The site of the Hôtel des Postes--the capital’s former main post office currently being converted into a boutique hotel--is exceptionally quiet on Place Hamilius in Luxembourg. That's because the minister for the economy, SMEs, energy and tourism, (DP), is expected to tour the site, along with the mayor of Luxembourg City, (DP). Accompanying them on this special visit are , managing director of Post, and Philippe Baudry, chairman and CEO of the property developer Artea, as well as a few other happy companions and a handful of journalists.
Despite the bitter cold, the delegation wandered through the still-open spaces of what in a few months' time will be an exceptional boutique hotel, "certainly the finest and most prestigious in our Storia range, which includes eight establishments in France, Greece and Italy", announced Baudry proudly, whose company is carrying out the conversion work in equal parts with Post Luxembourg (which retains ownership of the building). It's an "extraordinary" project, requiring a great deal of expertise to work on this historic building classified as a national heritage site (architects: Schumacher Schmiz Architectes - Splus, engineers: Inca and Jean Schmit Engineering). It was a complex project, with an additional constraint: the presence of telephone exchanges that had to remain operational during the works and afterwards.
For the moment, the structural work, which began in September 2022, is not quite finished. Since June 2021, teams have been working to remove some of the annexes that had been added over the years so as to restore as closely as possible the original building constructed in two stages, first by Propser Biwer in 1902, then by Sosthène Weis in 1908. "We also had to remove some of the slabs and rethink part of the structure to allow the building to be used for a different purpose," explained Maria-Elysa Galichon, who is responsible for the day-to-day management of the site. In order to transform the building from a former post and telecommunications hotel into a top-of-the-range hotel with a restaurant and wellness centre, some work is indeed necessary.
‘Open to all Luxembourgers’
“Our aim for the future Hôtel des Postes is to make it truly open to all Luxembourgers," says Philippe Baudry. “Of course, there will be 90 hotel rooms, but there will also be two restaurants, a café, shops and a wellness centre that will be open to all."
The ground floor of the hotel will be accessible via two entrances. The public will be able to walk through the building and enjoy the inner courtyard surrounded by beautiful arcades, where there will also be a brasserie under a glass roof and a café. There will also be three shops. "They are still being marketed at the moment, but I can already tell you that there will be a pastry and chocolate shop and certainly a top-of-the-range clothing boutique.” There will also be a Kids Club and meeting rooms.
As for the wellness area, it will be in the basement and will include a swimming pool, created entirely along the Avenue Monterey façade, "a little technical challenge", said Galichon. Remarkably, work in the basement uncovered ancient stone structures. "These remains of walls are particularly remarkable, as they were built directly on top of the rock that forms the bedrock of our town," explained John Voncken, an architect at the National Institute for Architectural Heritage (Inpa) specialising in urban, rural and fortified heritage.
A swimming pool under construction in the basement. Photo: Post Luxembourg/Anouk Flesch
On the upper floors, the rooms are spread out under really interesting high ceilings. In all, there are seven different types of layout. The interior design is by architect Jean-Philippe Nuel (Molitor hotel, spa at the Hôtel Negresco, design of the Commandant Charcot-Ponant ship, etc.). "He designed an interior in a classic style that respects the spirit of the place, paying homage to the decorative arts of the 1920s, while adding a touch of modernity", said Galichon. And judging by the sample room that we had the privilege of discovering (but were unable to say or show more for reasons of confidentiality), the level of service is quite exceptional.
The top floor will also be full of surprises: a rooftop restaurant with a terrace offering a 360° view of the city.
Read the original French-language version of this news report /