Westfield La Part-Dieu — Attraction in Lyon

I went there for the first time, by car. And honestly, I did not knew I was touching holy ground or something. Was inside for 50 minutes and when I got out I paid ~6€ for parking. There is no notice anywhere to tell you how much you will pay by the hour, you get in there and its like into oblivion. You expect to have at least 2€/h, but no...In other countries you get 1h free the munimum and then you start to pay. I traveled a lot by car and even lived in several countires, they all had free parking for customers in the first hour(s). Takes you 5 minutes to go to the 3rd floor into those narrow tunels they made. It's like obstacle race, all the walls are scratched by the poor cars who had to meet them. The constructor made economy on the road spaces, yet there are 2-3 floors that are closed to access parking and unused. I don't understand the mentality. It was not built for offering comfort, it was built to make you suffer or hurt your personal belongings. I am never going to have my car in there again. And inside...nice mall, huge, lots of stores, probably has all you need. Did not investigate much, but enough to realise the dimension. There is no ventilation, the air is stuffy, hot, you start to sweat. Not to mention the Carrefour area where it smells like dead things as soon as you enter because there is a toilet on the left side. It disgusting the level of care. Unless it's a must, this location is off my list. I won't get in...

This is a huge Westfield. Really.

It's a complete surprise, because from the outside you can't see the extent of the building and once inside it keeps going in every direction - forward, up, down and around corners.

Also, from the west side, where we entered, the contrast between the neglected brutalist buildings and the contemporary, luxurious interiors is a complete contrast.

All global brands are here, and many, many more. There is a food court, rooftop dining, outside playgrounds and climbing frames. Everything.

We visited on a Sunday though, and except for some restaurants, the stores were closed. Only the unknowing tourists wandered about the empty halls or lazed on the many benches and lounges scattered along the lobbies.

More surprising than such a space in a sizeable city closing on a weekend, was learning you had to pay to use the loo! In the Westfield centres in Australia, London and SF, use of the lavatories is gratuit! I wonder why not in Lyon 🤔 some very up market malls in Tokyo charge a fee.. but why here?

Anyway, don't stay here too long - there's lots to see...

I love this mall; shopping is convenient as it's a one-stop destination. However, the tax refund process is quite tiresome. Only a few shops will complete the tax refund form for you. You're obliged to go to the information point with all of your receipts to process the refund. They do not print out the forms for you; instead, they are sent to your email. However, once you arrive at the airport, the scanner does not recognize the barcode, so you essentially end up losing the tax refund you were promised.

I shared this information with the ladies at the desk, who insisted that it did work. If I wanted a printed form, I was directed to find a kiosk located on a lower level and pay for a printout. This is not really great customer service. You spend quite a lot of money only to be told to pay again if you want a printout. I would recommend the mall management review this process, as they heavily market tax refunds, but it doesn’t actually work when you are at...