Taking advantage of IHG’s triple points promotion, and with a Eurostar flash sale happening at just the right time, I booked myself a weekend getaway to Lille. Return tickets from London came to just over £70, which felt like an absolute bargain. In fact, it was cheaper than plenty of train journeys within the UK!
My hotel plans changed a little along the way. Lille only has a Holiday Inn Express in the IHG portfolio, which I wasn’t particularly keen on. Since both Hilton and Marriott happened to be running promotions, I switched to one night at a Hilton and one night at Marriott’s Autograph Collection instead. Today’s review is mainly about the latter, which turned out to be a very pleasant surprise.
Hilton Lille opened in 2024, so it’s still a very new property. Its biggest selling point is the location, directly opposite Lille Europe train station. Just how close? Literally across the road.
That makes it ideal for early Eurostar departures or late-night arrivals, although Lille Europe itself is only a short walk from the city centre anyway.
I was upgraded to an Executive Room on the top (10th) floor. The room follows Hilton’s standard contemporary design. Nothing particularly memorable, but being a brand-new hotel, everything felt fresh and comfortable. The views from the room were also rather nice.
Breakfast was perfectly decent as well, with the highlight being a self-service waffle station.
Another advantage of the hotel is that it has an executive lounge, although I didn’t get around to visiting it this time. After breakfast, it was time to move over to the real highlight of the trip: L’Hermitage Gantois, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection. Compared with the Hilton, the location is even more central. It’s tucked away on a quiet residential corner just beside Lille’s Palais des Beaux-Arts, yet only a few minutes’ walk from the city’s main attractions.
One look at the building and I knew I’d made the right choice. This is exactly the kind of historic European boutique hotel I love. A plaque by the entrance tells the story: the building dates back to 1460, is protected as a historic monument, and underwent an extensive restoration in 2003. Today, it’s also one of the very few five-star hotels in Lille.
The corridor leading from the entrance to reception feels more like an art gallery than a hotel lobby.
Beyond reception lies the bar, which is easily the most beautiful space in the entire property.
The timing couldn’t have been better. With perfect weather outside, sunlight poured through the magnificent glass dome, creating an absolutely stunning atmosphere.
The hotel is divided into two sections: the historic wing and the modern wing. The yellow stone wall opposite the bar is the original exterior wall dating back several centuries. Behind it sits the newer extension, which was completely rebuilt while preserving much of the original architecture.
One particularly charming feature is the small chapel, which was retained during the renovation.
The extension is surprisingly large, even containing a small museum-style gallery showcasing historical artefacts.
Dining hall:
Along with a beautifully landscaped courtyard garden.
At the far end of the property you’ll find the spa.
The swimming pool isn’t especially large, but it does feature hydrotherapy massage jets, which were excellent after a day of walking around the city.
There’s also a steam room, although no sauna. Overall, it’s a fairly compact wellness area.
Now onto the room itself. Although my room was located in the historic wing, the interior actually felt more contemporary than parts of the newer building. One of the fun aspects of the hotel is that every corridor and every turn seems to reveal a completely different style.
I’d originally applied a Nightly Upgrade Award in the hope of securing one of the suites. Admittedly, the suites here are only around 40 square metres, but the upgrade awards have been remarkably difficult to use. Sure enough, this one was declined as well, and I ended up in an Executive Room.
The room strikes a lovely balance between historic character and modern comfort. High ceilings and generous natural light make it feel much more spacious than the floor plan suggests.
The only downside is that one side of the building overlooks the bar, so there can be a little noise during the evening.
As for dining, one of the nice perks of staying at an Autograph Collection hotel is that Marriott elite members can choose two welcome amenities. I opted for complimentary breakfast and a €10 dining credit.
Breakfast is served beside the bar.
To be honest, it was rather disappointing. The selection was limited, and I couldn’t find any fresh fruit or vegetables.
I also had dinner one evening at the hotel’s main restaurant, L’Estaminet Gantois.
The food itself didn’t leave much of an impression.
Before wrapping up, I have to mention the service. Despite arriving shortly after midday, my room was already available, and the hotel happily honoured a 4 p.m. late checkout without hesitation. Throughout the stay, every member of staff I encountered – whether at reception, in the bar or in the restaurant – was consistently warm, professional and genuinely welcoming.
Lille itself doesn’t have a huge number of headline tourist attractions, but this hotel ended up being the biggest surprise of the trip. If you’re based in London and looking for an easy weekend escape, L’Hermitage Gantois alone is a very good reason to visit.
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