The legendary Carlton Lyon is reopening its doors as an MGallery Collection hotel after a 10-month revamp. This imposing Haussmann building in a class of its own treats its guests to an artistic and elegant atmosphere. The cocktails and amenities created especially for women, the wrought-iron banisters and the hallmark red are only a few of the features. Welcome to a new MGallery flagship.
The Carlton is a nestled in Lyon’s Presqu'île, and has grown into a legend. It was built in 1894, had been in business since 1925, and needed a serious facelift. The majestic stone façade is quintessentially Haussmann and bears witness to this building’s rich history. The hallmark class that the 19th-century dome, balconies and wrought iron radiate invariably delights passers-by. It is a downtown cocoon, and simply enthralling. It took 10 months to bring back its full splendor, and it is in an enviable location near Lyon’s many landmarks including the Opéra, Saint-Jean Cathedral and Musée des Beaux Arts.
Tantalizing the emotions
The majestic staircase envelops the mythical 1930 Roux-Combaluzier elevator, which is made entirely of wood and wrought iron. The retro décor in the lobby, bar, corridors and rooms intertwines distinctly classical atmospheres and an up-to-the minute feel. The most coveted of the 80 rooms are the 4 Rotonde junior suites, featuring round sitting rooms and splendid views over the well-known Place de la République. The rooms have been renamed to pay tribute to the celebrities who have stayed there–and still stay there. Patrick Chesnais, it is said, enjoys rehearsing his lines in room 322, which is now named after him. Art, in other words, is everywhere in this MGallery Collection hotel, which inter alia also features period stained-glass windows, blue marble and wallpaper created especially to capture the 1920 period spirit. The interior design is distinctly reminiscent of a theatre, and the ubiquitous red–the hotel’s hallmark–is an open door to travel and tantalizes the emotions.
Amenities for women
The MGallery team created a line of amenities specifically for women customers when this hotel reopened in March 2013. The essentials they often forget at home–day cream, masks, pantyhose and dressing gowns–are there waiting for them in their room. The bar menu is also brimming with treats for women, including a generous choice of light, vitamin-packed cocktails to tone up their complexion. The favorite cocktail at the Carlton is made with champagne and Alain Millat nectars. This hotel also has a nail bar where women can relax and pamper themselves, and where the Carlton-branded red nail varnish is a weapon of seduction.
Guest book
The jazz playing in the champagne bar in the evening, the furniture radiating 1920s charm and the Art Deco moldings put this hotel in a league of its own. Its soul, cozy feel and welcome with a personal touch rank the MGallery Carlton Lyon as the Collection’s new flagship in France. The Guest Book in the middle of the lobby is an additional attraction: inquisitive guests will enjoy skimming through it for celebrities’ signatures, because this hotel is – now more than ever before – the hotel where the undying prefer to sojourn.
Source: Accor
