Ludwigsvorstadt / Theresienwiese

Hotel Uhland

★★★★★

Hotel Uhland is the kind of small family hotel that regular visitors to Munich hold on to. It occupies a handsome listed villa at Uhlandstrasse 1, built in 1889 by the architect Franz Kil in the neo-Renaissance style and presented today as an Art Nouveau boutique hotel, on a quiet, tree-lined residential street in the Ludwigsvorstadt, just west of the old town. It has been a hotel since 1955 and is still personally managed by the family, which shows in the welcome and in the individual character of the rooms, which range from superior singles and doubles to a suite. The location is its trump card. The Theresienwiese, the Oktoberfest grounds, is around 200 metres from the hotel, which makes it one of the best-placed hotels in the city for the Wiesn, and in the rest of the year the same open space hosts the spring festival, Tollwood's winter festival in Advent and other events. The main station is within walking distance, as are the Sendlinger Tor and the old town, and the U-Bahn at Theresienwiese connects you quickly to Marienplatz and beyond. The surrounding streets are calm and residential, so nights are quiet except during Oktoberfest itself, when the whole quarter fills with visitors. Breakfast is served in the house, and the hotel's small size means it feels more like staying in a private villa than in a city hotel. There is no restaurant, spa or gym, but the restaurants of the Westend and the Ludwigsvorstadt, and the Augustiner beer halls and the Augustiner Keller beer garden on the Arnulfstrasse, are all within reach. For travellers who value peace, personal service and a sense of history over facilities, it is excellent value, and for Oktoberfest visitors it is one of the most coveted small hotels in Munich.

Location: Uhlandstrasse sits between the Theresienwiese and the main station, in the Ludwigsvorstadt. It is about ten minutes on foot to the station, a little more to the Sendlinger Tor and the old town, and the Theresienwiese U-Bahn station is close by. The Westend, with its cafes and Turkish and Balkan restaurants, is just to the west, and the Bavaria statue and the Ruhmeshalle above the Theresienwiese are a short walk away.

Who it suits: Oktoberfest visitors above all, who must book many months ahead, but also couples and solo travellers who want a peaceful, characterful base with easy access to the centre and the station for day trips. Families should ask about the suite or larger rooms. Travellers who want a bar, room service or a gym should look at the bigger hotels around the station.

Compared with nearby options: Motel One and the chain hotels around the station are cheaper and more predictable, and the Hotel Excelsior on the Schuetzenstrasse is more central and more polished, but none has the Uhland's villa setting and family atmosphere. Expect rates to rise sharply during Oktoberfest and major trade fairs, and quieter, better-value stays in winter, when the Tollwood winter festival is on the doorstep in Advent.