This is where we got really lucky. (Get your mind out of the gutter!) With our uncertain, standby travel plans to Lyon we didn't make Hotel reservations until the last minute and had to book different hotels for each night. Given how much time could be eaten up out of our 3 day trip just changing hotels, we really didn't like the idea.

We also didn't know where our hotel was in relation to the scenic part of town. When we got to the city center, we got some rough direction and, armed with a map, went off through the city with bags in tow to find the first nights room. When we found the dark, narrow, scary alley the hotel was on my wife and I both had serious second thoughts about staying there, but there was no where else to go. Once we got into the small hotel, we saw it was clean, nicely decorated and had such friendly, helpful staff that we asked if anything had opened up for our second night. Luckly it had, and the front desk person helped us cancel our reservation for the second night at the other hotel.

We had no idea how perfectly situated this hotel was! It was right next to a foot bridge that led across the Soane river right into the heart of the old town with a view on the Basilica Fourviere on the hill above it. The next morning we woke up and found, just across the street and completely unexpected, the best farmers market we had ever seen in our lives. We bought a box of enormous ripe raspberries and plates of fresh picked plums and apricots and some home-made croisants and cheese for our breakfast (and midnight snack) for just a few francs.

The room? It was small, clean, dark and reasonably comfortable. But really, how much time are you going to spend in your room? The location was perfect, the staff very friendly, professional and helpful and the price, at under $50 a night for two, was right. We have stayed there on every trip to Lyon.