InterContinental Lyon - Hotel Dieu
Lyon, France
There are two dramatic buildings dominating the skyline of Lyon, France. The first is the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, perched on the hilltop above the city; and the second is the equally imposing Hotel Dieu, the vast facade of which sweeps along the riverside. Until 2010, this was Lyon’s main hospital, and as one in three Lyonnais are estimated to have been born in the maternity wards here, the building has a very special place, literally and metaphorically, in the city’s heart. Over the past decade, Hotel Dieu’s function has been reimagined, the buildings opulently restored and reopened as museums, restaurants, and boutiques. In pride of place is the spectacular Intercontinental Lyon - Hotel Dieu which opened in 2019. The hotel’s 144 rooms and 31 suites look out either onto the river and bridges, or to the quiet courtyards and the basilica behind. As many of the building’s architectural features are protected, they could not be changed, and thus are incorporated into the design. This is why the signature suites are duplex: there is no way to divide the double-height windows, and in any case they
