Hotel-type accommodation in Lyon: 82 conversions approved, 19,214 m² reconverted since 2013

Since 2013, the Sitadel database records 82 approved applications (excluding cancelled ones) creating hotel-type accommodation (hébergement hôtelier) floor space through the conversion of an existing premises in Lyon. These operations mobilised 19,214 m² of converted floor space, generated 11,060 m² of created floor space and a total of 359 declared rooms.

The most striking signal is the recent acceleration: 25 of these 82 applications date from 2024 or later, meaning nearly a third of the total volume is concentrated in the very last few years. For context, a further 25 applications were cancelled — a drop-out rate that reminds us that approval does not equal operation, and that actually going through with a project remains a filter.

The breakdown by origin of the building stock is unambiguous: dwellings are the dominant source with 40 applications, ahead of offices (17 applications) and retail premises (13 applications). In other words, Lyon's hotel-type accommodation output has so far been produced largely by drawing on the residential stock — precisely the point of tension that the new metropolitan framework aims to regulate.

To situate a specific project, you can search the observatory of conversions in Lyon address by address.

The ranking by arrondissement reveals a very clearly defined top three.

• Lyon 3rd: 20 applications, 2,899 m² converted, 20 rooms, of which 3 since 2024. Main origin: dwellings (13 applications), ahead of retail premises (3) and offices (2).
• Lyon 2nd: 13 applications, 2,137 m² converted and, above all, 6,273 m² of created floor space — by far the highest in the city. Here offices dominate (8 applications), with 7 applications since 2024. This is the most dynamic arrondissement over the recent period.
• Lyon 7th: 13 applications, 4,253 m² converted — the largest volume of reconverted floor space — and 79 rooms, essentially from dwellings (10 applications). No applications since 2024, a sign of an older cycle.

Next come Lyon 1st (12 applications, 3,213 m², offices in the lead with 6 applications, 7 applications since 2024) and Lyon 5th (11 applications, 1,872 m², dwellings and retail premises, 5 applications since 2024). These five arrondissements — the Presqu'île (1st, 2nd), 3rd, 5th and 7th — concentrate the bulk of activity, while the 4th, 6th, 8th and 9th remain marginal (1 to 4 applications each).

A large-scale application also appears under the label "Lyon" without a specific arrondissement: 3,671 m² and 240 rooms, from an existing hotel-type accommodation (renovation-restructuring rather than net creation). It weighs heavily on the room total and should be read separately.

The breakdown by origin traces two distinct logics depending on the area.

In the Presqu'île (1st and 2nd), conversion is carried out mainly from offices (6 applications in the 1st, 8 in the 2nd). This is the most virtuous scenario from a regulatory standpoint: reconverting sometimes-vacant tertiary floor space does not remove dwellings from the market and forms part of the revitalisation of the city centre.

Conversely, in the 3rd, 5th and 7th, it is dwellings that fuel hotel output (13, 6 and 10 applications respectively). This model, historically dominant at city scale, is directly in the sights of the regulatory tightening.

A few recent examples illustrate this diversity of origins:

• 68 rue de la République (Lyon 2nd) — 205 m² of former offices, approved in December 2025.
• 8 rue Victor Hugo (Lyon 2nd) — 83 m² of offices, approved in December 2025.
• 16 rue du Bœuf (Lyon 5th) — 139 m² of former retail premises in the heart of Vieux Lyon, approved in December 2025.
• 234 rue Paul Bert (Lyon 3rd) — 166 m² of former retail premises, works already completed in early 2026.
• 6 place Louis Chazette (Lyon 1st) — 73 m² from warehouses, approved in January 2026.

These addresses confirm that, over the most recent period, tertiary and commercial premises are taking over from dwellings as the source of conversions.

From 1 January 2026, the regulation of the Metropolis of Lyon governs change of use more strictly. The key point for investors: in the city centre, compensation is required from the very first m² when a dwelling is converted for short-term rental (meublé de tourisme). In practice, removing a dwelling from the market requires recreating the equivalent — a constraint that significantly increases the cost and complexity of operations originating from dwellings.

This development casts the Sitadel figures in a different light. The 40 applications from dwellings correspond to a model that is becoming much harder to reproduce. Conversely, the reconversion of offices, retail premises and warehouses — a growing share of recent applications, particularly in the Presqu'île — offers a clearer trajectory in the face of the regulation.

For owners, the question is no longer merely "can I convert?" but "from what premises, and with what legal security?". The distinction between hotel-type accommodation (authorised year-round, with no cap on nights) versus a classic short-term rental becomes decisive. We set out this framework in our guide to renting in Lyon and on the page dedicated to conversion in Lyon.

Three practical lessons emerge for an owner or investor.

• Favour non-residential origins. An office, a retail premises or a warehouse avoids the compensation mechanism applicable to dwellings in the city centre and secures the operation.
• Target arrondissements with tertiary momentum. The 1st and 2nd point the way, with a majority of applications from offices and strong activity since 2024. The 2nd, with its 6,273 m² of created floor space, is the laboratory for this model.
• Anticipate the drop-out rate. With 25 cancelled applications for 82 approved, the risk of a project not coming to fruition is real. A solid legal and technical structuring upstream makes all the difference.

The status of hotel-type accommodation remains the most robust answer for operating short-term year-round, with no cap on nights and outside the quota-bound short-term rental regime. If you are considering an acquisition or a reconversion, our team supports the entire journey — from analysis of the premises to the planning authorisation — via our change of destination to hotel use service.

Data from the Sitadel database (SDES, French Ministry for the Ecological Transition), 2026-07 vintage. The scope retains planning authorisations creating hotel-type accommodation floor space through the conversion of an existing premises since 2013. The headline figures cover approved applications excluding cancelled ones (82 applications); the 25 cancelled applications are mentioned separately. The arrondissement labels reflect the source's data-entry variants. An application labelled "Lyon" without an arrondissement (3,671 m², 240 rooms) is flagged separately as it corresponds to the restructuring of an existing accommodation. Analysis current as at 10 August 2026.