We had booked to stay at The College Hotel but on arrival they had processed our reservation incorrectly and didn’t have a room for us. We were basically palmed off to the Phenix for the night and were told it was “a nice 3 star hotel facing the river with a duplex room”. Our allocated room was indeed a duplex which basically means 2 inferior rooms rather than 1 inferior room. The room was located at the top of a winding staircase so beware if you are infirmed. Our view from the lower floor was of a wall. No idea what the view from the 2nd window was like as we are both average in height and couldn’t see out of it as it was positioned above the stairs leading to the bedroom!! The layout of the lower floor was a sofa facing a desk with a TV on the wall and the bathroom. The bathroom was a hideous lobster colour and be warned if you are taller than 5ft 8 you are going to struggle to stand up for a shower! The bedroom was like an attic room witha sloping roof, furnished simply with a double bed and 2 bedside tables. We stayed at the end of May 2008 and the room was very warm and stuffy; we were unable to open the window (contrast of being a bonus to be short for the shower you would need to be 7ft tall to open the window) – and the air conditioning was completely ineffective. Negotiating the stairs to use the bathroom in the dark also proved dicey (unless you wanted to wake your partner by putting the light on of course). One positive was that the room had a safe and was clean. After returning from breakfast at around 11.00 a.m. we couldn’t gain entry to the hotel as the main entrance was locked and no-one was manning the reception. We buzzed constantly for at least 5 minutes before a receptionist returned to the desk and let us in. All in all we were not impressed and on the strength of our room would not recommend it.

Located on the edge of the Old Quarter in Lyon, the hotel area offers a mix of residential neighborhood and tourist district. Most major attractions can be reached on foot from the hotel which fronts on the river. The room was large, quiet and clean – with interesting architectural details. The building underwent a restoration that was designed to preserve the18th century ambiance and one of the interesting aspects of this hotel is the chance to discover 18th century architectural details in the rooms and common areas. The staff was very professional; however, a working knowledge of French is helpful when dealing with them. Denver Mullican

Great Location, large rooms, friendly helpful staff. I would definitely stay here again. Unusual coloured bathroom suite ( Heinz cream of Tomato Soup red !)

Die eine Übernachtung in Lyon war die enttäuschendste unseres dreiwöchigen Urlaubs. Das Le Phenix war schäbig, es hat nichts funktioniert, unsere Anfrage nach einem großen Doppelbett wurde zwar bestätigt, bekommen haben wir aber keines und das Personal schien das auch egal zu sein. Die Fotos auf der Webseite spiegeln in keinerlei Weise unser Zimmer wider. Ich werde es niemandem empfehlen, der mich danach fragt.

Our one night stay in Lyon was our most diappointing in our 3 week holiday. Le Phenix was shabby, amenities weren't working, our requested and confirmed king size bed did not materialise and the staff appeared to be disinterested. Website photos certainly misrepresented the room that we had. I won't be recommending it to anyone who asks.