Hôtel & Spa Le Pavillon ★★★★★

I am thrilled to be returning to Lyon at long last and even more so as this time I will be introducing my partner to the city’s bewitching charms. I am confident he will fall as head over heels as I did when I first visited as a child all those many years ago. I still recall how my eyes lit up on seeing the city lit with lanterns on the 8th of December and how I eagerly explored the fascinating ruins of the Roman Theatre, the oldest in France. How I marvelled at the winding streets, the quirky quaint buildings and majestic churches, their spires twisting up to touch the sky. I didn't know then that I was in the capital of gastronomy but I remember the mouth-watering smells of a little restaurant on a hill with the glass all steamed up and how I ate my moules-frites with great enthusiasm. In all these years I never forgot every enchanting detail of that first encounter in Lyon and every time I have been back, I have left again more in love than ever.

Lyon has many wonderful green spaces and parks and set a little way from the heart of the city is the stunning Parc de Lacroix-Laval with its four hectares of woods, lakes and rolling hills. It is nestled right here that we find the five-star hotel, Hôtel & Spa Le Pavillon, our not-so-humble abode during our sojourn. On arriving we take a turn down a wooded drive and see its elegant Art Deco façade rise up before us and already I have a very good feeling about this. On entering we discover the bright and breezy contemporary touch that brings the design to life with soft shades of white and clean lines that breathe comfort and sophistication. A very down-to-earth and friendly welcome is the final detail to make this majestic establishment truly embracing and it is with that happy glow of feeling right at home that we reach our room.

This turns out to be more of a royal suite as its 55 square meters of sumptuously decorated space reveal to us a regal bed and vast windows with a view of the leafy trees outside. The furnishings are rich and classical with a modern twist and the key word is luxury. We also have a coffee machine to start the day in true French style as we lean out on our private balcony and breathe in the clean air all around us. A quick inspection of the bathroom reveals a generous bathtub with shower and divinely scented products, which turn out to be the same as used in the hotel's spa. This gives us an idea...

We've decided to try the hotel's very own award-winning restaurant for supper but it is still too early so we agree without hesitation that we should discover the sauna and pool before eating. Not just a sauna, but a hammam and bubbling hot tub grace the airy room with its marble pillars and floor to ceiling windows. The light glistens on the pool, which is permanently heated to a tepid 29 degrees, making it ideal to swim in all year round. There is a beauty parlour with a wide range of treatments and a state-of-the-art gym. I feel healthy just standing here and once we have finished, we are both positively glowing and serenely relaxed.

It is only left for us to nip to our room, change and descend downstairs to have an aperitif by the crackling fire in the bar before going through to the dining room for an exquisite meal. Every dish is a work of art, and only the temptation of extraordinary flavours compels me to ruin them with my knife and fork. After the truly indulgent spa experience, sips of delicious wine and forkfuls of flavoursome cuisine, we find ourselves dizzy with decadence. In this state of rapture we wandered through the ancient, majestic city, stole a kiss under its arches, lit a candle in the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière, and danced on a boat on the river under the glistening night sky. All this and more is in store in the scenic city of Lyon, and by the time we return to Hôtel & Spa Le Pavillon, we are irreversibly wooed by the charming ambience of the city.