LONDON—InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has signed the InterContinental Lyon Hotel Dieu in Lyon, France. The hotel will operate under a management agreement with Crédit Agricole Assurances and will be developed by Eiffage.
The 143-room property is the fifth InterContinental hotel in the country, joining InterContinental Paris – Le Grand; InterContinental Paris – Avenue Marceau; InterContinental Marseille Hotel Dieu; and InterContinental Carlton Cannes.
Located right on the bank of the river Rhône, the property is being converted from Lyon’s former Hôtel Dieu, one of the oldest hospitals in France, famed for its architectural beauty, according to the brand. It forms part of a listed group of buildings that dates back to the 17th century, close to Place Bellecour in the very heart of the city.
InterContinental Lyon Hotel Dieu and the adjoining conference center are part of a multipurpose development project named Grand Hôtel Dieu, an area in Lyon’s city centre featuring shops, restaurants, offices, private apartments and the neighbouring Cité de la Gastronomie.
Set to open in fall 2018, the hotel will include 24 junior suites, one Presidential Suite and 118 deluxe and superior rooms. It will feature a Club InterContinental lounge; multiple restaurants with access to a terrace from the main restaurant; a lounge bar; two meeting rooms and a nearly 1,100-sq.-ft. fitness center. The connected, nearly 27,000-sq.-ft. conference center will include nine meeting rooms with ample pre-meeting space, as well as a lounge and a 5,400-sq.-ft. ballroom.
“We’re thrilled to be expanding our InterContinental brand in France and cementing our leading position in the international hotel market,” said Willemijn Geels, associate VP of development, Northern and Eastern Europe, IHG. “InterContinental Hotels & Resorts is truly an iconic hallmark of luxury, and this hotel will be an exceptional addition to our European portfolio.”
Globally, IHG operates 179 InterContinental hotels and resorts, with 51 hotels due to open in the next three to five years. IHG already operates 55 hotels in France, with seven hotels in the pipeline.