MEININGER Hotels continues its expansion course and strengthens its presence in Cologne. After the opening of the MEININGER Hotel Köln West in 2023, the hotel group is planning a second hotel in the Rhine metropolis, at Luxemburger Straße 1-5 at Barbarossaplatz. The opening is scheduled for the second quarter of 2029.
Cologne right on your doorstep: Step out and explore
The cathedral city is one of the most sought-after city destinations in Germany. In 2025, the metropolis recorded around 4.25 million guests and, for the first time, more than 7.22 million overnight stays*. As the cultural centre of the Rhineland, Cologne offers a wide range of cultural activities with more than 30 museums and over a hundred galleries. At the same time, Koelnmesse is an internationally sought-after trade fair location.
Barbarossaplatz is a central starting point for exploring the city on foot, in line with MEININGER’s motto “Step out and explore”. Many city districts as well as gastronomic and cultural offerings are within easy reach from here. In the immediate vicinity are the Hohenstaufenring with its lively bar scene as well as the city center around the Neumarkt, the old town and the Cologne Cathedral.
“With our second hotel in Cologne, we are continuing our growth in Germany, our largest market. Cologne is an important location for us with high demand. Barbarossaplatz offers a central location with very good transport connections and is ideal for our hybrid concept and different travel occasions,” says Ajit Menon, CEO of MEININGER Hotels.
The property is being realised as part of a conversion from an office building to a hotel building. The six-storey office building, which is held on behalf of a Canadian pension fund and managed by Avison Young Investment Management, will be converted into a MEININGER hotel. For the implementation of the renovation, Avison Young Investment Management has commissioned Alfons & alfreda as implementation partner and project developer, the same team that is already behind the MEININGER Hotel Köln West. In this way, an established office property is being transformed into a new accommodation offering that combines hotel comfort with a lively hostel atmosphere. Avison Young (Germany) acted as an intermediary in the transaction and advised the owner throughout the process.
“12 years after acquiring this building, we are pleased to give it a new and meaningful purpose. Due to its location on Barbarossaplatz, one of Cologne’s most important transport hubs, it is ideally suited for future-oriented urban development. That’s why we breathe new life into a well-located building and rethink it with regard to the needs of the city centre. This is exactly what Avison Young Investment Management stands for: a responsible approach to the built environment and the creation of sustainable social values. We are proud to work with Alfons & alfreda’s local and technical expertise to develop a new flagship location for MEININGER,” comments Amy Erixon, President, Avison Young Investment Management.
Flexible room offers for a wide variety of guest groups
The new MEININGER Hotel Barbarossaplatz will have 305 rooms and up to 1,160 beds. A mixture of double rooms and multi-bed rooms is planned, which is aimed at families, individual travellers, larger groups such as school classes and business travellers. For guests arriving by car, there are 30 parking spaces available, including at least four with e-charging facilities.
MEININGER continues to grow in Europe
With projects like the one in Cologne, MEININGER Hotels is pushing ahead with its expansion in Europe. Following the recent openings in Barcelona and Edinburgh, further locations will follow in Tel Aviv (2026), Strasbourg (2027) and Madrid, Porto and Dublin (2028).
