Luxury Lyon Escape: Cour des Loges Radisson Collection Hotel Awaits
Luxury Lyon Escape: Cour des Loges Radisson Collection - My Messy, Wonderful Tango with History and…Sanitizer
Okay, let's be honest. I'm writing this from a slightly rumpled bed, post-spa bliss (and maybe a cheeky glass of local wine), trying to untangle my Lyon experience at the Cour des Loges Radisson Collection. It’s been a whirlwind, a delightful chaos of cobblestone streets, Michelin-starred meals, and the constant, reassuring hum of luxury. This isn't going to be your typical, polished review. This is me, spilling my guts (and hopefully inspiring you to book now).
First Impressions (and My Initial Panic About the Elevator):
Arriving? Stunning. This isn't just a hotel, it's a medieval maze of courtyards and hidden staircases, a time capsule wrapped in velvet and modern chic. The Radisson Collection has nailed the "historic building meets contemporary comfort" brief. But…that elevator. (I'm getting ahead of myself, I know, I'll come back to it).
Accessibility: The Ups and Downs (Literally):
Okay, here's where the cracks started appearing, slightly. The website promised accessibility, but navigating those ancient, uneven cobblestone streets outside? Not a joyride for anyone requiring a wheelchair or assistance. And the elevator… well, let's just say it was small. VERY small. I felt like I was crammed into a phone booth with a few bewildered luggage pieces. The staff, bless their hearts, were incredibly helpful, always willing to reroute me and offer assistance, but the historical architecture inevitably presented limitations. They definitely made the effort, though. (C+ for accessibility, but A+ for the team's sheer will to help).
Things to Do: Relaxing, Pampering, And Trying to Remember Where You Parked:
Ah, the "relaxing" part. The Spa? Divine. Seriously. The sauna, steamroom, and that pool with a view (oh, the view!)… pure, unadulterated zen. I spent a solid afternoon there, alternating between hot (sauna), cold (pool), and completely relaxed. I also indulged in a body scrub that left me feeling like a perfectly polished (and slightly sandy) statue.
The Fitness center and gym/fitness had all the usual suspects, but honestly? After the spa, I was too busy enjoying the lingering scent of eucalyptus to even think about a treadmill. Now, the Pool with view… that was something else. Floating in that water, gazing out at the Lyon skyline, the sun warming my skin… Forget everything, just go there.
Cleanliness and Safety: The Sanitizer and the Smiling Faces:
Post-pandemic, safety is everything, right? And Cour des Loges took it seriously. Anti-viral cleaning products, professional-grade sanitizing services, and hand sanitizer stations everywhere. They even had individually-wrapped food options at the buffet. I was impressed. There was a real sense of well-being about it all. They also had Staff trained in safety protocol and Sanitized kitchen and tableware items. The staff were also vigilant about Physical distancing of at least 1 meter. The staff even had the Safe dining setup and the were always keeping Rooms sanitized between stays.
I was also pleased to see they had a Doctor/nurse on call and readily available First aid kit. The Sterilizing equipment was visible too.
Dining, Drinking, and Snacking: A Gastronomic Adventure (and a Near-Disaster with the Croissant):
Okay, the food. Oh, the food. Forget the diet, forget the calorie counting. Just indulge.
The restaurants are a culinary dream, with options ranging from the traditional to the (dare I say it?) avant-garde. I had a Western breakfast that was…well, French. (Basically, heaven with pastries). I indulged in the Buffet in restaurant and the A la carte in restaurant. I had the occasional Salad in restaurant, and a delicious Soup in restaurant. The Asian cuisine in restaurant was tempting, but I was trying to stick to the local flavors. The Coffee/tea in restaurant was divine! There was a fantastic Poolside bar, the only thing more satisfying than the expertly crafted cocktails was the Bottle of water they provided.
The Room service [24-hour], was a lifesaver after a late night. The Coffee shop was a perfect place to grab a quick caffeine dose. The Desserts in restaurant were also to die for! I also enjoyed some Happy hour drink and a few snacks at the Snack bar.
A Warning (of sorts): One morning, fueled by sleep deprivation and over-enthusiasm, I grabbed a croissant at the Breakfast [buffet]. It was… legendary. Flaky, buttery perfection. I took one, then another, then… I almost didn't make it to the spa. I nearly ate myself into a coma. My advice? Pace yourself. Or don't. (I certainly didn't).
Services and Conveniences: The Little Things That Make a Big Difference (and the Elevator, Again):
The Concierge was a lifesaver, booking restaurants, giving directions (which I needed) and generally making my life easier. The Daily housekeeping was impeccable. The Laundry service was also a welcome treat.
The Luggage storage came in handy after checkout. The Parking [on-site] was available. They have Car power charging station if you need them. They also offer the Airport transfer.
But then… the elevator. They had an Elevator! Hurray! (but still small, it was an Elevator). It's a minor quibble, but after a few trips, I started plotting my escape strategy should it get stuck. (It didn’t, thankfully). The Invoice provided, Doorman, and Safety deposit boxes… all those little details you appreciate.
Rooms: My Cozy Hideaway (and the Curse of the Blackout Curtains):
My room was a dream. Air conditioning, Air conditioning in public area, Alarm clock, Bathrobes, Complimentary tea, Daily housekeeping, Desk, Extra long bed, Free bottled water, Hair dryer, High floor, In-room safe box, Internet access – wireless. The Internet access [LAN] was available. The Internet access – wireless was perfectly available. I also have a Mirror with an Non-smoking room. On-demand movies were accessible, Private bathroom, Reading light, Refrigerator, Safety/security feature, Satellite/cable channels, Scale, Seating area, Separate shower/bathtub, Shower, Slippers, Smoke detector, Socket near the bed, Sofa, Soundproofing, Telephone, Toiletries, Towels, Umbrella, Visual alarm, Wake-up service, Wi-Fi [free], Window that opens.
The Bed was so comfortable I practically melted into it. I also was a big fan of the Bathtub and had an additional toilet to the room.
The only minor criticism? The Blackout curtains. They were too efficient. I woke up convinced it was still the middle of the night, several hours after the sun had risen. (Perhaps a small price to pay for luxurious sleep, right?). Available in all rooms: Additional toilet, Air conditioning, Alarm clock, Bathrobes, Bathroom phone, Bathtub, Blackout curtains, Carpeting, Closet, Coffee/tea maker, Complimentary tea, Daily housekeeping, Desk, Extra long bed, Free bottled water, Hair dryer, High floor, In-room safe box, Interconnecting room(s) available, Internet access – LAN, Internet access – wireless, Ironing facilities, Laptop workspace, Linens, Mini bar, Mirror, Non-smoking, On-demand movies, Private bathroom, Reading light, Refrigerator, Safety/security feature, Satellite/cable channels, Scale, Seating area, Separate shower/bathtub, Shower, Slippers, Smoke detector, Socket near the bed, Sofa, Soundproofing, Telephone, Toiletries, Towels, Umbrella, Visual alarm, Wake-up service, Wi-Fi [free], Window that opens.
For the Kids and Family: The hotel is fairly Family/child friendly because of the Babysitting service.
Getting Around: The hotel has Car park [free of charge], Taxi service, and Valet parking. There is a Car power charging station.
Services and Conveniences: The hotel offers Cash withdrawal, Concierge, Contactless check-in/out, Currency exchange, Daily housekeeping, Doorman, Dry cleaning, Elevator, Essential condiments, Facilities for disabled guests, Food delivery, Gift/souvenir shop, **Indoor venue for
Escape to Linyi's Hidden Gem: GreenTree Inn Awaits!
Okay, buckle up buttercup, because we're about to dive headfirst into a Lyon adventure. Forget your perfectly polished itineraries, because this is gonna be more "napkin scribbles and frantic Googling at 3 AM" than a meticulously crafted masterpiece. Buckle up, because here we go…
The Cour des Loges, Radisson Collection Lyon: An Itinerary (That Might Actually Happen)
Day 1: Arrival & Instant Gratification (aka, Cheese and Wine)
- 10:00 AM: Arrive in Lyon. Ugh, the airport. Why do you always feel like you're wading through a swamp just to get your baggage? Grab a taxi. Pray to the travel gods the driver isn't one of those people who insists on blasting his own questionable music choices.
- 11:00 AM: Check into the Cour des Loges. The pictures promised Renaissance grandeur, hopefully, it lives up to it. Pray it’s not too close to the street. I need quiet. Okay, initial impressions: Whoa. Literally, whoa. The courtyard alone is worth the price of a slightly-too-expensive cocktail. Marble, sunlight, history… I feel like a lady (until my phone inevitably buzzes with a spam email).
- 12:00 PM: Ditch the bags (they can fend for themselves). Locate that little "Bistrot" everyone's raving about, or whatever they call the restaurant in the hotel. I am STARVING from the flight. This is where the real test begins. Is it pretentious? Overpriced? Or just… good? (Hoping for the latter.)
- 1:00 PM: Lunch! It's gotta be the cheese and the wine. I’m in France, dammit! I envision myself, a sophisticated woman, effortlessly navigating the complex cheese board, matching each glorious bite with the perfect Beaujolais. (Reality check: I will probably point at things and hope for the best. And the wine? I'm sure it'll be red, and I'll drink it.)
- 3:00 PM: Attempt to walk off lunch. Seriously, that cheese was a revelation. Start exploring the Vieux Lyon (Old Lyon) district. Get pleasantly lost in the traboules. I heard there are secret passageways. Who doesn't love a secret passageway? (Unless it’s full of rats, in which case, I’m OUT.)
- 5:00 PM: Coffee break. Find a charming café. Order a café au lait. Pretend to read a book while surreptitiously people-watching. (This is a key travel skill, people.)
- 6:00 PM: Back to Cour des Loges for a pre-dinner nap. Flights are exhausting. I’ll be asleep before my head hits the pillow.
- 8:00 PM: Dinner. Back in the hotel. This time, dressed to impress. I’m wearing the one decent dress I packed. I might even wear heels. (Might regret that decision immediately. I always do.)
- 9:30 PM: Stumble back to the room, wine-drunk and blissfully content. Maybe order room service for a late-night snack. (Don't judge. Jet lag is a powerful force.)
Day 2: The Foodie Adventure (and Possible Meltdown)
- 8:00 AM: Wake up. Or rather, drag myself out of bed. Hotel breakfast. Pray for an omelet station. Pray, pray, pray. And proper coffee. Decent coffee is the foundation of a good day.
- 9:00 AM: Food market exploration! The "Halles Paul Bocuse" is calling. This should be heaven. Should. I'm a little worried that its going to be overwhelming. My anxiety levels are already rising, just thinking about the sheer volume of deliciousness. The promise of oysters, charcuterie, and enough cheese to make me weep is intoxicating.
- 10:00 AM: Halles Paul Bocuse. Okay, heart rate slightly elevated. The smells… the sights… the people… WOW. This is sensory overload in the best way possible. Sample everything. Buy all the things. Resist the urge to buy a whole entire wheel of cheese (probably).
- 12:00 PM: Lunch. Find a little place, probably in the Halles Paul Bocuse, to eat a proper Lyonnaise meal. Bouchon? (That's what they call the traditional restaurants, right?). The sausage should be fantastic. I heard the tripe is an acquired taste. Maybe I'll try it. Maybe I'll throw up. We'll see.
- 2:00 PM: A cooking class! A slightly terrifying prospect. I love to cook, but I am not a particularly skilled chef. Pretend I know what I'm doing. Chop vegetables. Make a sauce. Don't embarrass myself too much.
- A Cooking Class Anecdote: Right, the cooking class. This was, shall we say, an experience. I was paired with a very sophisticated woman who clearly took this all much more seriously than I did. While she was meticulously crafting a perfect sauce with a tiny whisk, I was accidentally using a spatula to make a face and she gave me the look a teacher gives a class clown. Then the wine. A lot of wine. Let’s just say my coq au vin (which, by the way, was surprisingly edible, even if it was a bit…rustic looking) was a masterpiece in a different style of cooking for an unrefined pallet.
- 5:00 PM: Post-cooking class recovery session. I need a chair, some water, and quiet. Is there a bar? Where's the bar?
- 6:00 PM: Return to the hotel. A shower. A long, hot shower. And maybe another pre-dinner nap.
- 8:00 PM: Dinner. Not sure where. Suggestions requested. I might just eat leftovers from the cooking class in my room. (Don’t judge.)
Day 3: Art, History, and… Departure (Sob)
9:00 AM: Breakfast. (See Day 2, but less overwhelmed this time.)
10:00 AM: Museums. I'm told Lyon has some good ones. I'll try. Really, I will. The Musée des Beaux-Arts is on the list. Hopefully, I won't get bored and wander off to find a chocolate shop (…again).
12:00 PM: Lunch. Finding a restaurant with a view. The views from Lyon are supposed to be stunning.
1:00 PM: More museum-going, or maybe a wander in the park by the Rhone. The park. Sounds relaxing. Probably a good idea.
3:00 PM: Panic shopping for gifts for everyone. (I am terrible at this.)
4:00 PM: Last-minute coffee and pastry. Savor the moment. This is the closest I'll get to being Parisian.
5:00 PM: Pack. (The worst part. Ever.) Stuff everything back into the suitcase. Wonder how I managed to acquire so much stuff in just three days.
6:00 PM: Last dinner. Something delicious. Something memorable. Something I'll be dreaming about on the flight home.
8:00 PM -: Departure. Tears will be shed. I’m not even kidding. Goodbye, Lyon. Until next time (hopefully!).
Post-Trip Notes:
- Did I actually stick to this schedule? Probably not. Did I have an amazing time? Absolutely.
- The Cour des Loges was perfect. Seriously, book it. The location, the ambiance, the… everything.
- My cooking skills are still questionable, but I did make a new friend.
- I’m already planning my return trip. That cheese…
Luxury Lyon Escape: Cour des Loges - The Radisson Collection (Or, My Brain Dump on a Weekend of Excess)
So, Cour des Loges - Is it *really* as fancy as it looks in the pictures? Or just Instagram fluff?
Okay, let's be honest. I went in expecting… well, *too* much. You know? The perfect lighting, the flawless people, the airbrushed reality. And sure, it's gorgeous. Seriously, jaw-droppingly gorgeous. Think "old-world charm meets modern luxury" and then multiply that by, like, a hundred. But… it's more than just pretty pictures.
My first impression? *Whoa.* Like, actually "whoa." The courtyard? Seriously, it's like stepping into a fairy tale. Cobblestones! Bougainvillea! Tables set just… *so.* I swear, I spent five minutes just wandering around, mouth agape, feeling like I’d accidentally stumbled onto a movie set. I even muttered, "This is where rich people *live*?" to myself, a little too loud, I suspect.
And the people? Actually… charming. I'm not sure if it was the copious amounts of rosé (more on that later), but the staff were genuinely friendly, not just the polished robot smiles I'd braced myself for. There was this one waiter, Antoine, who *clearly* knew my clumsy attempt to order in French was a disaster, but he just smiled and smoothly switched to perfect English. Saved a girl from utter embarrassment, he did.
The Rooms: Are they worth the price tag? Spill the tea! (or, you know, the wine)
Okay, the rooms. Let's talk rooms. This is where the "Luxury" part REALLY kicked in. My initial reaction? "Holy moly, this is bigger than my *apartment*!" Seriously, it was like a palace. I splurged a little (don't tell my bank account), and got a suite. Huge mistake... (Or, maybe a huge win? Still deciding.) The bed? Cloud-like perfection. Seriously, I think I might have actually *sunk* into it the first night. (I actually might have moaned a little with pleasure – don’t judge!).
The bathroom? Marble, marble, everywhere! The shower was… well, let’s just say I spent far too much time in there, pretending I was a Hollywood starlet. The amenities? Top-notch. Seriously, the shampoo smelled divine. It's also worth noting, a little piece of me died when I saw how much the minibar was. I wanted a tiny bottle of coke. Tiny! But, you know, that’s luxury, right? Everything is "slightly more."
The only downside? Okay, I have to admit, I got completely and utterly lost trying to find the bathroom one time, and ended up wandering around the suite in my (extremely luxurious) robe like a total lost puppy. It’s a *big* place. But yeah, worth it? Probably. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. Especially for the view of the courtyard from my window. Just… wow.
The Food! What about the food? Did you eat anything besides your tongue with all the "wow" moments?
Right. The food. Ah, the food. If heaven had a menu, this might be it. Okay, okay, maybe I'm exaggerating *a little*. But the breakfast buffet? Good lord. So much choice. Pancakes that were fluffier than my dog. Croissants that shattered into a million buttery flakes with every bite. Fresh fruit that actually tasted of *something*. Seriously, I ate enough to feed a small army. I felt a little ashamed, and I'm pretty sure I saw the wait staff subtly judging me, loading my plate sky-high again.
We had dinner at "Les Loges," the hotel's Michelin-starred restaurant. The *presentation* of the dishes was an art form in itself. I'm talking intricate garnishes, tiny little edible flowers, and sauces that looked like they'd been created by a team of scientists. My steak… oh my god, *that steak*! Perfectly cooked, melt-in-your-mouth, absolutely divine. I probably mumbled incoherent things like "oh my god" and "this is the best thing ever" with every bite. The sommelier was patient with my wine ignorance, and steered me to something truly amazing.
The only (tiny, insignificant) problem? My credit card screamed after dinner. But honestly? Worth it. Every. Single. Bite.
The Relaxation Factor: Did you actually relax? Or were you too busy taking Insta-perfect photos?
Okay, honesty time. The first few hours? Full-on Insta-mode. I’m not going to lie. I was *terrible*. Every corner, every perfectly arranged flower, every shimmering reflection in the courtyard fountain...had to be documented. I probably annoyed the hell out of everyone. Sorry, not sorry? (Mostly sorry.)
But then… something shifted. Maybe it was the ridiculously comfortable bed, maybe it was the fourth glass of rosé at lunch, maybe it was just the sheer, overwhelming *beauty* of the place. But I started to… relax. To actually *look* at things, and not just through the lens of my phone. The courtyard at night? Stunning. The gentle murmur of conversations, the soft glow of the lanterns… pure magic.
I even spent an hour in the spa. Actually *got* a massage! (Again, another "whoa" moment). The masseuse was amazing, and I almost fell asleep. I mean, I did a little, honestly. It was glorious. And by the time I left, I actually felt… refreshed. Actually relaxed. Mission accomplished, Cour des Loges. You got me.
Any Hidden Costs or Sneaky Surprises? The fine print, please!
Alright, the money stuff. Because let's face it – luxury comes with a price tag. The obvious costs? The rooms themselves, the food, the drinks (that damn minibar!). But here's a few things to keep in mind.
**Hidden cost #1: The guilt.** Yea, you feel a little bit guilty. You're surrounded by luxury while knowing the world isn't, so you might feel a bit of the "am I worthy of this?" and the "who am I to be drinking champagne when..." type of thoughts. Prepare yourself. It went away for brief moments but still. It's a real thing.
**Hidden cost #2: Location, and taxis.** Cour des Loges is in the heart of Vieux Lyon, which is beautiful, but taxis add up if you're not an Uber-ing pro.
**Hidden cost #3: The "I want to stay forever" feeling.** You will not want to leave. Seriously. The longer you stay, the harder it is to return to reality. My return flight from there felt like a betrayal.
Overall Impression? Would you go back? Give me a gut reaction!
Okay, final verdict. It's a resounding… YES! I was utterly charmed. Yeah, it's expensive. But it's a truly special experience. It's the kind of place where you feel pampered, spoiled, and utterly indulged. The little details,Escape to Paradise: Work & Play in Portugal's Hidden Gem!
