Altstadt / Promenadeplatz

Hotel Bayerischer Hof

★★★★★

The Bayerischer Hof is the hotel Munich itself chooses for its grandest occasions, and for many visitors it is the city's defining luxury address. It stands on Promenadeplatz, a leafy square in the old town between the Frauenkirche and the shopping streets of the Theatinerstrasse, five minutes on foot from Marienplatz and the Residenz, and it has been run by the same family, the Volkhardts, for generations. Rather than a single grand building, it is a small kingdom of connected buildings and moods, which is why it describes itself as a world of its own. There are 337 rooms, 74 of them suites, decorated in several distinct styles, from classic to elegant contemporary designs, so it is worth looking at the room descriptions before booking. The dining is extraordinary for one hotel. Atelier, with its Silent Garden, holds three Michelin stars and is one of the best restaurants in Germany; the Garden restaurant, with its summer terrace, serves classic and brasserie dishes; Trader Vic's, in the basement, has served Polynesian food and cocktails for decades; and the Palais Keller, under a historic vaulted ceiling, is a proper Bavarian beer cellar with roast pork, dumplings and Munich beer, a favourite with locals as well as guests. The Night Club is one of the city's finest jazz clubs, with live music, and the astor at Cinema Lounge shows the latest films from deep sofas. On the roof, the Blue Spa spreads over four floors and around 1,300 square metres, with a pool under a sliding glass roof and a terrace bar with views over the towers of the Frauenkirche and the old town, among the best in the city. Rates are at the top of the Munich market and spike during trade fairs and Oktoberfest, but for a special trip the Bayerischer Hof delivers the full grand-hotel experience with a Bavarian heart.

Rooms and style: because the hotel has grown over many decades, the room styles vary more than in most luxury hotels, from traditional rooms with rich fabrics to bright, contemporary designs, and from compact classics to large suites. Ask for a room with a view over Promenadeplatz or the rooftops, and if you prefer a modern look, choose one of the newer room categories. Service is formal but warm, and the concierge is excellent at securing beer hall tables, opera tickets and day trips. Families are well looked after, and the size of the hotel means there is always somewhere to go on a rainy evening.

Eating, drinking and relaxing: even if you are not staying, the Blue Spa terrace and the Palais Keller are good reasons to visit. The terrace bar, open in good weather, has one of the finest views in the old town, and the Palais Keller is a reliable place for traditional Bavarian food in an atmospheric setting. A dinner at Atelier is a once-in-a-lifetime meal for food lovers and must be reserved well in advance. Live jazz at the Night Club makes an easy, elegant evening without leaving the building.

Location: Promenadeplatz is central yet quiet in the evenings. You can walk to Marienplatz in five minutes, to the Residenz and the National Theatre in about the same, to the Viktualienmarkt and the Hofbraeuhaus in ten, and to the Pinakotheken in fifteen or twenty. Tram 19 stops close by, linking the main station with the opera, and the Marienplatz and Karlsplatz stations are a short walk away. The main drawbacks are price and, for some, the sheer size, but if you want one hotel that sums up Munich's blend of grandeur and good cheer, this is it.