Villa Florentine

The most spectacular views in all of Lyon are to be had from the terraces and windows of the Villa Florentine. This seventeenth-century former convent is positioned at the heart of Vieux Lyon, at the highest point of the historic district, taking in the stunning vistas and Renaissance-era architecture of this scenic city.

The hotel, as the name rather literally implies, recalls a Florentine villa, constructed in an Italianate style; even the golden creams and pinks of the building’s exterior look like something from a master painting. Inside, though, it’s an homage to a different, more modern Italy.

Interiors are a remarkable blend; within each of the twenty-eight individually styled rooms of the old nunnery is a mix of stark Italian modernist furniture with Renaissance reproduction pieces and contemporary artworks. Some rooms have mezzanines or terraces, others hardwood floors and beamed ceilings, and many take advantage of the villa’s position for spectacular views.

The views, though, are typically not the main reason for visiting Lyon; this is France’s culinary center, and the food is often the primary attraction. The Villa Florentine’s restaurant, though, offers both. Les Terraces de Lyon is as sensibly named as the hotel itself, and is exactly what it claims to be — a Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant, occupying the convent’s dining room as well as the terrace outside, serving top-notch Lyonnais cuisine against the panorama of the city.