Empire — Hotel in Luxembourg

This hotel was recommended to us by staff at a nearby filling station and it certainly did not disappoint. The large, twin, ensuite bedroom was spotlessly clean with every amenity you could want. A nice touch was the voucher entitling each guest to a free drink of their choice in the splendid first-floor bar. The barman, Luke as I recall, was extremely friendly and informative about his native city. We only had one night here, but he told us what to see around the city centre and within walking distance. A nicer chap you couldn't meet and a great credit to the hotel, as were all the staff who assisted us. The breakfast was fantastic value and set us up for our trip back to Calais. It was served in the same large room as the bar which, overnight, had miraculously transformed into a restaurant! The only niggles concerned noise and parking. I always travel with a few disposable earplugs in my sponge bag to mitigate excessive and unavoidable noise in busy, city centre hotels. Unfortunately this hotel has some very noisy neighbours, viz airport, bus and railway stations. The problem is worse in summer when bedroom windows have to remain open, especially as there was no air-conditioning. However the beds were wonderfully comfortable and my lady-friend and I both had a good night's sleep, despite the noise. Parking could be a big problem here in the city centre, but we were fortunate enough to find a space in the adjacent street where one can park free from 1800 until 0800 the next morning. We also gained an extra couple of hours by 'feeding the meter' although not sure whether that was legal!! It did, however, allow us a lie-in and an opportunity to do full justice to the excellent breakfast! I would, however, advise against leaving anything tempting or of any value in the car overnight, as the streets in the immediate vicinity looked somewhat bohemian. We were relieved to find our car intact the following morning. Overall a great experience which we would love to repeat to explore more fully the delights of this lovely old city. Our thanks to all the hotel staff who made our short stay so memorable and enjoyable. P.S. At boarding school we all used to listen avidly, (and strictly illegally!), to Radio Luxembourg under the blankets on a crystal set receiver! Does anyone else recall the advert for Horace Bachelor of Keynsham and his much-vaunted 'Infra-draw method'? And the wonderful song 'At the end of the day' sung by the late Steve Conway each night when the station...

I had an extremely disappointing experience at Hotel Empire and feel compelled to share it to warn other travelers.

I checked in late (around 11 PM) after a long journey. The receptionist on duty — originally from Mauritius — was polite and granted me a late check-out until 3 PM, which I appreciated. The room (no. 31) appeared clean, and I went to sleep directly.

However, in the morning, while showering, I discovered that the bathroom drain was completely clogged, causing flooding that spilled into the room carpet. I had to cut my shower short and immediately phoned reception to report the issue. The receptionist at that time, named Paplo, said he would send housekeeping, but no one came for over 15 minutes. I had to go down in person to follow up and was told dismissively that the issue would be addressed after I checked out — not during my stay.

What made things worse was the rude and unprofessional attitude of Paplo. He refused to honor the late check-out promised by his colleague, saying the hotel was fully booked, and added, “It wasn’t me who agreed, so I’m not obliged to follow that.” His tone was aggressive and discourteous, and he never offered even a basic apology for the bathroom flooding.

When I explained that I had only discovered the issue in the morning because I hadn’t used the shower the night before, he responded sarcastically, saying: “This is a 3-star hotel, not a Marriott.”

I have stayed in many hotels around Europe — budget and luxury — and I understand things can go wrong. But basic courtesy and professionalism are non-negotiable, especially in the hospitality industry. Unfortunately, Paplo’s behavior reflects poor customer service and a total lack of accountability.

I do not recommend Hotel Empire and will not return. Management should seriously reconsider how they handle guest complaints and train their front desk staff to show respect,...

Thinking about it as a 3 star hotel, it’s safe to say it’s a 5.

24hrs front desk, rooms are clean and the bed sheets are pretty decent, the room was warm and cozy, even with the low temperature outside. The shower was amazing, boiling water if you want, which was a good point considering the cold temperatures outside, really enjoyed my shower.

The location is superb, just in front of the train station with multiple public transport options just at the door. You can go anywhere taking the transport just there. Close to city centre, supermarkets, pharmacy, shops and restaurants.

The breakfast was a really good surprise! Everything absolutely fresh and the quality is outstanding. You can see the love and care the lady managing the room put in everything. You have a nice variety of teas, coffee, juices, yogurt, fresh fruits, boiled eggs, selection of jams and spreads, cheese and charcuterie, and you can have fried or scrambled eggs freshly made by request. We really enjoyed the breakfast!

When we arrived, they directed us to a room (41) that had a weird smell coming from the toilet. I’ve asked them to accommodate us in a different room and the request was immediately attended. So no bad points, just think they can take a look to avoid this from happening again on that room.

Overall, the cost and benefits of this hotel make it really worthy! The breakfast is definitely the better thing...