The Carlton Hotel has just been taken on by the Mercure Hotel group, so your taxi driver may think you a daft tourist when you insist on being taken to the Mercure Carlton on Rue Jussieu. There is no Mercure sign on the hotel awning. Presumably the Mercure people will invest a little money in sprucing up this property (frayed carpets, much needed plastering and painting). I hope they do not change the character of the place, however. It is so refreshing to feel as if you're in an old-fashioned French hotel (one with modern conveniences, however). The elevator is a cage affair and has a few personality quirks (like not stopping at floors and occasionaly not starting up at all), but the rooms are well out-fitted, pillows are much better than a previous reviewer found them, and the beds were comfortable, not too firm or too soft. The housekeeping staff is about the most efficient and professional of any I've experienced outside of Germany. Front office staff was professional to the point of being dour. Perhaps this had something to do with their (young) age. No hellos or chit-chat out of that crowd. Breakfast was a truly lavish affair for a hotel of this size and ranking. Eggs (scrambed or fresh with boiling water for cooking), sausages, a selection of fresh breads, a variety of baked goods, dried and fresh fruit, fresh raspberries(!!), fruit salad, yoghurts, cereals etc etc. Hotel is very central for both public transportation and for walking. In April (2008) I was able to access free WIFI that was provided in the Bellecour area of town by the local business development concern. It appears to be a year-long experiment. Otherwise, you buy time from Orange (example, E10 for a 3 hour block). We were very pleased with our choice.

J'ai séjournée deux fois dans cet hôtel en Octobre et en Novembre. La première fois, ma chambre était petite et donnait sur la cour. Très moyenne... J'ai donc demandé cette semaine à être dans une meilleure chambre. J'ai effectivement été surclassé, ma chambre faisait 40m², donnait sur une belle rue et le lit pouvait héberger 4 personnes sans problème! Le problème, c'est que le tout est vieillot, la moquette est usée, ça ne fait pas rêver... C'est propre, c'est calme, le petit déjeuner est correct, le cadre et le batiment sont superbes et surtout, on est au centre de Lyon. C'est le principal atout de l'hotel. Au final, c'est pas mal mais bien trop cher pour la prestation! J'y retournerai peut être, grâce à son emplacement et surtout parce que c'est mon patron qui paye ;)

Cet hôtel du groupe Accor a gardé un certain cachet. Bon compromis entre charme d'antan et modernité. Les chambres + salles de bains sont uniques donc taille et déco variables. En ce qui nous concerne : chambre, de taille au dessus de la moyenne ; salle de bain OK, baignoire un peu petite...Optez pour les chambres supérieures. Bonne localisation permettant de se rendre à pied vers les principaux lieux d'intérêt : A deux pas de la place + rue de la République, place Bellecourt et Vieux Lyon à proximité.

Searching for a hotel in Lyon we read several reviews and absolutely liked the pictures of the Carlton - and we did not regret doing so. It is really a most romantic hotel with all the fin-de-siecle charm you can get while not missing modern amenities. There is a covered car park one or two streets away which simplifies things. We got a really good rate over Expedia. The reception was extremely nice and helpful. You could easily walk to the interesting spots as the hotel is well-situated in the heart of the isle of Lyon.

Located in central Lyon on a jammed one-block long street, this hotel doesn't have much presence upon arrival but in the end was worth the minor hassles. Without a GPS I think we'd still be driving around Lyon - Paris is easier! The Hotel Carlton is an Accor property although has apparently been through several owners; it's an old hotel with lots of charm (great murals in the salon/barr off the lobby; ancient and cool wrought iron elevator; rooms with high ceilings and decorative plasterwork.) What's not charming is the staff. We (2 couples) arrived with a car full of a week's worth of travels. First one must block the entire street to unload as there is parking on both sides, secondly the so-called doorman couldn't care less, didn't hold the door and not only offered no assistance but when asked by two women to help with bringing the suitcases up the flight of stairs to the elevator simply walked away. Parking the car was an easy chore for the guys; turns out Lyon brillantly has an underground, well lit and clean car park and the driving entrance was only 2 blocks away but the escalator bringing them up to the street less than one block. Hotel rooms were very large with well appointed comfortable beds. We had no view but the window was quite large and could be opened. There was a minibar, closet, desk and one of the two rooms had a room safe. Bathroom was antiquated pink tile; except for the lack of counter space was fine. The Carlton was only a half block from the pedestrian walkway that runs through the center of Lyon with numerous shops, restaurants, etc. so going to dinner or strolling was a pleasure. We had a very reasonable rate of 99E booked through the Accor website (with the Accor membership); for this location I'd expect to pay more. Breakfast of room service extra but quite good and prompt.