Luxembourg City’s historic central post office, located at Hamilius, was slated to open this year as a high-profile hotel and spa, but archaeological finds of “great heritage value” have delayed the renovation work by a year, Post Luxembourg said.

The venue will re-open at the end of 2025 at the earliest, Post Luxembourg told Contacto, a Luxembourg Times sister publication.

“The opening of the Hôtel des Postes was scheduled for the end of 2024. However, the various phases of the work have revealed some architectural elements of great heritage value, such as ancient mosaics and an arched vault in the basement,” the public company said, adding that “these discoveries require an ad-hoc consultation with the authorities responsible for the preservation and conservation of Luxembourg’s heritage.”

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Post Luxembourg explained that due to these unexpected finds in the restoration of a historic building, “the initial timetable had to be adjusted to allow sufficient time for archaeological studies,” but stressed that the discovery also contributed to “the overall quality of the project”.

A decade in the making

A call for ideas for the conversion of this property, classified as a national monument, was issued in 2015 – but none of the proposals were accepted. Five years later, in June 2020, the final project was presented by Post and the Artea property group, which will operate the hotel.

Construction began in October 2022.

The property group’s website states that the project aims to change the building’s use while restoring its cultural and architectural prowess.

Developers plan to open up the building’s central courtyard and create a space for the public as well as for hotel guests, with restaurants, bars, shops, a spa and coworking spaces “which will open simultaneously with the hotel so that the experience is as complete as possible,” Post told Contacto.

The building is within the Unesco World Heritage Site that encompasses most of the old town district. The project is headed by Romain Schmiz Architectes & Urbanistes, based in Luxembourg, and Studio Jean-Philippe Nuel, based in Paris. The latter specialises in designing prestigious hotel projects around the world.

(This article was first published on Contacto. Translation and editing by Alex Stevensson.)