5 perfect hotels for a business trip

For some, work rhymes with travel. To turn this time-consuming task into a (real) moment of pleasure, we've put together a list of hotels in France's major cities that will not only welcome you, but also take your mind off things. From Lille to Bordeaux, Paris to Marseille, our top 5 addresses combine luxury, conviviality and a change of scenery.

In Lyon, the Hôtel de Verdun

TheHôtel de Verdun 1882 has it all... an ideal location, just a stone's throw from Place Bellecour and Perrache station, and a charming, original decor. Isabelle and Gilles Moynier, the owners of this handsome 18th-century townhouse, have decorated the space with spirit, combining wood panelling and period parquet floors with antiques and objects brought back from their travels.s or brought back from their stays abroad - antique prints, travel trunks and shimmering fabrics enhanced by design pieces, like these Saarinen tulip chairs. This cosy-chic spirit infuses the 31 rooms and suites, as well as the lounge-library, where guests meet for breakfast and during the day for a drink while admiring a Picasso drawing. There's nothing like beauty to decompress!

• Rooms from 163 euros
• 82 rue de la Charité 69002 Lyon. Tel: 04 78 37 34 71
• www.hoteldeverdun1882.com

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In Bordeaux, the Renaissance Hôtel

Located in the Bassins à Flot industrial district and part of the Marriott group, the Renaissance Bordeaux boasts 150 rooms and suites with contemporary luxury - five-star bedding, vast bathrooms and large picture windows with 180° views over the city. But the best is yet to come, as the hotel also houses a fantastic swimming pool on the rooftop of the 9ᵉ floor, where guests come to do their laps before joining the bar for an afterwork or the Italian restaurant for dinner. And for those wishing to discover the riches of Bordeaux, the hotel is just a stone's throw from the highly prestigious Cité Internationale du Vin.

• Double room from 152 euros
• 16 Rue de Gironde 33000 Bordeaux. Tel: 05 19 80 02 00
• www.marriott.com/hotels/renaissance-bordeaux

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In Nantes, Sōzō hotel

Having trouble relaxing after a long day? Hotel Sōzō is for you - housed in a former church that has miraculously preserved its sumptuous serenity. As soon as you arrive, the tone is set with the lobby, nestled in the former choir of a XIXᵉ chapel whose impressive volume (17 meters high!) it has preserved. The 24 rooms and suites extend this gentle tranquility with historic stone vaults and walls, enriched by furniture by Starck or Paulin and enhanced by bright colors that give the spaces a beautiful energy. Last but not least? A small wellness center with sauna, hammam, sensory shower, and even an ice-room to refresh the mind.

• Double room from 140 euros
• 16 rue Frédéric Cailliaud 44000 Nantes. Tel: 02 51 82 40 00
• www.sozohotel.fr

In Marseille, the New Hôtel Le Quai

At the foot of the Canebière and facing the Old Port, one of Marseille's most seductive settings, the New Hôtel Le Quai - Vieux Port. We love it for its warm atmosphere, but above all for its decor, which invites you on the sweetest of journeys. Warm colors, ebony wood, woven headboards... The 100 rooms and suites infuse a warm exoticism, combined with the best of contemporary comfort (perfect bedding, functional layout). And that's not all: the hotel has also forged a partnership with the very chic Cercle des nageurs de Marseille, offering guests the rare privilege of swimming laps in the pool where Laure Manaudou once trained. There's no better way to recharge your batteries!

• Double room from 129 euros
• 2 Place Gabriel Péri 13001 Marseille. Tel: 04 91 99 23 23
• www.new-hotel.com

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In Lille, L'Hermitage Gantois Autograph Collection

One of the city's most emblematic landmarks. Just off the Grand Place, L'Hermitage Gantois Autograph Collection, this refined and cosy five-star hotel has taken its place in a former XVIᵉ century hospice. Perfectly restored, it now blends contemporary comfort with multiple testimonies of the past with its 89 rooms and suites adorned with fireplaces, woodwork and antique floor tiles. A magnificent immersion in the city's history and culture, followed by a visit to the Flemish brasserie L'Estaminet Gantois or theHermitage bar and its selection of local beers. Last but not least, the spa with its heated swimming pool is ideal for a moment of relaxation.

• 224 rue Pierre Maurois 59800 Lille
• www.hotelhermitagegantois.com

And of course... in Paris, the Hôtel Brach

Need to spend a few days in Paris, but your meetings leave you no time to rest? Stay at the Brach Paris and enjoy the very best of the capital. Housed in a 7,000 m² former postal sorting center, this five-star Philippe Starck-designed hotel boasts 59 luxurious rooms and suites overlooking the rooftops of Paris, as well as an exceptional rooftop bar, restaurant and vegetable garden offering a breathtaking panorama of the capital. The lounges are adorned with deep sofas and large bookcases (with all the year's novels, as the Evok group organizes a literary prize on the premises), perfect for relaxing with a drink. Need to make a few gifts? Head downstairs to the patisserie or delicatessen. And of course, you can't miss the health club, with its magnificent 22m-long swimming pool.

• Double room from 400 euros
• 1-7 rue Jean Richepin 75116. Tel: 01 44 30 10 00
• www.brachparis.com

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