General Positioning:  

The Radisson Blu Lyon, is a four-star hotel that has a focus on the business market, but also aims to attract leisure visitors. This is because the hotel occupies the top 7 floors of the Tour Part-Dieu office building (also known as the Crayon Tower), that sits in the heart of the city overlooking the medieval area of Lyon with the Old Town and its historic sites 2kms away.

Lyon Saint Exupery international airport is 28km away but can be reached in less than 30 minutes by train shuttle from the station which is 300 meters away from the hotel, and in 35 minutes by car. Also 300 meters away is the TGV Part-Dieu station which links Lyon with Paris by direct train in 2hrs 15 minutes and many other French cities.

All facilities are positioned around a central atrium that extends from the lobby area on the 32nd floor to the highpoint at the 39th floor. As such the restaurant, bedrooms and meeting rooms all have panoramic views across the city and surrounding areas which creates a link between the city, it’s history and the hotel’s overall product. The main purpose of the venue is as an authentic venue for business meetings which is backed up by the Radisson Blu brand that has an overarching position that focusses on the meeting market.

The hotel has 11 flexible meeting rooms on the 31st floor, providing a total of 500 sq. meters. The largest, Les Lumieres can accommodate 230 theatre or140 cabaret style with the adjacent rooms able to provide breakout or catering space allowing a sense of exclusivity for larger meetings.

The Celest restaurant is located on the 32nd floor and the location for guest breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu includes national and international flavours but is not Michelin rated.

Guests have access to a Fitness Gym floor but there is no spa and no pool available.

The Lyon and Rhone region, is home to numerous healthcare and medical device companies, and the hotel is experienced in holding company meetings, medical seminars, symposia and conferences. Lyon is also a popular destination for healthcare congresses.

Sales and Marketing:

The Radisson Blu Lyon draws on its location and meetings facilities to attract both the leisure and meetings markets and are advertised equally in online platforms.

The hotels website uses the images of an external view of the city and building, the central Atrium and a modern bedroom suite on its home page but does not try to provide a luxury position. However, references to the views are constant and stated in descriptions of all facilities. Language such as ‘stunning’, ‘impressive’ and ‘superb’ are used to describe the views and there is no doubt that they will form an impression on guests but in our opinion, it does not reflect the substantial business positioning of the venue.

Sales and marketing collateral is in line with the Radisson Blu ‘Experience Meetings’ brand and is focussed on the detail for meeting organisers and does, show an image of the central atrium and references the views from the meeting and banqueting space, but does not reflect the business positioning of the hotel.

The hotels website carries videos and a picture gallery that offer an insight into the hotels offering Professionally presented, they offer a realistic reflection of the hotels business and meetings décor and facilities and do not suggest a more luxurious proposition and therefore, aligns to a business focused 4-star property appropriate for the healthcare meetings.

External leisure travel websites support the hotels 4-star rating and the perception of a leisure and meeting venue with a combination of references to its location and views.

Typically, the hotels social media pages, Facebook and Instagram, carry images from leisure-based activities experienced when staying at the hotel. The hotel does not have its own LinkedIn page, but Radisson Blu do have a corporate brand page that provides an overview of their 300 properties across 69 countries.

The Radisson brand can be reliably considered a brand for business, without the risks associated with some high end or luxury hotel groups.

Location and Setting:

The Radisson Blu Lyon has a pre-reception lobby located on the ground floor, but the hotel occupies the top 8 floors of the Tour Part-Dieu, an architecturally impressive office building that sits in the heart of Lyon and holds a dominant position, overlooking the medieval city.

Tour Part-Dieu, affectionately called the Crayon Tower because of its pencil shape, was built in 1977 and the top 8 floors has always been a hotel offering stylish interiors with immense light provided by the atriums glass roof and in the external facing bedrooms and meeting rooms.

It is located amongst a mix of other offices blocks and residential buildings with an adjoining shopping mall and an open market a short walk away. The Old Town is over 2kms away, so the hotels’ location can be considered a district for business.

Lyon Saint Exupery international airport is 28km away but can be reached in less than 30 minutes by train shuttle from the station which is 300 meters away from the hotel, and in 35 minutes by car. Also 300 meters away is the TGV Part-Dieu station which links Lyon with Paris by direct train in 2hrs 15 minutes and many other French cities.

Fit for Purpose:

With its location in the heart of the city, the Radisson Blu Lyon positions itself equally as a venue for meetings and for leisure guests who wish to use the hotel as a holiday base.

The hotel has 11 flexible meeting rooms at the 31st floor, for a total of 500 sq. meters.

The largest, Les Lumieres is 300 sq. meter large and cconfidentiality can be obtained through exclusive use.

Radisson Blu created, as part of their core strategy for business meetings, the ‘Experience Meetings’ concept for meetings and events, that is said to harmonise the meetings essentials: breakout rooms, food and connectivity with service, satisfaction and sustainability.

One of the breakout rooms can be arranged to become a ‘Brain Box’ room designed to support creative thinking by providing relaxed seating, boards you can write on, colours to spark the brain and refreshments to stimulate ideas. Complimentary Wi-fi is provided and personal details are not required however, for quicker speeds and additional security, a dedicated line can be installed at a cost.

‘Brain Food’ is another Radisson Blu brand standard and an innovative and responsible food & beverage solution created by nutritionists to help energise and keep meeting attendees alert. 

The Lyon and Rhone region, is home to numerous healthcare and medical device companies, and the hotel is experienced in holding company meetings, medical seminars, symposia and conferences. Lyon is also a popular destination for healthcare congresses.

Facilities:

Delegates access the building from the ground floor where a pre-reception can be found but then take lifts to the 32nd floor where the main reception and main restaurant are located. Stairs are needed to go down from the 32nd floor to reach the meeting rooms on the 31st floor.

On exiting the lifts, the central atrium provides an impressive internal focal point to the hotel which extends to the glass pyramid roof so natural daylight is enhanced.

All bedrooms, meeting rooms and facilities are positioned around the central atrium that extends from the lobby area on the 32nd floor to the highpoint at the 39th floor. As such all rooms have views across the city and surrounding areas and have a curvature to the external walls.

Meetings:

All 11 meeting rooms are on the 31st floor and have city views. Located next to each other, they encircle the building creating a concentrated meeting and events space. The décor is modern and contemporary with light grey carpet and curtains with a touch of red, and light brown tables and chairs. All rooms have air conditioning and floor to ceiling windows providing plenty of natural daylight.

For larger events such as association/sales conferences and investigator meetings, Les Lumieres is ideal and can accommodate 140 in cabaret style or 110 classroom style.

For breakouts or mid-size meetings the Nova suite can also hold 70 in cabaret and 70 classroom style. This can also be split into five rooms of 12-15 U-shape each.

For smaller meeting types such as advisory board meetings, Orion 1 and 2 are ideal as they take 12-15 in a U-shape.

When booked together, these meeting rooms with the adjacent Celest restaurant, allow for easy flow and access for delegates and the privacy required for larger healthcare meetings.

There is a business corner opposite the main reception area that allows guest access to computers and printers.

Bedrooms:

There are 245 bedrooms, spit into four categories which occupy the 33rd to 39th floors. For consistency of rooms, important for healthcare meetings, are 182 standard class rooms with 21sqm that offer flat screen smart TV, air conditioning, tea/coffee and iron and ironing board. 

All rooms are practical in design with décor that is contemporary with walnut furniture, light cream walls with splashes of colour, and are designed for the business traveller with a desk, laptop safe and free high-speed Wi-Fi.

56 Business rooms come with added Nespresso coffee machine, complimentary water, bathrobe and slippers and access to the Business Class Corner. These rooms, are not larger in size to Standard Rooms and would not be considered luxury or deluxe but, along with the Suites, would represent an upgrade and therefore their allocation to HCPs should be avoided.

There are 7 Superior Rooms that are also rooms with accessibility features, but the Superior Rooms should not form part of any room block offered for healthcare events that involve HCPs.

All bathrooms have rain showers, Radisson Blu brand ‘This Works’ toiletries and are light brown in wall to ceiling tiles and walnut coloured basin units.

Restaurant:

The Celest restaurant is located on the 32nd floor and is used for guest breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are no private rooms within the restaurant so for smaller meetings, tables can be reserved but a meeting room would be required for private meetings and functions. The décor comprises of light furniture and purple/brown shaded carpet with a white ceiling and with floor to ceiling windows, light floods in to this open space.

Bar:

The hotel bar and lounge are in the Celest Restaurant which is located on the 32nd floor but would not form any part of any healthcare meetings programme that involve HCPs.

Leisure:

Guests of the hotel have complimentary access to the Fitness Park gym where free weights, machines and fitness classes are provided. The gym access is located on the first floor the hotel building. The facilities do not include a pool or spa and forms a minimal part of the sales and marketing offering for the hotel.

Service:

The hotel does provide Guest Services to assistance with luggage and travel, including a complimentary shuttle service to the TGV Part-Dieu train station, but there is no sign that the venue attempts to use service and a guest to staff ratio to leverage luxury impressions. Levels are therefore consistent with a venue suitable for healthcare meetings and events.

The Radisson Hotel Group is actively involved in the Think Planet scheme and the Radisson Blu Hotel Lyon is a Green Key hotel which represents an independent third-party audit of each hotel’s practises and actions to protect the environment.

The Radisson Rewards membership programme offers meetings and professionals points for each booking which leads to complimentary hotel stays and upgrades - this is consistent to other hotel brands and should not be a deciding factor when booking this hotel for a healthcare meeting.

The hotel is located in the top part-dieu tower and is well known for its views of the alps and the city landscape. This impressive outlook from the hotel should be considered when placing external meetings at the hotel. We would suggest little is made of this component of a meeting held at the venue.