MOB HOTEL LYON CONFLUENCE

It makes sense that a “Hotel of the People” would go where the people are. The sequel to the hip, youthful Mob Hotel in Paris thus finds itself in Lyon, the second largest urban area in France. The setting is the newly redeveloped Confluence, the waterfront district where the Saône and Rhône rivers come together. Which is a fitting metaphor — the Mob Hotel’s proprietor, hotel impresario Cyril Aouizerate, intends this to be a place where people, travelers and locals alike, similarly come together.

The building’s distinctive contemporary silhouette is a hint that the hotel within is an unusual one, but it’s more than a matter of design. Aouizerate has spent years discovering what makes a hotel an appealing place to be, and this is the result of his study; there’s more to do here than sleep, to say the least. You’ll find yoga classes, live music, pop-up shops, and all manner of one-off events, in addition to the perennial charms of the hotel’s Mediterranean restaurant and its lively lounge and riverfront terrace.

Not to be overlooked are the rooms, which are thriftily decorated but don’t feel bare — raw concrete and blonde wood contribute visual texture, and some strategic pops of color bring the décor to life. They’re by no means enormous, but that’s not the point — for the Mob’s guests, they hit all the right notes.