InterContinental® Lyon – Hotel Dieu is now officially signed: InterContinental Hotels & Resorts will be coming to France’s gastronomy capital by 2018.

The 143-room property will be the company’s 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.  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.

Since its glamorous foundation in 1946 by Juan Tripp, PanAmerican Airlines’ charismatic CEO, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts has grown to encompass 179 hotels, in more than 150 global cities. 

A short history of this hotel brand and its famous guests:

Disclaimer: I worked on the brand and am incredibly passionate about its identity – I also work for IHG, InterContinental Hotels & Resorts’ parent company.

Photos: artist impressions from Eiffage Construction, the project’s promoteur – more about the rest of the project of the dedicated website