HO36 hostel review - Lyon, France

HO36 is the latest addition to Lyon’s riverside neighbourhood Guillotière, where art galleries and trendy bars rub shoulders with Chinese takeaways and African hairdressers. A destination in its own right, the hostel is a lively go-to spot for locals popping in for a glass of wine in the evenings, as well as for travellers who have come to revel in the delights of France’s third biggest city and official culinary capital.

Art director Johann Milani, co-founder of local co-working outfit Sofffa, and architect Alexandra Malgrain have revamped the former hotel to include 12 private rooms, 60 dorm beds and a ‘penthouse’ apartment. Exposed brick or slate walls are the perfect background for petrol blue undertones, wood tables, benches and a mishmash of items thrown together with fifties Danish-style chairs and colourful rugs.

You won’t find televisions or mini-bars here in the aim to encourage guests to mingle in the shared spaces which will host exhibitions by resident artists. But that doesn’t mean they’ve scrimped on the rooms: the bunk beds are tailor-made out of solid wood and attractive pristine bathrooms are stocked with eco-friendly amenities.