Where to Stay in Luxembourg City: Best Areas & Hotels

Choosing where to stay in Luxembourg City is a little trickier than it looks on a map. Everything seems close together, but what I didn’t realize before visiting is that the city is built on different levels, which can make a big difference when you’re arriving with luggage or want to explore mostly on foot.

We stayed near the train station at Hôtel Perrin, and for a first visit, I was really glad we did. It was an easy walk from the train, we could walk or take the tram into the historic centre, and getting to the airport for our very early flight home was simple.

Now that I’ve visited and understand how the city is laid out, though, there are a few areas I’d consider depending on the type of trip. I’d choose Ville Haute if being close to Luxembourg City’s main sights was my priority, while the Grund would tempt me for a longer, slower stay.

In this guide, I’ll break down the best areas to stay in Luxembourg City, who each one is best for, and the hotels I’d consider in each, so you can choose the right base for your trip.

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Best Areas to Stay in Luxembourg City

If I were booking a hotel in Luxembourg again, I’d focus my search on three areas: Gare, Ville Haute and the Grund. Gare is the most convenient for arriving by train and getting around by tram, while Ville Haute puts you right in the historic centre and close to many of the main sights. The Grund sits below the upper city along the river and has a completely different feel.

The different levels are worth keeping in mind when choosing a hotel. Two places can look surprisingly close together on a map but involve getting up or down between the upper and lower city. Fortunately, public elevators and free public transportation make this much easier than I’d imagined before our trip.

Gare: Best for Convenience

We chose to stay in the Gare area mainly because we were arriving by train, but it ended up being a really convenient base for exploring Luxembourg too. The area surrounds the main train station, just south of the historic centre, with plenty of restaurants, shops and hotels nearby.

From here, you can walk into Ville Haute or hop on the tram, which runs straight through the city centre. And because public transportation is free throughout Luxembourg, you don’t have to think about buying tickets every time you want to head somewhere.

Gare is the area I’d choose if you’re arriving or leaving by train, have an early flight, or simply want somewhere convenient without paying to stay right in the historic centre. It worked especially well for us on our last morning, when we had a very early flight and could easily get to the airport.

Hôtel Perrin: Best Overall

This is where we stayed, and I’d happily stay here again. Hôtel Perrin is only a few minutes’ walk from the train station, which made arriving with our luggage easy, but we were also close enough to walk into the historic centre or take the tram.

The hotel has plenty of character, but it still felt comfortable and homey. Sometimes older European hotels can feel a little formal when you’re staying with kids, with heavy furniture and rooms where you feel like you shouldn’t touch anything. Hôtel Perrin wasn’t like that at all. It had personality without feeling fussy, and I much preferred it to staying in a standard hotel room that could have been anywhere.

The staff were also incredibly friendly, both during our stay and afterwards. One of my kids left a hat behind, and when I emailed after we’d returned home, they found it and offered to hold onto it for us until our next visit. Honestly, who does that? It’s a small thing, but it says a lot about how kind and helpful the staff were.

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Luxembourg Marriott Hotel Alfa: Best Luxury Option Near the Station

Directly across from the train station, the Luxembourg Marriott Hotel Alfa is another option if you like the convenience of Gare but want something more upscale. It’s a five-star hotel in a historic building, so you’re getting a very different stay from Hôtel Perrin without giving up the easy access to trains and public transportation.

Novotel Luxembourg Centre: Best for Families

Novotel Luxembourg Centre is a little farther from the station but still within the Gare area and an easy walk from the historic centre. Family rooms can accommodate up to four people, making it one of the more practical choices if you’re trying to avoid booking two hotel rooms.

We’ve stayed at Novotel hotels in other European cities and have found them to be a good option with my kids, especially when we need enough space for all three of us in one room.

Ville Haute: Best for Staying in the Historic Centre

If you want to stay right in the heart of Luxembourg’s historic centre, I’d look at Ville Haute. This is the upper part of the old city, with pedestrian streets, restaurants and cafés around Place d’Armes, along with sights like the Grand Ducal Palace and Notre-Dame Cathedral.

You’ll still want to explore beyond Ville Haute, as some of our favourite parts of Luxembourg were down in the lower city, but it’s an easy place to base yourself. You can walk to the viewpoints overlooking the valleys, head down into the Grund, or hop on the free tram when you want to go farther.

It’s also a good spot to stay during the Christmas season, with several of the markets and Winterlights events in and around the historic centre.

The trade-off is that hotels here tend to be more expensive than around Gare. But if I were coming back for a short city break and wanted to be right in the middle of everything, this is probably where I’d look first.

Hotel Le Place d’Armes: Best Location

It’s hard to get more central than Hotel Le Place d’Armes. This five-star hotel sits right on Place d’Armes in the pedestrianized historic centre, putting you within an easy walk of many of Luxembourg’s main sights, restaurants and shops.

It’s definitely a splurge, but if location matters more than budget, this would be one of my first choices. During the Christmas season, you’ll also have one of the city’s main Christmas markets right outside the hotel.

Villa Pétrusse: Best Luxury Stay

Villa Pétrusse is another five-star option, but with a very different feel. Set in a historic villa overlooking the Pétrusse Valley, it’s a little removed from the busiest streets while still being close enough to walk into the heart of Ville Haute.

With only a small number of rooms, this is the option I’d look at if you want something quieter and a little more unique than a larger luxury hotel.The location near Adolphe Bridge also gives you easy access to both the historic centre and the Gare area.

Domus Hotel: Best Value

If you want to stay in Ville Haute without the five-star price tag, Domus Hotel is worth a look. It’s a smaller three-star hotel in a central location, within walking distance of Place d’Armes and the main sights.

The rooms are fairly simple, but some include a kitchenette. I’ve found a kitchenette really helpful when travelling with my kids, especially on longer trips when we get tired of eating every meal at a restaurant. Sometimes it’s nice to be able to have breakfast or a simple meal in the room.

Grund: Best for a Quieter Stay

The Grund feels quite different from both Gare and Ville Haute. This historic neighbourhood sits down in the Alzette Valley, with the river running through it and colourful buildings lining the narrow streets.

This was the area I was hesitant to book before our trip because of the city’s different levels. But once we were there, I realized it’s much easier than I’d expected to get between the lower and upper city, thanks to public elevators that save you from walking up the steep hills. There’s even a playground near the bottom of the elevator, which my kids were very happy to discover.

I’d consider staying in the Grund if I were visiting Luxembourg for more than a couple of nights and wanted somewhere quieter to come back to at the end of the day. There are restaurants and cafés down here, and you’re still within easy reach of Ville Haute, but you get a little more separation from the busier streets of the historic centre.

La Pipistrelle: Best Lower-City Stay

La Pipistrelle is a small hotel in an 18th-century building right in the Grund. With only a handful of rooms, it has much more character than a larger chain hotel and puts you right in the middle of the lower city.

It’s also close to the public elevator connecting the Grund with the upper city, which makes the location much more practical than you might expect when you first look at a map. I’d choose this one if staying somewhere with a sense of place matters more to you than having all the amenities of a larger hotel.

Where to Stay for the Luxembourg Christmas Markets

If you’re visiting Luxembourg for the Christmas markets, I wouldn’t worry too much about staying beside one particular market. Winterlights events are spread throughout the city, and with free public transportation, it’s easy to move between them.

Ville Haute puts you closest to several of the central markets, including the market at Place d’Armes, while Gare is still a convenient choice thanks to the tram. We stayed at Hôtel Perrin during our December visit and had no trouble getting back and forth to the markets.

If Christmas markets are the main reason for your trip, I’d probably choose Ville Haute for atmosphere or Gare for convenience and value.

For dates, locations and what each market is like, see my guide to the Luxembourg Christmas markets.

How Many Nights Should You Stay in Luxembourg?

I’d recommend spending at least two or three nights in Luxembourg City. We originally planned our visit around the Christmas markets, but once we started exploring the city, we quickly realized there was much more to see than we’d allowed time for.

Two days in Luxembourg gives you enough time to explore the historic centre, wander through the Grund and see some of the city’s main sights without rushing too much. With three nights, you’ll have more time to explore beyond the centre or simply slow down and enjoy the city rather than trying to fit everything into a day or two.

If I were planning our trip again, I’d add at least one more night. Luxembourg ended up being one of those places where we wished we’d given ourselves more time.

If I were planning the same trip again, I’d add at least one more night. A few days sounded like plenty when I was booking the trip; once we were there, it didn’t feel like enough.

FAQs

Our Take: Where We’d Stay in Luxembourg

Knowing what I know now, I’m really happy we chose to stay in the Gare area for our first visit. Hôtel Perrin was easy to reach with our luggage, we could walk or take the tram into the historic centre, and being close to the train station made our early departure much easier.

For a first visit to Luxembourg, I’d choose between Gare and Ville Haute. Pick Gare if you want the best combination of convenience and value, especially if you’re arriving by train, and Ville Haute if you’d rather stay right in the historic centre. I’d choose the Grund if you want a quieter stay in the lower city and don’t mind being a little farther from Gare.

As for us, we’ve already booked Hôtel Perrin again for our return trip to Luxembourg later this year. I think that probably says more about how much we liked staying there than anything else I could tell you.

Planning the rest of your Luxembourg trip?

Here’s some of the best things to do in Luxembourg with kids, and how we’d suggest spending 2 days in Luxembourg. If you’re visiting in winter, don’t miss our guide to the Luxembourg Christmas markets, which covers the different markets, what to expect and my kids picks. 

And if you’re looking to explore a little more of the area, Trier, Germany is a short train ride away, and has plenty of things to do in one day.

Meta: Wondering where to stay in Luxembourg City? Compare Gare, Ville Haute and the Grund, with hotel recommendations and tips from our stay.