Meliá Luxembourg

Rooms and decor

Picture a modern 14-floor glass tower on the central square of Luxembourg's new town, flanked by a concert hall from the noted architect Christian de Portzamparc and a contemporary-art museum designed by I.M. Pei, the man behind the Louvre's glass pyramid — that is the setting of Meliá Luxembourg. The building looks restrained from outside, but step through the doors and you reach a tall, open, contemporary lobby designed by the local studio Jim Clemes, in warm browns with natural light bouncing off the glass walls. The 161 rooms and suites keep an easy-on-the-eye look, leaning on dark grey and brown tones with wood furniture and thick fabrics that feel warmly Northern European. Standard rooms run about 24-28 sq m — not vast, but well laid out, with soft beds, a desk big enough for a laptop and a stack of papers, and decent reading light. What many reviews single out is the view through the big glass windows: high rooms on the west or south side look across the Alzette valley to the full sweep of the UNESCO-listed old town of Ville Haute. Open the curtains in the morning and the cathedral spires and the old Bock fortifications stretch out in front of you — a view that explains why EU staff keep coming back.

Food and amenities

The thing that lifts Meliá above the usual 4-star hotels in Kirchberg is The Level — an executive floor with private check-in and check-out and a guest-only lounge that runs all day, from breakfast to evening cocktails, with unlimited premium coffee, tea, pastries, afternoon snacks, fruit, and a continental breakfast. Several business travelers say they work here all day rather than in an outside cafe, because it is quiet, the Wi-Fi is fast, and staff keep the coffee topped up. Downstairs is the YHI spa — small in scale but complete, with a Finnish sauna, a steam room, and treatment rooms you can book ahead, plus a 24-hour gym with cardio machines and weights for anyone who works out or wants to fight jet lag at 3 a.m. The main restaurant serves a breakfast buffet from 6:30 a.m., leaning European — Belgian and French hams and cheeses, eggs cooked fresh, hot croissants, fresh juices, and a rotating hot section. Reviews call the quality steady and the room bright and airy. Mu Bar in the lobby is the evening spot business travelers like for carrying a meeting on over a drink.

Location and getting there

The location is this hotel's strongest card. Place de l'Europe is the central square of Kirchberg, gathering the EU institutions and Luxembourg's architectural icons within walking distance. Step out the door and about 50 metres to the right is the Luxembourg Philharmonie, the white sail-shaped concert hall ringed by 800 columns by Christian de Portzamparc. A little further is Mudam, the contemporary-art museum I.M. Pei designed to blend into the old Fort Thüngen, with a triangular glass hall that throws light across the galleries. Walk another 5 minutes and you reach the European Court of Justice and the European Investment Bank, and the European Convention Center is in walking range too. The real charm is the T1 tram, with a stop right outside — and every tram in Luxembourg is free across the country (it became the first country in the world with free public transport, in 2020). About 12 minutes gets you to Hamilius in the old town, an easy walk to Place d'Armes, Notre-Dame cathedral, or the valley viewpoint along the Chemin de la Corniche, called the most beautiful balcony in Europe. One stop further is Gare-Centre central station, where you can connect to Vianden, Echternach, or cross the border to Trier in Germany and Metz in France within an hour. Findel airport is a 10-minute drive, or bus line 16 (also free).

Things to know before booking

Straight talk to help you decide. The big trade-off of staying in Kirchberg is that after work and on weekends the district is fairly quiet, since it is mainly offices and EU institutions, with few restaurants and bars. After sunset it can feel like walking through a business district where everyone has gone home. If you want an evening stroll, a drink, or the life of the old town, you take the tram in — about 12 minutes, and the trams run often and free. Second, the standard rooms of about 24-28 sq m are not resort-spacious; some reviews find the bathroom compact and the storage limited for stays over a week, so for several nights or a family you may want to upgrade to a junior suite. Third, room and in-hotel food prices run high by Luxembourg's already-expensive standards, and the breakfast buffet is pricey on its own — if your room does not include it, a cafe in Mudam or the Auchan Kirchberg supermarket nearby works out cheaper. Finally, there is no swimming pool, just the small YHI spa and the gym, so if you need a pool this is not the place.

Our take

Pulling together the real reviews, Meliá Luxembourg sells one thing cleanly: a heart-of-Kirchberg location next to the Philharmonie and Mudam, a free tram into the old town, and The Level executive floor — a strong fit for business travelers, EU-meeting attendees, and contemporary-art lovers. If your trip looks like a 5-minute morning walk to an EU institution, a midday stop at Mudam for a contemporary-art show, a free tram into the old town in the evening to wander the Chemin de la Corniche, then a glass of wine at Mu Bar before bed, this is about as well-suited as it gets. But if your main goal is the UNESCO old town, with evening strolls and the full feel of the historic quarter, a hotel in the old town will suit you better. Overall we give it 8.6/10, best for business travelers, EU staff, and art-minded couples who want a top location in the modern side of Luxembourg, with a free tram to the old town in just a few minutes.