MONDORF Parc Hôtel & Spa

The hotel and wellness area are nice, but that strange dress code spoils the visit for us. You have to be either fully in swimwear or fully without clothes, with no option in between. That means changing in front of a sauna on a wet, slippery floor. For that reason, we wouldn't come back.

We got there about an hour before check-in, and they let us into the room without any fuss. The reception staff were really welcoming, and there’s a little library with books in several languages that guests can borrow. The hotel is clearly older, but it's been kept in lovely shape. Our room was huge for two people, with a balcony just as large and two separate places to sit. It had bathrobes, lots of towels, and toiletries that smelled great. Breakfast had plenty to choose from, including different breads, jams, and cereals. The quiet outdoor area was relaxing, and the thermal baths are an easy walk away.

Breakfast could be better organized at busy times. The employees there were kind and helpful, but only one coffee machine was working properly. We had two bad encounters with Jean Yves, one of the hosts at reception. At check-in, I spoke to him in French, which I can manage conversationally after attending a French high school. He couldn't help me and asked for someone he could speak with instead. I was left out of the conversation while he spoke to my fluent daughter, even though the hotel was hosting many international travelers for the ironman 70.3 Luxembourg. The other time, he loudly shushed my cousin, who was also staying at the hotel, from behind his desk. When she politely asked him to show some kindness, he became even ruder. He was rude and unwilling to help both times.

The room was clean, and our male housekeeper was friendly. He had it made up while I was at breakfast. But we won't return, and we'll share our disappointment with other staff. The big North American hotel brands know how to make guests comfortable and happy. We booked at the corporate rate because my husband works for a Canadian company with a large site in Dudelange. It was my first trip to Europe, and we'd chosen this hotel and spa based on the photos and listed amenities. The rate did not include spa access, which cost 17 euros a day, or breakfast, priced at 22 euros. In Mondorf, there isn't anywhere else to go for breakfast, so that felt expensive. Our room felt like a shoebox. The king bed took up nearly all the living space, and using the desk chair meant moving it back and sideways to squeeze in. There was a nice bathroom and a foyer, but no dresser, so our clothes had to go on the closet shelves. The balcony looked onto a concrete wall. The HVAC didn't regulate the temperature at all, so we had to leave the door open for air. It was so stuffy and hot that sleeping was impossible unless the door stayed open all night. The hotel was fairly empty, and housekeeping showed us a room more like the one pictured on the website, but staff made no effort to make our week more comfortable. There was no ice for the room. When I asked for some, a front desk employee went behind the bar and brought back four cubes in a glass. I wasn't comfortable doing that several times a day. There was no coffee in the room either, just a small kettle and a few tea bags. To refill a water bottle, you had to walk all the way to the spa fountain, and the cold water from the bathroom taps wasn't really cold.