Tag: Accommodation Page 7 of 9
A posh residency in Caluire center, 30 minutes from Lyon center by bus and subway. That’s where we took refuge from the Garden City mess.
We arrived on a Sunday at 15h29. Booking.com told us the checkin was from 15h to 18h, but while en route to this center, we received a call from an employee who told us that on sundays it was actually only until 15h30. When we arrived, he said he couldn’t wait 5 minutes as he had “an important appointment “, so he could not do the checkin and we would have to come back the next day for that. He gave us the key, the list of penalties if we forgot to clean and empty the dishwasher, the kitchen top,… before checking out before 11am, and the directions, and off he went. Anyway, we found our house easily enough and settled in. Not for long though. We never saw an accommodation so dirty. In the kitchen, one of the light switch, greasy with yellow who knows what, fell off when turned on. The dishwasher was not emptied. The bottom of the kitchen unit actually fell off when we opened one unit. The ventilation fan was so full of dust you really did not want to turn it on. The house was very bare, despite its size (2 bedrooms with an empty room upstairs). There was no oven, no washing machine, a very small TV on a cheap TV stand, a small sofa, a few chairs around a table. In the bathroom, the shower was in a bathtub, protected by a curtain much too small. There was only 1 bed table for each (double) bed, with a non functional nightlight in each. The bed sheets smelled of something strong, like too much perspiration washed too often (though you get used to it). The walls had stains in various places. There was very poor sound proofing, so you could here anyone passing by. Obviously there is absolutely no decoration that could give some life and charm to the rooms, it feels empty, cheap, and that’s it. All of that for the price of a good hotel room, in a location far from Lyon or any facilities. We checked out the next day rather than staying the whole week. The receptionist never asked why.
One of the biggest advantage to be at the yacht hotel is that you’re on your boat but you still enjoy a breakfast service… and what a breakfast ! I thought that after Double tree centraal Amsterdam – Breakfast I’d seen the best, but here i think it is even better, perhaps less international and more german… but with totally new stuff never seen at a breakfast buffet before !!! let’s have a look :
Here eggs have faces !
The worst is that i can’t escape, i’m trapped…. 😢….. The stairs are too high 😭
A way of changing a night at the hotel in a totally new experience… sleeping on a yacht !!!
So let’s have a look at the place, she’s a 14 metre luxury Motoryacht, her name is the Lady Octopus and she have a unique lake view in the middle of the harbour. She offer a maritime lifestyle on 2 storeys with her own sun deck with view over the historic harbour, a big sleeping room with windows and separated bath & shower and 2 another guest sleeping rooms with separated bath & shower. And you still have access to all the convenience of the hotel (breakfast, bar, spa, gym…).
In a few word the boat is extremely comfy and well placed in the harbour and we feel free from the hotel and you can still go to the spa or breakfast which is amazing! Perhaps the only thing that’s missing is the sailing part, i would have love to wake up on the middle of the lake and have breakfast in front of the mountain could have been nicer… But that was an amazing experience which make us think a lot l on our way of living and travelling… and perhaps open some dream for the future !
https://www.hotel-helvetia.com/en/yachts-events-and-conferences/our-yachts/motoryacht-lady-octopus/
The 3 bedrooms :
2 bathrooms
The living area
The only other disappointment is that it is a german-centric hotel. Instructions left in the yacht were only in german. It seemed to cater mostly to german population.
The first time i saw it in Berlin i thought it was a mistake but a second time, it can’t be. So One duvet per person, i see the point that’s kind of more democratic… but how the hell am i gonna keep my feet warm during the night ?!
I always take king or super king beddings for my queen sized bed, so I have plenty of duvet space to roll in and an access to my significant other for any kind of reheating lol
More info here.
