Saint-Etienne Vacations from ￥210,268

Difficult to find. Must walk through homeless encampment to get there

MOB Hotel Lyon Confluence was a great value and a convenient place to stay during our time in Lyon. The location worked especially well for us—it’s right next to the art museum and about a 10-minute walk from the Confluence shopping center, with restaurants, shopping, and other amenities nearby. The rooms are small, which is fairly typical for Lyon, but ours had a balcony with a delightful view of the river that made the room feel much more special. It was lovely to step outside and enjoy the view. We also appreciated having the bar downstairs. It was especially convenient for a late-night drink after the hotel restaurant had closed and gave us a nice place to relax at the end of the day. Most importantly, the staff were consistently friendly, helpful, and accommodating throughout our stay. If you’re looking for an affordable hotel in the Confluence area with a good location, friendly service, and lovely river views, MOB Hotel is an excellent value.

Regarding the location, it is by a train station but note that it is far away from the main train station “Lyon Part Dieu”. Also note that the train station it is by is under construction, so be prepared to hear banging and machinery at work around 7:00 each morning if your room faces the street. Also there is a large homeless encampment right beside the hotel and the train station. Despite this I felt safe and there were no concerns of belligerent people. Reception was friendly and even though the air conditioning was broken the first night of my stay, they provided a standalone fan for my room and gave me a partial refund on that night’s rate after I requested such. The room itself was small but adequate. There were several black marks on the walls which were unsightly (looked almost like squished bugs). The door on the shower was misaligned so water would spill out onto the bathroom floor each time I used it. The wifi speed was fast and useful for streaming videos. Overall there are several aspects that could be improved but this was a serviceable room for my trip.