New opening in Lille, France, for ibis brand

150 150 Daniel Fountain
  • 0

The opening of the ibis Lille Centre Grand Palais marks a significant milestone for Accor as it the first to showcase every new concept the brand will soon include. The hallmarks include the wide open areas, designer features and comfort-enhancing amenities to welcome business travellers and tourists keen on exploring this city.After just 18 months in construction, the ibis Lille Centre Grand Palais opened on the 4th March. It spans seven stories and was built to encapsulate the brand’s up-to-the-minute comfort spirit by Olivier Dolicque and Baptiste Plantet from APSIS, a Lille-based architect firm. Marie-Laure Ducrocq created the interior architecture alongside the ibis teams.

The natural raw materials and warm colours (woods and reds) in the reception areas add an unprecedented relaxed and inviting dimension to economy hotels. These areas are open and interconnected. The partitions in the lobby are gone so staff and guests now meet in an open, more laid-back area. An ultramodern projection screen in the background broadcasts a wealth of useful information (weather forecasts, pricing, deals, etc.) with an informal, intuitive slant.

Around the reception area, guests can now have a seat in the TV lounge or Business Corner to catch the latest news, connect, work, read or drink their coffee.

This state-of-the-art, cosy hotel has 91 Sweet Rooms by ibis™, including nine suites and three rooms for mobility-impaired guests. Prices start at €73€ and these rooms will envelop travellers in a unique, original experience of economy hospitality amid printed decorative motifs, elegant and practical lighting, new headboards creating a four-poster effect, and snug flooring enhancing the comfortable, home-away-from home feel.

The rooms are 17 to 21 sq. m. and all have the Sweet Bed by ibis™, including the duvet and super-soft pillows, 22-inch flat-screen LCD TVs, generously-sized bathrooms, modular desks and free Wi-Fi. And a lot of work went into the soundproofing so guests can also sleep and work peacefully.

The hotel also offers ibis kitchen Lounge concept. To suit guests’ preferences, breakfast is served from 6:30 to 10:00 am and the buffet includes a choice of local specialities. The Lounge Bar welcomes patrons 24/7 and serves an assortment of snacks in laid-back, easy-going surroundings decorated with a sense of humour (bubbly visuals, rocking chairs, game-board tables and more).

The ibis Lille Centre Grand Palais also has a light-filled 30 sq. m. meeting room opening out onto a terrace for professional customers. This meeting room can seat 14 to 22 people depending on the configuration and includes a video-projector, screen and Wi-Fi access.

Daniel Fountain / 06.05.2015

Editor, Hotel Designs

Share

  • 0

Fun fact: I’m usually the person friends rely on to organise trips, schedules, and group plans.

Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

Fun fact: I’m a keen cyclist and will happily bore people with copious amounts of cycling chat. My top cycling experience (so far) would have to be riding in the spectacular mountains of Crete.

Work highlights: Charles joined Forum Events in 2022. With a background in publishing, editorial media and events, Charles brings a wealth of experience to his role as Senior Production Manager. Having being involved with SPACE from the outset, he is excited to see the brand grow and develop.

Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher at SPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.

Together these platforms offer a comprehensive 360-degree service encompassing digital media, print publishing, and live events – providing unparalleled value to advertisers, partners, and readers alike.