MEININGER Hotels is continuing its growth strategy and expanding its presence in Cologne. Following the commissioning of the MEININGER Hotel Köln West in 2023, another hotel in the Rhine metropolis is scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2029. The new location is situated at Luxemburger Straße 1–5 on Barbarossaplatz, a central transport hub in the city.
Cologne is considered a significant travel destination in Germany. In 2025, the city recorded 4.25 million guests and, for the first time, over 7.22 million overnight stays. The cultural infrastructure includes more than 30 museums and over a hundred galleries. Additionally, Koelnmesse is establishing itself as an internationally important trade fair location. Barbarossaplatz offers a strategically favourable starting point for exploring the city, with many city districts as well as gastronomic and cultural offerings immediately accessible. These include the Hohenstaufenring with its nightlife scene, as well as the areas around Neumarkt, the Old Town, and Cologne Cathedral.
Location selection and utilisation concept
Ajit Menon, CEO of MEININGER Hotels, commented on the location selection, emphasising that Cologne represents an important market with high demand. He highlighted the central location at Barbarossaplatz and the excellent transport links as advantageous for the company's hybrid concept, which caters to various travel occasions. The hotel will be realised through the repurposing of an existing office building.
The six-storey office building, owned by a Canadian pension fund and managed by Avison Young Investment Management, will be converted into a MEININGER Hotel. For the refurbishment, Avison Young Investment Management commissioned Alfons & alfreda as the implementation partner and project developer. This team was previously responsible for the development of the MEININGER Hotel Köln West. The transformation creates a new accommodation option that combines hotel comfort with elements of a hostel atmosphere.
Avison Young (Germany) acted as the mediating company in the transaction and advised the owner throughout the entire process. Amy Erixon, President, Avison Young Investment Management, expressed her delight at the repositioning of the building twelve years after its acquisition. She emphasised the suitability of the Barbarossaplatz location for future-oriented urban development and highlighted the responsible approach to existing building fabric and the creation of sustainable social value. The development of a new flagship location for MEININGER is being carried out in collaboration with the local and technical expertise of Alfons & alfreda.
Facilities and capacity of the new hotel
The planned MEININGER Hotel Barbarossaplatz will feature 305 rooms and a capacity of up to 1,160 beds. The offering includes double rooms and multi-bed rooms to cater to different guest groups such as families, individual travellers, larger groups, school classes, and business travellers. For guests with private vehicles, 30 parking spaces will be available, at least four of which will be equipped with EV charging facilities.
