Hotel Grey

I’d stayed here several times before and things had always been good, but my last visit was different. The room smelled terrible, and opening the window only made it worse because it faced the backyard, where kitchen ventilation or other exhaust systems were located. The hotel was fully booked and couldn’t move me. Looks like I won’t be back.

The staff were friendly and helpful, but the experience didn’t meet expectations. The hotel’s location is very central, though that also means some sketchy activity nearby, and a street-facing room can be noisy with people outside. The room itself was disappointing: worn old towels, a shower that didn’t work properly, and a toilet brush that kept catching in its holder even after staff tried to fix it. The bed felt about one-and-a-half size for two people, and both the mattress and duvet seemed too small and low quality. There’s not much privacy either, you can see each other when using the toilet for number two. Breakfast is at a café in the central station, via vouchers, and the choices were very limited, mostly bread. We regretted not picking the option without breakfast. The location gives the hotel potential, but the comfort and standard need a lot of improvement.

The one drawback in my room was a strong food smell from the kitchen of the Asian restaurant next door. It faded after a few minutes, but the room was on the first floor above it. The room itself was large, clean, and very quiet, with a comfortable bed and excellent sound insulation despite nearby roadworks. The shower cabin was very large, while the sink was in the bedroom and the toilet had its own separate room. The room had perfectly working air conditioning and a safe big enough for a laptop and other valuables. The ceiling lights could have been brighter, since the first-floor window faced a small internal courtyard with little outside light, but it was cozy and bright enough. Staff were friendly, helpful, and professional. The hotel is literally across the road from Luxembourg City main railway station, a one-to-two-minute walk, and well placed for the free trains, buses, and trams to explore the country. Fresh breakfast is served at a restaurant across the road, so plan the day if you don’t want to return to your room afterward. Definitely recommend!

I was there for two weeks, and the first few days seemed fine. Then one evening I found my face serum open and not where I’d left it. Later, I checked medication I kept in the nightstand and saw it had been opened too (1st photo). A flashlight showed that someone had used it. I have a medical condition, so I keep my essentials clean, and one dose was missing from my inhaler. At first I thought something might have fallen off the table, but after a while it seemed clear that cleaning staff had tried both my serum and inhaler. That’s completely unacceptable. I hope the hotel pays closer attention to staff and what they’re doing. The same day, a bank card was stolen from the person travelling with me. We never got an update, only that the situation was “being reported to the management”.