October 2023
Copenhagen was our intended destination for a fall 2023 holiday, but by the time we got around to making arrangements, flights to that city were very full. For whatever reason, flights to Paris, which are, happily, direct from Minneapolis, had a little more breathing room. We decided to spend the latter part of our holiday in France’s capitol but wanted to visit a new place as well. Lyon is a favorite of some of our friends – the “best city in France” they’ve claimed – and we had only passed through, so we decided to spend the first part of our fall vacation there. From Paris, a two-hour TGV train got us to Lyon, and a 15-minute taxi ride took us to the top of Fourvière Hill and to Villa Maïa.
“Just the hotel Lyon needed”
When we’re choosing a hotel, we typically start with a few go-to sources: The (London) Telegraph, Forbes, The New York Times. A 2017 article in Forbes written a few months after Villa Maïa opened, called it “just the hotel Lyon needed” – a “refreshingly contemporary hotel” in a UNESCO-designated historic city. We tend to prefer modern design, and the pictures showed stunning views of the city from the hotel’s hilltop locale. What’s more, we knew our Paris hotel would be intimate and cozy, so the idea of a light-filled, airy property in Lyon seemed to be a nice contrast.
Upon arrival in the early afternoon, we were greeted by Julien, one of two fabulous concierges who had worked with us prior to our arrival (more on this team below). Our room wasn’t quite ready, so Julien gave us an orientation to Fourvière Hill and sent us to see a few sites and grab a cocktail at Bulle, a bar with a lovely view next to Basilica Notre Dame de Fourvière. When we returned, our bags had already been delivered to our room, and we were introduced to the hotel’s amenities – a breakfast room, library, bar, spa and gym – before being brought to our home for the next four nights, a city-view room on the second floor.
Two floors up, but on top of the city
Upon entering our room, we were both drawn to the balcony and the view of Lyon. A wall of glass separated the room from the balcony, so the balcony truly felt like an extension of the room. And because October had been extraordinarily warm, the balcony was a lovely place to be at all times of day and night. Inside, the spacious, light-filled room was decorated in neutral tones with splashes of color to add some fun. All in all, the room had a minimalist approach to design, which we always appreciate. The exception was the desk/storage unit opposite the bed, the surface of which was nearly covered with a coffee maker and kettle, mugs and espresso cups, glasses and bottles of water (re-filled whenever needed), and hotel information. We used all of these things and appreciated them, but ideally, it would have been nice to have a place to hide them away and de-clutter that part of the room. Generally speaking, though, there was plenty of storage, and we were able to fully unpack and stow our suitcases out of view, which we always appreciate.
The lovely Carrara marble bathroom had a deep soaking tub with a window out to the bedroom, a large shower with a built-in bench, and a separate closet with a Japanese toilet that doubled as a bidet. Fluffy robes and towels, custom bath products and under-sink storage for our own toiletries made the bathroom feel luxurious.
Inviting us out of our room
Some of the best spaces in our favorite hotels are the common spaces, and at Villa Maïa, we found lots of spots to linger: a bar with its own balcony, a library overlooking a lovely garden, a breakfast room with outdoor tables for warm days, and a spa reminiscent of a Roman bath (Fourvière Hill was once a Roman city, and ruins of a theatre, an aqueduct and a bath feature prominently).
On one afternoon, we had the pleasure of being the only guests in the spa and relished having the pool, the hot tub and the steam room (hammam) to ourselves. Breakfast each morning was no less indulgent. French cheeses, croissants and pastries, fruits and yogurts, eggs made to order, wonderful coffee, and freshly squeezed apple juice fueled us for the day; we justified our consumption by noting that the climb up Fourvière Hill from Old Lyon (Vieux Lyon) was a workout, and by promising to take the funicular railway only going down.
An exceptional team
Even before we arrived, the Villa Maïa team went into action to ensure a top-notch visit. Julien and François, the hotel’s concierge duo, helped with train reservations and several bookings at Lyon restaurants (Lyon is recognized as a center of French gastronomy). All of these were outlined on a printed itinerary left in our room. During our stay, the two were always available and helped us tailor our visit to the things we really enjoy. And while the concierge team was terrific, the services didn’t stop with Julien and François. Without exception, everyone we encountered at Villa Maïa was top-notch: from the front desk team (at all hours) and the housekeeping staff to the bar and breakfast staff.
A property that invites a big exhale
Lyon is a bustling city with lots to see and do and, like all cities, can seem frenetic, particularly on lovely fall days when the city happens to be hosting the World Cup of Rugby, and tourists are everywhere. We love that kind of energy but also love having a place to unwind a bit and take a breath. For us, Villa Maïa was just the place. We started each day looking out over a serene garden and ended it, from the calm of our balcony, watching the city very slowly go to sleep. We are already talking about our next visit to Lyon – perhaps coupled with a trip back to the Piemonte region in Italy – and Villa Maïa will certainly be part of that visit.
Stay details:
- Villa Maïa, Lyon, France, Fourvière Hill
- 4-night stay: October 5-10, 2023
- City-view room
What we did, where we ate:
- Drink and snacks at Bulle — great view over Lyon
- Dinner at Bistrot Têtedoie, Villa Maïa
- Dinner at Daniel & Denise St. Jean — classic Lyonnaise bouchon
- Dinner at L’Établi (5 desserts!)
- Musée d’art contemporain de Lyon — “Treasures of the Museum” tour
- Dinner at Restaurant Paul Bocuse
- Exploring traboules in Old Lyon
- Musée des Beaux-Arts de Lyon
- Roman ruins of Fourvière Hill
- Parc de la Tête d’Or
- …and, of course, Lyon’s funicular railways!
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