Hauptbahnhof / Stachus

Hotel Excelsior by Geisel

★★★★★

The streets around Munich's main station are not the city's most charming, but they are its most practical, and the Hotel Excelsior by Geisel is the place to stay there if you want comfort and character rather than a chain box. It stands at Schuetzenstrasse 11, on a pedestrian street a few minutes' walk from exit B of the main station and a few more from the Karlsplatz (Stachus), the gateway to the old town's main shopping street, which leads to Marienplatz in around fifteen minutes. The hotel belongs to the Geisel family, a Munich hospitality dynasty whose story began around 1900 with the Loewenbraeu tent at the Oktoberfest, and which bought the Excelsior in 1936. It was almost completely renovated in 2017, and the rooms combine contemporary comfort with Bavarian and Alpine touches, from compact classic singles to premium and deluxe rooms, Alpine-themed rooms, junior suites and the Excelsior Suite. Wine has been the family's passion for generations, and downstairs the Vinothek by Geisel, opened in 1991 and expanded in 2017, is a well-known wine restaurant, where the family's passion shows in a long wine list served alongside the food. Breakfast is served from early morning every day and costs extra if not included in your rate. There is no gym or wellness area, though the staff will help you find one. Guests can park in the Elisenhof underground garage nearby at a discounted daily rate, validated at reception, and dogs are welcome for a nightly fee. Check-in is guaranteed from 3pm and checkout is at noon. For business travellers, train-based sightseers and anyone arriving late or leaving early by rail, it combines convenience with a genuinely local, family-run feel.

Location: the hotel is in the pedestrian zone between the main station and the Stachus, so you can walk from your train to your room with your luggage in a few minutes, and walk into the old town without crossing a major road. The S-Bahn trunk line, with direct trains to the airport and Marienplatz, and several U-Bahn and tram lines are on the doorstep, and the Augustiner Keller beer garden and the Kunstareal museums are each about fifteen minutes on foot.

Who it suits: travellers making day trips by train, business visitors, wine lovers and anyone who wants a polished, mid-priced four-star with a central, practical location. Couples looking for romance in old Munich may prefer the Platzl or the LOUIS, and families on a tight budget will find better value in the chain hotels nearby.

Compared with nearby options: the station quarter is full of hotels, from hostels like Wombats to Motel One and the big chains. The Excelsior stands out for its family ownership, its renovated rooms and the Vinothek, and it is quieter than many because its street is pedestrianised. Rates rise steeply during trade fairs and Oktoberfest, so book early; in winter, it is a convenient base for the Christmas markets on Marienplatz and the Tollwood festival on the Theresienwiese.