Hotel Albert Premier, Luxembourg, Luxembourg

The Hotel Albert Premier is a discreet gem of a luxury hotel – tucked away down a side street in Luxembourg city. This luxury hotel is decorated in full, no holds barred romantic style, with white painted furniture, rich tapestries, Edwardian patterned wallpaper and gingham chairs. The Albert Premier’s prime location in Luxemborg allows the luxury hotel’s guests to enjoy the city’s old-world continental charm that is featured in a thousand 1950s musicals – cobbled streets, pavement cafes, chic dowagers walking their poodles, manicured parks and jolly waiters with waxed moustaches. Prices are high – Luxembourg is one of the most expensive countries in Europe – but if money’s no object, this is the perfect place for a weekend fix of all things Gallic.

The facilities
Breakfast is perfect – hot, fresh croissants, homemade jam and freshly squeezed orange juice - and served either in one’s room or in the oak-panelled downstairs lounge. There’s nothing as vulgar as a breakfast buffet here; instead it’s all brought reverentially in on a huge wooden tray and unpacked from crisp linen napkins.

The Hotel Albert Premier’s clientele seems to consist mainly of European hommes d’affaires and their power-shopping wives, who no doubt make use of the small but perfectly formed sauna and gym in the basement. Holidaying couples arrive at weekends, when room rates are a very good value. Luis Vuitton luggage is de rigeur.

The rooms
There are 14 rooms in this luxury hotel, each broadly similar in style but subtly different in décor. Junior and superior suites are a lot more spacious than the standard rooms. The bathrooms, however, are enormous marble affairs, palatial enough for the most dedicated primper.