coffee becomes yet another way to feel the neighborhood come alive.

Croix-Rousse still has its market, its artisans, and its bars that fill up at the end of the day. You are more likely to meet locals than tourists there, which makes it different from Lyon’s more central districts. Metro line C stops about fifty meters from the door. In just a few stops, you can reach Vieux Lyon and its traboules, or the Presqu’île and Place Bellecour.

Parking in Lyon is often a headache. A private parking area, paid but secure, is located nearby in an easy-to-access warehouse. A useful detail for anyone arriving by car on a Friday evening.

Two hundred meters away, in a flower-lined and quiet cul-de-sac, the hotel also runs an annexe, Ma Chambre. There, you go up two floors without an elevator to find double rooms with private bathrooms and a fully equipped shared kitchen: microwave oven, refrigerator, stovetops, dishwasher. An option for those looking for a bit more independence without giving up the services of the main hotel.

Pets are accepted free of charge, upon simple request at reception. For families, a baby cot can be added free of charge in superior rooms, and an extra bed can be placed in a twin room for twelve euros per night.

One final tip, shared by regulars: book a Sunday night, as rates are lower that day. And if a top-floor room becomes available, take it. The balcony is worth the detour for a coffee, just before heading back down to the metro.

Summary of a few positive reviews read on the Web

Well-located hotel, a two-minute walk from metro line C, with plenty of bars and restaurants nearby.
The room faces a busy street but you can hardly hear anything, very well insulated.
Late arrival in the evening, notified by email beforehand, and someone was still waiting for me at reception.
Closed parking in a warehouse right next door, convenient so you do not have to drive around the neighborhood looking for a place to park.
Refurbished room, clean, only the bathroom remains small.
Small shared office area on the floor, handy for getting some work done on the computer before going out.