COUR DES LOGES
Ravishing Renaissance style in Lyon's cobble-street heart
TAKE FOUR MAGNIFICENT Italian Renaissance houses tucked into the cobbled streets of medieval Lyon. Artfully link their 14th century stone walls, then play unexpected tricks with the ancient interior by overlaying history in an artfully contemporary style.
Walking into Cour des Loges feels rather like entering a medieval Florentine villa. A glass atrium canopies the lobby, surrounded by soaring arched balconies and interior courtyards. Bold colours, contemporary artworks and giant candlesticks add touches of audacious confidence, setting off the time-worn stone and ancient surrounds to perfection. It's a stunner.
Rooms at Cour des Loges are seductive and theatrical; and how. Opulent schemes combine velvets, silks, damasks and linens; antiques, tapestries and objets d’art juxtapose modern furniture and art. Colours major on chic slate grey, taupe and terracotta. Bathrooms, designed by Starck, boast double baths, jacuzzis, and power showers. All feel private. Superior Italienne rooms will tick all the boxes, while the Piazzetta suite, with its podium bed, provides yet more visual drama.
Hit the spot
In the heart of Lyon's medieval Vieille Ville.
Bedtime
Silks, velvets and damasks – not to mention bathtubs for two – made bedtime theatrically seductive.
Be savvy
Leave your car at home – parking is a headache.
Be smitten
Renaissance mansion packed with Wow factor.
Private roof gardens
Our opulent bed with giant pillows and a crushed velvet throw had wicked intentions writ large across it. Pearl-white bedlinen, a hand-frescoed headboard and intimate lighting set the tone, while views over the private fourth floor roof gardens, basking in the spring sunshine, were an added plus. Our similarly lavish bathroom sported a huge double bath with the loo artfully tucked away behind a mirror.
This is France’s gastronomic capital, and cooking at the Cour des Loges deeply smart Café Epicerie not surprisingly dazzles. Eclectic menus feature grilled Brittany lobster tail with Japanese red shiso cress; saddle of rabbit with beetroot; scallops with poached rhubarb. Expect terrific breakfasts, too: we were taken with the spread of springy freshly-baked breads and cured ham to carve off the bone.
Outside, Lyon buzzes. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site so culture vultures have rich pickings. Here in Vieux Lyons, you're surrounded by the winding alleys, cobbled courtyards and towers of a medieval gem. River walks and markets are not far away.
Having succumbed to a night in on the day we arrived, we were happy to plot a night out over cocktails in the darkly intimate bar next day. The very savvy concierge was more than helpful. So much, in fact, that we decided that to do this place justice, we'd need to stay an extra night.
Cour des Loges was reviewed for Room for Romance by Raz Murray
Walking into Cour des Loges feels rather like entering a medieval Florentine villa. A glass atrium canopies the lobby, surrounded by soaring arched balconies and interior courtyards. Bold colours, contemporary artworks and giant candlesticks add touches of audacious confidence, setting off the time-worn stone and ancient surrounds to perfection. It's a stunner.
Rooms at Cour des Loges are seductive and theatrical; and how. Opulent schemes combine velvets, silks, damasks and linens; antiques, tapestries and objets d’art juxtapose modern furniture and art. Colours major on chic slate grey, taupe and terracotta. Bathrooms, designed by Starck, boast double baths, jacuzzis, and power showers. All feel private. Superior Italienne rooms will tick all the boxes, while the Piazzetta suite, with its podium bed, provides yet more visual drama.
Hit the spot
In the heart of Lyon's medieval Vieille Ville.
Bedtime
Silks, velvets and damasks – not to mention bathtubs for two – made bedtime theatrically seductive.
Be savvy
Leave your car at home – parking is a headache.
Be smitten
Renaissance mansion packed with Wow factor.
Private roof gardens
Our opulent bed with giant pillows and a crushed velvet throw had wicked intentions writ large across it. Pearl-white bedlinen, a hand-frescoed headboard and intimate lighting set the tone, while views over the private fourth floor roof gardens, basking in the spring sunshine, were an added plus. Our similarly lavish bathroom sported a huge double bath with the loo artfully tucked away behind a mirror.
This is France’s gastronomic capital, and cooking at the Cour des Loges deeply smart Café Epicerie not surprisingly dazzles. Eclectic menus feature grilled Brittany lobster tail with Japanese red shiso cress; saddle of rabbit with beetroot; scallops with poached rhubarb. Expect terrific breakfasts, too: we were taken with the spread of springy freshly-baked breads and cured ham to carve off the bone.
Outside, Lyon buzzes. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage site so culture vultures have rich pickings. Here in Vieux Lyons, you're surrounded by the winding alleys, cobbled courtyards and towers of a medieval gem. River walks and markets are not far away.
Having succumbed to a night in on the day we arrived, we were happy to plot a night out over cocktails in the darkly intimate bar next day. The very savvy concierge was more than helpful. So much, in fact, that we decided that to do this place justice, we'd need to stay an extra night.
Cour des Loges was reviewed for Room for Romance by Raz Murray
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Dining in
Indulge in award-winning chef Anthony Bonnet’s exceptional cooking and seasonal specialities, in an awesome Renaissance setting created from four of the finest medieval houses in old Lyon. The food is an exciting blend of the traditional and imaginative.
Dining out
Dining out is easy, if you can drag yourself away from the superb surroundings at the hotel. There are a huge amount of restaurants and cafés just outside your door; not forgetting the famous Paul Bocuse.
Where?
You have a choice of two restaurants, Café-Epicerie and Les Loges.
What’s cooking?
Seasonal and imaginative food in a gorgeous setting.
Dress the part
You'll want to match your sleek and chic surroundings.
Top table?
Near the toasty fireplace in winter
See & Do
Lyon's old town is a gem of medieval walkways, Renaissance mansions and quaint courtyards – no wonder it has been selected as a World Heritage site. Take a walk around (be sure to climb up to the hilltop cathedral and take in the city-wide views) or get on the water with a cruise on the Rhône.
Sauna
Take a dip in the sauna and relax after a hard day's holidaying, or let off steam in the swimming pool.
Shop
You'll find everything here from big-name stores to arty backstreet galleries. Be sure to browse in the old markets along the riverbank.
After dark
After a hard day's exploring, unwind with a local vintage in one of the old town's wine cellars.
Dates
December:
Shops and homes light up with candles for the city's four-day Festival of Light.
September
Fight for tickets to see one of the shows at the Biennale de la Danse, held every two years.
Indulge in award-winning chef Anthony Bonnet’s exceptional cooking and seasonal specialities, in an awesome Renaissance setting created from four of the finest medieval houses in old Lyon. The food is an exciting blend of the traditional and imaginative.
Dining out
Dining out is easy, if you can drag yourself away from the superb surroundings at the hotel. There are a huge amount of restaurants and cafés just outside your door; not forgetting the famous Paul Bocuse.
Where?
You have a choice of two restaurants, Café-Epicerie and Les Loges.
What’s cooking?
Seasonal and imaginative food in a gorgeous setting.
Dress the part
You'll want to match your sleek and chic surroundings.
Top table?
Near the toasty fireplace in winter
See & Do
Lyon's old town is a gem of medieval walkways, Renaissance mansions and quaint courtyards – no wonder it has been selected as a World Heritage site. Take a walk around (be sure to climb up to the hilltop cathedral and take in the city-wide views) or get on the water with a cruise on the Rhône.
Sauna
Take a dip in the sauna and relax after a hard day's holidaying, or let off steam in the swimming pool.
Shop
You'll find everything here from big-name stores to arty backstreet galleries. Be sure to browse in the old markets along the riverbank.
After dark
After a hard day's exploring, unwind with a local vintage in one of the old town's wine cellars.
Dates
December:
Shops and homes light up with candles for the city's four-day Festival of Light.
September
Fight for tickets to see one of the shows at the Biennale de la Danse, held every two years.
GETTING THERE
Location
Rue de Bouef, 69005 Lyon
Parking
There's no free guest parking, and car access is restricted in the old town. It's best to arrive by train or plane.
Trains
Lyon TGV station – 4km
Taxis
EUR 10 from the TGV station
Airport
Lyon – 28km
Rooms and suites
52 rooms, ten suites
Special features
Seductive rooms come with all the comforts you'll need.
Also…
Lost your rubber duck? Underwater lighting in the bath will help you find it!
ESSENTIAL INFO
Rates guide
EUR 250 - 600
Open/closed
Open all year round
Check-in
3pm
Check-out
12 midday
Minimum night stay?
No
Breakfast
Served until 11am weekdays and till 12 noon on Sundays.
Room service
Yes – 24 hours
Children
Free if they are under four years old
Pets
Welcome
Air conditioning
Yes
Languages
French, English, Spanish, Italian
Wedding license?
No
Your contact
Jocelyne Sibuet – general manager
Location
Rue de Bouef, 69005 Lyon
Parking
There's no free guest parking, and car access is restricted in the old town. It's best to arrive by train or plane.
Trains
Lyon TGV station – 4km
Taxis
EUR 10 from the TGV station
Airport
Lyon – 28km
Rooms and suites
52 rooms, ten suites
Special features
Seductive rooms come with all the comforts you'll need.
Also…
Lost your rubber duck? Underwater lighting in the bath will help you find it!
ESSENTIAL INFO
Rates guide
EUR 250 - 600
Open/closed
Open all year round
Check-in
3pm
Check-out
12 midday
Minimum night stay?
No
Breakfast
Served until 11am weekdays and till 12 noon on Sundays.
Room service
Yes – 24 hours
Children
Free if they are under four years old
Pets
Welcome
Air conditioning
Yes
Languages
French, English, Spanish, Italian
Wedding license?
No
Your contact
Jocelyne Sibuet – general manager
