Mama Shelter Luxembourg hotel review

The first time I stayed in a Mama Shelter was in 2015 in Paris, the brand’s home. At the time, it was the talk of Western Europe, known for playful quirks and buzzing social spaces. I remember wondering how long the trend would last. Fast forward more than a decade on, and Mama’s still in vogue, like a Brat summer never gone, even following mainstream expansion under the Ennismore slash Accor group umbrella. How does she do it? I checked into Mama Shelter Luxembourg and got acquainted with the off-the-line rooms, and joined the Kirchberg crowd for work and play.

While this stay was complimentary, all thoughts and opinions are our own

Mama Shelter Luxembourg review

Mama says: let’s play!

Mama Shelter Luxembourg Exterior — Exterior of Mama Shelter Luxembourg

It’s never tumbleweeds at a Mama, and it certainly wasn’t here when I arrived, despite Kirchberg at first reminding me of Stratford in London (no shade!) The lobby was busy with a young clientele, some here to taste Luxembourg from across borders, some a local stroll away. This, the city’s modern zone, offers a dynamic mix of business and culture, yet is a short tram ride from beautiful Old Town.

Mama Luxembourg’s playful design similarly nods to both the new and the old. The ceiling is decorated with graffiti by French artist Beniloys, while each of the 145 rooms has that signature bold Mama design, led by Benjamin El Doghaïli. It’s warm, it’s eclectic, and it doesn’t rest on safe. It feels like it’s just the pop of character Kirchberg needs.

Rooms and suites

Mama Shelter Luxembourg Double Bed Room — You may find some cute, and possibly flirty, messages written across the bedroom and bathroom mirrors. We love it.

We checked into a Medium Mama Double room 414. As I had stayed in multiple other outposts, including Shoreditch, the size was just as I expected. You’re not here to spend all day in your room watching birds out of the window. You’re here to enjoy a solid night’s sleep, then head back out to see the destination you’ve travelled all the way for.

As a result, my room was relatively small, yet it was still very comfortable. Our king-sized bed was plush and dressed in cotton-satin sheets. The walls were well noise-proofed, so my sleep was undisturbed.

The quirks synonymous with the brand were here, including free blockbusters for when you decide to stay wrapped in those sheets, and naughty grown-up movies to entice you to strip them off. There were monkey and Dalmatian masks by the bedside, as there were when I first stayed in 2015. Normally, I’d expect more innovation, but I haven’t yet stayed at another hotel that masks us up in this way, so these signature touches were very welcome. We had fun with them.

What I hadn’t seen at a previous Mama was the lush organic products developed in collaboration with French skincare brand Absolution. I loved handwashing each time I used the sink, and I suppose this was the place I wished the room were bigger, to support a bathtub to soak in. On the plus side, the mirrors were very flattering.

My room had no tea or coffee-making facilities, which I was disappointed about. However, with breakfast included, guests won’t go without complimentary caffeine (and there is no limit). Also, I’m told you can borrow a kettle by leaving a small deposit. There is a free bottle of mineral water in your fridge, replenished daily.

Food and drink

The F&Bs will pull you out of bed, morning and night.

For me, it was at breakfast, served on the ground floor, featuring some of the best croissants I’ve had outside of France. The on-site bakery means they’re baked fresh daily. Every bite was a flaky crunch. Another thing I loved about breakfast was the DIY juice station. A selection of cut fruit and veg was laid out, and all you have to do is pop them in the blender. Ginger, carrot, and grapefruit were my morning poison. Easy.

Mama Shelter Luxembourg Restaurant — It was here that we had Mamma’s Big Cookie. Mmm.

That same space morphs into a restaurant come evening. I tucked into beef stew for my main, and we shared Mama’s Big Cookie with homemade ice cream for dessert. Be sure to give a Luxembourg wine a go while you’re here, too – it won’t disappoint. Tired from exploring all day, we headed to our room after dinner, though it seemed the high-energy travellers stuck around for cocktails around the pink marble bar.

Work and screen

There is no fitness centre here, but that’s probably because you’ll burn more calories doing other activities. Communal spaces, rather, are reserved for business.

Mama Shelter Luxembourg Cinema — Forget a spa, it’s all about a sexy cinema at Mama Shelter.

Guests can gather to co-work, and there are also a number of meeting rooms, plus a CineMama 29-seater screening facility, because, you know, everyone seems to work for rather exciting businesses here. I wrote this article back home in London, so I didn’t use those amenities; however, I appreciated the good Wi-Fi and could see plenty of guests making the most of them over a gym.

Things to do

As we were there for the short weekend, my exploration is just based on one full day in the spring. The Visit Luxembourg website has lots of ideas for longer itineraries, depending on your season of arrival.

One of my highlights, however, was The Bock Casemates, a vast network of underground tunnels and galleries, and part of the city’s historic, UNESCO-listed fortifications. Note that there were no signs or information in English at the time of my visit, so do read up before going to fully appreciate.

Dans Le Noir Luxembourg in the dark — One of our trip highlights was dining in the dark at Dans Le Noir? It’s right across the hotel and a lot of fun.

The Grand Duchy is also second in the number of Michelin-starred restaurants per capita, so if you like an accolade with your meal, expect to be deliciously served. We decided to go for something a little different, because, lucky for us, we’ve had plenty of Michelin meals. Dans Le Noir? was right behind Mama Shelter, and offers guests a real sensory experience, dining in the dark. You’re guided in, sit with strangers, and rely purely on your non-sight senses. It was a great way to mingle (we practised our French with a couple from Metz), and the ‘Ivresse des Sens’ surprise menu was delicious and a decent enough size that we were full at the end. Three wines, one for each course, paired perfectly. The session had us all guessing what we’d eaten right up till the reveal at the end, which I won’t disclose so as not to spoil the surprise.

Getting there

I loved getting to Luxembourg, as the national carrier Luxair, departs from London City Airport. It’s not cheap, but worth the extra pounds for the time saved if you’re an East or Southeast Londoner. The flight duration is about an hour, and upon arrival, our 20-minute journey to Mama Shelter was completely free. That’s because there is no charge to use public transport in Luxembourg (yes, really!)