Maison Rouge Strasbourg Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection Review

Overview of Maison Rouge Strasbourg Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection

Maison Rouge is a four-star boutique hotel located in Strasbourg, France. It’s been taking travelers in since 1387, and the guest list features many famous names. The hotel has been renovated recently and is now part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection.

Maison Rouge Strasbourg has 131 rooms, including seven suites, designed in the original Art Deco style. Its location in the heart of the city is hard to beat, which makes it a great choice of accommodation for a visit to Strasbourg and a great base for exploring the Alsace region of France.

How I Booked Maison Rouge Strasbourg

My husband and I stayed at Maison Rouge Strasbourg for two nights in October. Marriott implements dynamic pricing, and award rates here fluctuate from 30,000 to 42,000 Bonvoy points per night.

The hotel was going for 35,000 points per night on our travel dates, so I chose to redeem two Marriott free night certificates worth up to 35,000 points each—earned with the Marriot Bonvoy American Express Card (no longer available to new applicants) and the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card (see rates & fees)—to cover our stay.

Cash rates were 273 euros per night on our dates, so the total would have been about 560 euros for a two-night stay (including taxes and fees). The U.S. dollar and the euro were about the same value in October, and I paid $220 in annual fees for both credit cards, so I came out ahead on this booking.

If you have Marriott certificates to burn, remember that you can add up to 15,000 Bonvoy points to a free night certificate to increase its value. So, if you want to reserve a night that requires 42,000 points, the highest rate at Maison Rouge, you can use a certificate and combine it with 7,000 Marriott points.

Of course, you also can redeem Bonvoy points outright. Keep in mind that if you redeem four nights’ worth of points, you get the fifth night free on Marriott reservations booked with points.

You can earn Marriott Bonvoy points by holding the following credit cards:

• Marriott Bonvoy Bevy™ American Express® Card
• Marriott Bonvoy Bold® Credit Card
• Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card
• Marriott Bonvoy Bountiful™ Credit Card
• Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card
• Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card

Keep in mind that eligibility rules applied to co-branded Marriott cards can prevent you from getting multiple welcome offers.

Maison Rouge Strasbourg Location

Maison Rouge’s location in Strasbourg is a huge selling point for this property. The hotel is located in the city center, within walking distance to the Strasbourg Cathedral and La Petite France, a historic quarter of the city popular with tourists. Not to mention, Maison Rouge is surrounded by restaurants and shopping, and trust me, you want to be close to restaurants because Alsatian food and wine are in a class of their own.

Strasbourg is possible to reach by train from a couple of European cities. It’s a two-hour train ride from Paris. If you’re coming from Stuttgart, Germany, your trip will take an hour and 20 minutes.

If you fly into Strasbourg, the airport is a 25- to 40-minute car ride from the city center. A combination of public transport and walking will take about 40 minutes as well. National airlines, such as Brussels Airlines, Iberia and Turkish Airlines, as well as low-cost carriers, such as Ryanair and Volotea, all fly to Strasbourg (SXB).

Best Parts of Maison Rouge Strasbourg

Because the hotel has been around for centuries (under different names), it has hosted many guests in its day. A unique detail of Maison Rouge is a display of the hotel’s famous guests. Each floor features portraits of notable people who stayed on that particular floor.

Apparently, we stayed on the same floor as Charles de Gaulle and Victor Hugo. Other historical figures who stayed at Maison Rouge include Winston Churchill and Johannes Gutenberg.

Another highlight is the hotel’s location in the heart of Strasbourg. The city’s main attractions are within walking distance to Maison Rouge, and the area it’s in is the epitome of the hustle and bustle of a European city center.

Maison Rouge Strasbourg Drawbacks

To be honest, I can’t think of any major drawbacks. If I really wanted to nitpick, I wish we received a welcome amenity upon arrival in the room. There’s something special about being thanked for being a high-tier elite member. Aside from that, it was an excellent stay, and I have no complaints.

Getting to Maison Rouge Strasbourg

My husband and I arrived in Strasbourg by train from Munich (via Stuttgart, Germany). The main train station is less than a kilometer away from the hotel, so we took a 10-minute tram. Multiple tram lines stop within a three-minute walk to the hotel, so it’s an easy option for those who embrace public transport.

Check-In

Check-in at Maison Rouge starts at 4 p.m. We arrived closer to 5 p.m. and entered the lobby. Both front desk agents were helping people in front of us, so we waited for help.

About five minutes later, another staff member appeared in the lobby and motioned us to come up to the concierge desk where he checked us in. He recognized my Titanium Elite status and said that complimentary breakfast was automatically included with our stay (thanks to my elite status).

I was then presented with a choice for a check-in amenity: 1,000 Bonvoy points or two drinks from the bar. I selected the points. Usually, breakfast is part of the welcome amenity selection, so I was surprised to have gotten both breakfast and points for this stay.

Personally, I don’t like to use bellman services at hotels. I usually travel light and don’t want to wait for bags to arrive in my room, so we declined luggage delivery and headed to our room in an elevator.

I booked a queen superior guest room. The person who checked us in didn’t mention an upgrade, but it looked like we’d been upgraded to a larger room, or privilege queen, as they call it on the hotel’s website.

There was no welcome amenity in the room upon arrival, and none showed up for the rest of our stay, either.

The Room at Maison Rouge Strasbourg

Although we didn’t get upgraded to a suite, I still was impressed with our room at Maison Rouge. The room on the fifth floor was 258 square feet in size, and you could tell it was designed with purpose. Everything in the room had its own place, and there was nothing that didn’t belong.

Our room faced an alley, so the only view was of a building next to ours. It was still daylight when we arrived, and it felt welcoming with the sun coming through the window.

The Comfort of the Room

The room was equipped with air conditioning, and we used it periodically because the daytime temperatures were pretty warm for October.

The noise isolation seemed good. Then again, I’m a heavy sleeper and didn’t notice any noise coming in from the outside or from other rooms.

The queen bed with a pillowtop mattress, a featherbed and a duvet felt quite comfortable. Six pillows were on the bed: two decorative pillows and four for sleeping.

The Bathroom

The marble bathroom was split into two rooms: a shower and a vanity sink in one room and a toilet in another. The two were next to each other, separated by a wall.

The vanity offered plenty of space for our toiletries. It included a makeup mirror and a hair dryer. The walk-in shower had two options: a rain shower and a handheld shower. The water pressure and temperature were good, no complaints.

The bathroom featured bulk products by Clarins: foaming cleanser and body lotion at the vanity and shampoo, conditioner and shower gel in the shower.

Overall, the bathroom was nice, except for one annoying feature. The light below the vanity is motion-activated. Sometimes I wake up to answer nature’s call in the middle of the night. So, whenever I’d walk by the bathroom and the door was open, the light would turn on automatically and shine into the room until turning itself off, also automatically.

Room Amenities

One small complimentary water bottle was left in the room for the both of us. We also had a Nespresso coffee machine, a kettle, several single-serve coffee capsules and tea pouches. Two tea cups, two coffee cups, four dessert plates and two rocks glasses were provided.

A mini fridge included the usual minibar items, such as adult beverages and snacks.

A petite work desk and a chair were in front of the bed. There were plenty of dual voltage electric plugs and USB ports above the desk and at each side of the bed.

A 55-inch flat-screen TV was mounted on a wall in front of the bed. I don’t watch much TV when I travel, but it was nice to have anyway. You never know when you’re going to watch French cable.

I found two bathrobes and two pairs of soft slippers in the closet. The slippers were of different sizes—for him and for her. I thought it was a nice touch.

A safe and a few laundry bags were also inside the closet.

Food and Drink

As mentioned before, complimentary breakfast was offered to elite members (Platinum Elite and above), and we definitely took advantage of it.

Breakfast is served from 6:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at the restaurant on the floor above the lobby. It features an extensive buffet, including hot items, such as scrambled eggs and bacon; deli meats and cheeses; fresh and dried fruits; yogurts, cereals and muesli; as well as a variety of breads and pastries.

It’s also possible to order à la carte items from the menu, including French toast, pancakes, eggs benedict and egg omelet. Freshly squeezed orange and grapefruit juice are available for self-serve, and coffee, tea and hot chocolate are served to order.

The breakfast was delicious. I get that it’s France, and the food standards are high here, but still. We both enjoyed the quality of our hotel breakfast and even made plans to wake up a little earlier the next day to enjoy it a bit longer.

Another bar / restaurant on premises is called Le 1387 and is located on the bottom floor next to the lobby. It’s open from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday, and from 12 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

This elegantly designed restaurant serves lunch and dinner. Appetizers range from 11 euros to 19 euros, and main courses range from 17 euros to 26 euros. We didn’t eat here so I don’t have much to say about it other than the dining room and the bar look gorgeous.

Room service is also available 24 hours per day, so if you’d rather eat in, it’s an option.

Amenities

Spa

Maison Rouge has an on-site spa, which is accessible by reservation only. It’s open to guests and non-guests, so even if you’re not staying at Maison Rouge, you can reserve the spa.

The 1,600-square-foot spa features a sauna, a jacuzzi, a hammam and a sensory shower. It’s also possible to get vinotherapy.

Keep in mind that non-guests pay a higher price than guests. Sixty minutes at the spa cost 20 euros for guests and 45 euros for non-guests without a treatment appointment. If you’d like to add a massage, a body scrub or a body wrap, then access to the spa is complimentary for guests and 15 euros for non-guests.

Meeting Room

Maison Rouge offers its guests a fully equipped meeting room that can accommodate up to 14 people at a large conference table. Reservations required.

Fitness Center

A small fitness center is available for those looking to burn off French pastries.

Service

Everyone was extremely friendly, especially the woman asking for the room number at breakfast, who was extremely patient with my practicing numbers in French.

Breakfast service was fast in terms of drinks and à la carte items, and the servers were attentive.

Our train to Stuttgart was in the late afternoon, so we asked for a late checkout at the front desk. Standard checkout time at this property is 12 p.m., and they were able to extend checkout until 3 p.m. for us. In my mind, complimentary breakfast and late checkout are some of the best hotel perks, and we received both of them at Maison Rouge.

Final Thoughts on Maison Rouge Strasbourg Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection

Overall, my husband and I enjoyed our short stay at the historic Maison Rouge in Strasbourg. The room and the service were pleasant, and it’s hard to surpass this property’s proximity to the city’s attractions as well as public transportation.

The redemption rates are reasonable for this part of the world, and the option to use free night certificates worth up to 35,000 Bonvoy points here is handy, especially because cash rates are high. We got to visit a new region in France without blowing our budget.