Nuremberg’s Meridien Grand Hotel A Great Pre Cruise Option

Posted onAuthorChris Owen

When we bring you information about pre- or post-cruise hotels, they need to have some required qualities to be considered.  Ideally these properties will be conveniently located; either to the airport or the cruise port.  The hotel itself will be set up to handle cruise travelers and their needs.  On site dining, including a good room service operation, can also be important factors considered. In the end, like the cruise itself, it’s all about value and the Meridien Grand Hotel in Nuremberg, Germany passes the test with flying colors.

Meridian Grand Nuremburg - 13

Coming in town a day early for a European river cruise is just something we do, mostly for our own convenience.  Putting the long day of travel behind us, the initial plan is to get there, pick up any incidentals we might need when sailing, order room service and say good night. That works quite well in most cases.  After all, the star of the show is the cruise itself, not what we do on the way there or back home right?  Well, not totally; when we run across a property that has it all and then some.

 

Meridian Grand Nuremburg - 11

Oddly, our most recent example of stumbling upon a winner was earlier this year when traveling with luxury tour operator Abercrombie & Kent, also in Germany.  That occasion was the Hotel Torbrau in Munich and a city center location gave the property bonus points.  No cab, bus or navigation needed, the place was surrounded by attractions.

If  Starwood Hotels‘ Meridien Grand was simply located close to the cruise port and Nuremberg‘s train center, that might be enough for the place to get a recommendation.  That it is right across the street from Nuremberg’s Christmas Markets where 2 million people come to visit during the holiday season is a huge plus. That location also puts the Grand Meridian steps away from the old part of Nuremberg that we had visited a couple times previously.

 

Meridian Grand Nuremburg - 34

The hotel itself, built and in continuous operation since 1895 is considered the hotel to stay with on a visit to Nuremberg.  Its past guests included kings, queens, celebrities, rock stars and more.  Interestingly, the place has solo rooms with the single traveler in mind, sort of. At the turn of the last century, those kings and queens would bring along their servants/staff who would stay in the single rooms, not far from the opulent suites of royalty.

 

Meridian Grand Nuremburg - 52

Of note; these are big rooms,  something we don’t normally find in properties with this much history. In a choice of five categories ranging from that solo room to a two-room suite, there seems to be something for everyone.  We like too that the hotel is very accessible for those with mobility issues.   Normally, handicap-equipped accommodations will be a bit larger than average.  At this property, all the rooms are a whole lot bigger than the average, including a sister Starwood hotel not far away, the Sheraton which was built a just dozen years ago.

These huge rooms are not likely to change anytime in the future either.  Germany governs what can be done to historic buildings quite strictly and those regulations apply to the Meridien Grand Hotel.

Meridian Grand Nuremburg - 30

That the staff of the busy Meridien Grand Hotel makes staying there a joy is always a pleasure to experience.  Here again, like so many Euro travel options, we find people that have made the hotel industry their career and take great pride in what they do.  That’s always fun to experience.  That Viking River Cruises sets up a concierge desk of their own in the lobby to help guests get oriented and provide suggestions about what to do in the area is a huge plus.

 

IMG_3462Also a point or two in favor of the hotel (and how we ended our day after spending a few hours at the Christmas Market) the room service operation.  Order taken and delivered promptly, presented nicely and reasonably priced; they know how to do it at the Meridien Grand Hotel.   Throw in a helpful, friendly hospitality pro who would be right at home with white gloved service and speaks fluent English. Now, all the ingredients are there for a wonderful pre-cruise hotel stay.

As the first experience just off the plane from North America, the Meridien Grand Hotel got us off to a good start. That’s important, especially for those who have not made the jump to international travel, preferring to stay close to home.  It’s right about now that I can let out a preliminary sigh of relief.  All is well in Nuremberg. Tomorrow we board our Viking longship and we know from previous experience that they will take good care of us.

Check this video for more on Le Meridien Grand Hotel in Nuremberg-

 

Follow along a number of ways on our Christmas Markets Romantic Danube river cruise, hosted by Viking River Cruises:  

NEW- The social focus of this sailing is bringing you some interesting, different and engaging elements to our normal event coverage.

  • Via Instagram (http://instagram.com/chriscruises), look for at least one photo post every half hour during the 8-day Viking River Cruise.
  • Your Questions Answered,  Right Now- Ask us anything on Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram or in a comment to a post here at ChrisCruises.com.  We’re holding no questions to answer when it’s all over.  Get your answer now.

 

-Previously Published During This Event-

Pre-Cruise Information