luxury, comfort and unforgettable experience

Forget Berlin! In Bavaria, Munich also has a lot to offer: a rich and eventful history, a vibrant cultural scene and many sports activities including surfing. Not to mention the lively gastronomy around its markets. Munich is a destination that vibrates even more during Oktoberfest, the big festival dedicated to beer, and at Christmas. Here is our selection of design and luxury hotels.

Rosewood Munich, new address

This was the city’s grand hotel opening in 2023. Right in the city centre, the luxury brand set up its 132 rooms and suites in an old palace and a former Bavarian Bank with a majestic entrance – beautifully renovated marble staircase and sculpted ceiling. At the end of the steps, the modern reception area links yesterday and today. One level below, the Wintergarten invites conversations. Too bad there is so much traffic towards the Brasserie Cuvilliés. Barely opened, it was already the meeting place for all of Munich, the “fute” with the excellent modern Bavarian menu! Elegance is hidden in every detail of the hotel – right down to a host ofamenities in the rooms. Need I add that the spa is divine?

We like: the speakeasy bar, bank style, where pennies stuck to the floor make a “red carpet”. Shhh, it’s a secret.

The room to book: a Deluxe on the street side and the highest on the floors.

The price: from 800 €.

Rosewood Munich Kardinal-Faulhaber-Strasse 1, 80333 Munich. Tel.: +49 89 8000 190.

Mandarin Oriental Munich, classic luxury

Personalized welcome, attentive service and absolute comfort… The Mandarin Oriental, right in the city center, exudes an almost intimate spirit with its 48 rooms and 25 suites. Elegant, they are enhanced with touches of color. Dreams are inspired by the white of the snow-capped peaks: the silhouette of the Alps, in porcelain from the Nymphenburg Manufactory, hangs above the bed. The hotel is known for the Matsuhisa table with Japanese-Peruvian cuisine by the famous chef Nobuyuki (Nobu) Matsuhisa. The rooftop offers dinners with a breathtaking view of Munich. Please note: major construction work is taking place in front of the hotel, ask for rooms on the Old Town side.

We like: Breakfast, excellent. At Christmas, the huge tree.

The room to book: the 708 for its incredible view of the Old Town.

The price: from €750 per double room, minibar included.

Mandarin Oriental Munich Neuturmstrasse 1, 80331 Munich. Tel. : +49 89 290 980.

Beyond by Geisel, a view to die for

From the street, in the city center, nothing suggests a high-end and intimate hotel with 19 rooms. You have to go up to the 5th floor, by a banal office elevator to reach the reception. And there, surprise! The place opens onto a gigantic library stretching over an entire floor. The books form a fortress of knowledge around this lounge where you can have a snack. The books rub shoulders with XXL-sized contemporary works of art. A peaceful atmosphere floats in the place, an impression reinforced by the team delivering a “home” service. The hotel is on the corner of Marienplatz.

We like: The Wine Lounge embracing the view of Marienplatz.

The room to book: No. 1 (Junior Suite) for its view of the new neo-Gothic Town Hall.

The price: from €400.

Beyond by Geisel Marienplatz 22, 80331 Munich. Tel.: +49 89 700 746 727.

Kempinski Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten, uncontournable

Opened in 1858 under the leadership of King Maximilian II of Bavaria, the luxury hotel has stood the test of time with a certain panache, remaining a safe address for tourists and Bavarians alike. People come here to have a High Tea under the impressive yellow and orange dome, dine at the gourmet Schwarzreiter or smoke in the Cigar Lounge. In addition to its 60 suites, the 245 rooms display, in a perhaps slightly dated design, XL reproductions of the great masters exhibited at the Munich Pinakothek. The rooms are spread across two buildings, one of which was created for the Munich Olympic Games in 1972. The hotel is on one of the most prestigious streets in Munich, surrounded by luxury boutiques.

We like: le Seasons Bar.

The room to book: the Maximilian Suite for its view – and very special occasions.

The price: from €330 excluding breakfast.

Kempinski Hotel Four Seasons Maximilianstrasse 17, Munich. Tél. : +49 89 212 50.

25hours Hotel Munich The Royal Bavarian, inspiré

He’s seen some missives! Housed in the former building of the postal service and the royal telegraph station, this 25hours is still a communications hub. Proof of this is that guests and Munich locals meet at the NENI restaurant and the Aperitivo Bar. Its 165 rooms all give a cheerful nod to Bavarian heritage. Varying from one to the next, the details are nestled, for example, in a pine wall and a shutter evoking an alpine chalet. It’s friendly and signed by the Berlin designers of Dreimeta. The hotel is next to the central station. Major works are underway on the square. Sensitive ears will take a room overlooking the courtyard.

We like: Schindelhauer bikes for rent.

The room to book: The Swan Suite, blue, and… full of swans.

The price: from €159 per double room.

25hours Hotel The Royal Bavarian Bahnhofplatz 1, 80335 Munich. Tel.: +49 89 904 0010.

Munich Marriott Hotel City West, « bleisure »

At first glance, this 2023 address has all the makings of a business hotel: its location in a very out-of-the-way office district, its latest-generation meeting rooms and its huge multifunctional room. But the tram stop right outside its door has attracted a leisure clientele. This Marriott, with its 398 well-designed and practical rooms, features a lively and contemporary decor. On the ground floor, its very long restaurant room, bathed in natural light, stretches to its takeaway coffee stand. In the summer, the rooftop hosts a Beer garden.

We like: the bar, very pleasant, with its fireplace in winter.

The room to book: Suite 731 on the corner, on the top floor, with windows overlooking two corners.

The price: from €250 per double room.

Munich Marriott Hotel City West Landsberger Strasse 156, Munich 80687. Tel. : +49 89 930 7930.

Platzl Hotel, familial

Opened in 1956 with a comedy room (now gone), the Platzl Hotel is right next to Marienplatz. It has always belonged to the Inselkammer family, which perhaps gives it this friendly and rather relaxed atmosphere. At the reception, the team is dressed in traditional Bavarian fashion. The hotel has just redone the bathrooms of the rooms by the very prominent Berlin studio Dreimeta, which also designed the 16 new suites in soft tones – currently being finished by the end of September 2024. The Platzl will thus total nearly 180 rooms. Amusingly, the breakfast buffet is presented on small stands, topped with canopies, like at a market.

We like: the small sauna with a view over the roofs of the Old Town.

The room to book: one of the new suites.

The price : from €260 for a double room with breakfast.

Platzl Hotel Sparkassenstrasse 10, 80331 Munich. Tel. +49 89 237 030.

Louis Hotel, design

In 2009, architects Andreas Hild and Dionys Ottl reinterpreted Munich’s architectural traditions for this hotel, between baroque and the “reconstruction” style of the 1950s. The hotel, with its contemporary spirit, easily frees itself from fashions and, unsurprisingly, is one of the addresses in the Design Hotels network. Its 72 rooms and suites invite you to travel through their handmade furniture such as these wardrobes reminiscent of old-fashioned trunks. The materials are natural. A soft atmosphere emanates from its rooms where the white is enhanced by discreet touches of color. Its strong point? Its location on the famous Viktualienmarkt market.

We like: the breakfast room (restaurant at noon and in the evening) for its view of the market.

The room to book: 609 or one of the Market Suites overlooking the market.

The price: from €225 without breakfast.

Louis Hotel Viktualienmarkt 6, 80331 Munich. Tel.: +49 89 411 190 80.

Bayerischer Hof, historic hotel

The list of personalities who have stayed at this hotel, a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, is dizzying. It is quite simply a socialite directory! The King of Bavaria, Ludwig I, ordered its construction. Inaugurated in 1841, it was bought in 1897 by Herrmann Volkhardt, whose descendants are still the owners of the place. Destroyed during the Second World War, it rose from its ashes and expanded over the years, particularly for the Munich Olympic Games in 1972. Its 337 rooms, including 74 suites, have a varied decoration. Since 2009, the famous Belgian interior designer Axel Vervoordt has continued to intervene here and there – in the two restaurants Garden and Atelier, the Astor Cinema and, in 2024, the Atrium.

We like: the swimming pool (6.50 X 14.50 m) with retractable roof in summer.

The room to book: a Deluxe Double Room designed by Axel Vervoordt.

The price: from €470 per double room.

Bavarian Court Promenadeplatz 2-6, 80333 Munich. Tel. : +49 89 21 200.

Sofitel Munich Bayerpost, impressive architecture

At the entrance, old wooden stamps are displayed in a plexiglass cube. It is a nod to the old royal post office that once occupied this 19th century building. Which hides its game well. Behind its classic facade, a very modern structure has taken place, made of glass and chrome. The 396 rooms and suites are comfortable and practical. The bright colors, by touch, may not please everyone. Great efforts have been made to eradicate plastic. The hotel has a spa, recently renovated, and a swimming pool. The asset? The location. The hotel is just behind the central station and ideally located for Oktoberfest.

We like: The wildly impressive entrance.

The room to book: the 844 for its windows facing the Old Town, beyond the tracks.

The price: from €280 for a double room, €45 for breakfast per person.

Sofitel Munich Bayerpost Bayerstrasse 12, 80335 Munich. Tél. : +49 89 599 480.

Also read10 Must-See Beer Festivals in Germany Beyond Oktoberfest