Now there are hotels for a romantic getaway with the wife, spouse or mistress, and there are hotels catering for the lonely business traveler. The Alliance hotel, formerly known as the Holiday Inn Garden Court Lyon Villeurbanne, is of the the Willy Loman-type category (see my review on the Innostar in Toulouse Labège if you are unclear on this concept), and has almost all the traveling salesman can ask for. The rooms are a bit dated, but comfortable and with free Internet to check your company email to see if the boss added another assignment while you were on the road, there is a restaurant where a decent meal compatible with the allowance of your accounting department can be had, and which does not make you feel awkward if you dine alone just with your personal computer in front of you, and the breakfast gives you enough strength to face a difficult day, unlike the typical continental Croissant you would get elsewhere.
We have only a few and easily implementable suggestions to the hotel manager: The wake-up service button on the phone was left unanswered, and since our cellphone was almost on empty, we were a bit worried to miss our early morning meeting. And while the in-room water boiler is really appreciated, a bag of herbal tea to calm us down after a busy day would have made a pleasant stay a perfect one. So much is true: This single business traveler will return to the Alliance a.k.a Holiday Inn Villeurbanne.

A final word: Since the property no longer belongs to the Holiday Inn chain, reservations must be done directly with the hotel, and not with the free Holiday Inn booking center. The new web site is http://www.alliance-hotel-lyon.com/

service was ok but hotel and rooms are dated and need urgent renovations is a typical holiday inn from the 60 old dark hallways. bathroom very small and not that clean. Reception same dark old and not very clean. beds where very soft and not very comfortable. room had a balcony but outside was very noisy.

Clean and comfortable but room quite small. Despite all horror stories I heard about French service people, the friendliness and courtesy of all staff was outstanding (as it was throughout this beautiful city)!
We chose for location next to University (Lyon 1); tram (Line 1) stop (either Einstein or La Doua) is a 10 minute walk away. From main train station, exit from side toward shopping center and tram stop is in midstreet; to go toward hotel, leave from Gare side.
Other than hotel restaurant and small pizza place outside, there seem to be limited choices in the area. There is, however, a decent sized Carrifour grocery store nearby.

We were upgraded to junior suite so can't critique the rooms generally. Clean hotel, pleasant room with small balcony. Not far from the park. Near to cycle rent stands, and short walk from tram to town (too far out to walk to old Lyon). Parking underneath hotel was free. Didn't have breakfast so can't comment on food. Lots of restaurants on riverside only 10 minutes on tram.