Hotel in Munich
 

Spending a few days in Munich. Can anyone recommend lodging and some nearby "don't miss" sights? Thanks!

If budget is not a concern, I'd recommend Mandarin Oriental right in the heart of old town by the Marienplatz and Hofbrauhaus. If that's too expensive, I'd recommend the modern hotel Anna right by Stachus/Karlsplatz.
http://www.annahotel.de/
The same owner also own the more classic hotel Koenigshof & Excelsior. There are plenty of hotels around the train station but the area is somewhat sleazy. A couple gem hotels in the train station area are Dorint Sofitel & Le Meridien.

Tourist magnets: Rathaus clock in Marienplatz, Residenz palace & Royal treasury, Nymphenburg Palace, Viktualienmarkt, Toy museum, BMW building, Olympic stadium & Dachau Concentration Camp, Jewish museum.
Museums: Alte Pinakothek, Neue Pinakothek, Lembach, Deutsches Museum, Glyptothek.
Churches: Asamkirche, Frauenkirche, Michaelskirche, Peterskirche, Theatinerkirche.
Activity: Mike's bike tour
Gourmet temples: Kaefer, Dahlmeyer, Tantris.
Beerhouse diners: Spatenhaus,Augustiner Keller, Weisses Braeuhaus, Hofbrauhaus. Not sure if there is a Paulaner Restaurant in Munich.

Forgot one of my favorites, Ratskeller below the famous clock in Marienplatz.

Although not downtown, the Hotel Astoria in Schwabing is a good middle class hotel with two or three very large rooms by European standards.

The hotel is on Nicolaistrasse just off of Leopoldstrasse about a long block from the Gieselastrasse U-Bahn station.

Downtown Munich is 3 to 4 U-Bahn stops away depending on where you want to go.

Marienplatz is on the line that serves Gieselastrasse.

The area of Schwabing along Leopoldstrasse and some of the side streets is very active.

As an added bonus, the breakfast at the Astoria is unbeatable and it is included in the price. The front desk staff regulars are all top notch and all of them speak English well enough to assist you with normal tourist questions.

We used biddingfortravel.com and priceline.com and won the Marriott for $65 US per night in July! I know it isn't "authenic" but is clean, safe and only 10 min.s from all the action via Ubahn. Works for us.

We stayed at the Hotel Torbrau very close to the old town and Marienplatz. Very nice, huge rooms, friendly and courteous service.

Try the Hotel Ludwig opposite the train station. Read my and other reviews on trip advisor.com under hotel reviews.

What is your budget. We could go on naming all the hotels in Munich but not help you without that information.

As far as the area is concerned you probably want to be close to the altstadt fussganger zone which is the area several blocks around Marienplatz.

The public transportation system in Munich is very good and pretty quick so you can get to most areas efficiently from wherever you stay.

I like to stay in the area around the train station and there are a bunch of hotels of all prices in that area.

I highly recomend Hotel Uhland as do many other posters on this site. It is not right in Marienplatz but is only a ten minute walk to the U Bahn so is very convenient to all of the main sites. Nice large rooms with very comfortable beds and modern bathrooms. A wonderful breakfast included in the price of the meal, free internet and free bicycles for use of the guests if desired. They also have parking if you are going to have a car while in Munich.

I would not miss the Residenz near Marienplatz, just watching the people go by in the squares and Englischer Garten. One big don't miss is a day trip to Dachau, a very moving experience. Day trips to the castles are also fun and the scenic drive there is not to be missed.

We liked the Hotel Laimerhof and would stay there again when we are in Munich again. It is near the Nymphenberg Palace - removed from the center of the city, but the neighborhood is served by the S-Bahn and trams. Picturesque and quiet neighborhood.

I will be staying at the Hotel Kimpinski on the Maximillianstrasse (Spelling??) has anyone stayed there? is it a nice hotel? I would really like some input from anyone who has been there before.
Mahalo,
Jeanne

I certainly don't recommend the Kempinski hotel as we have stayed there in 3 room categories. The rooms are generally worn & terribly old, they were in severe need of updating but so far I haven't heard of any renovation. Only the junior suite was OK (not great or grand by any means). The only thing that hotel has is the Vierjahreszeiten grand name but without the quality to back it up with. The location is also great close to the Residenz and across the street from the upscale designer shops. It is the only reason why I am hoping it will get renovated.

Thanks all! Budget not a problem; these are terrific suggestions!

You might also consider the Hotel Acanthus which is located near the Sendlinger Tor and it is A/C which some of us appreciate in HUMID Munich when it is warm; leMeridien is located across the street from the main railway station..large rooms but a typical business type hotel.

Hilton Munich City sits atop the Rosenheimer Platz S`/U-Bahn station

I've stayed in all three and had good luck with all three but if price is truly NO object, go for the Mandarin

I like staying near train stations and stayed at Hotel Europaisher Hof directly across the street from the HBF. Very clean, modern, and an excellent breakfast buffet. An easy walk to Marienplatz and all of its attractions. (Note, you can usually get a nightly rate below the published rate on the internet -- send them an email or call them.)

I'll add the Opera to the list of hotels. Beautiful, elegant, large rooms, good quiet location in the Lehel neighborhood between the Residenz and the river, and an excellent staff.

Don't miss Asamkirche, the Treasury at the Residenz, or the Amalienburg "hunting lodge" on the grounds of the Nymphenburg Palace. And when you're at the Nymphenburg, be sure to have lunch at the small restaurant at the corner of Menzingerstrasse and the north side of the canal facing the front of the palace. Can't remember it's name, but it's perfect.

I was planning to stay near the airport because of the convenience My daughter, her friend & I will arrive in Munich late one night and one of the girls will have 2 50 lb bags. I'm not sure how that will work on the Ubahn. My husband will arrive the 2nd day after we do with 2 50 lb bags. (1 of which will be for my daughter). The girls will have to return to the airport on the 3rd day to meet their group. (They will each have 2 50 lb bags) I thought that we would stay close to the airport and use shuttle service, rather than the train. The problem is, we would like to do a tour of the castles and Oberammergau on that 2nd day and all of the tours leave pretty early in the morning from Munich. I would have to make sure that our hotel was very close to the train station and know exactly how to get to the meeting place and hope that we wouldn't be delayed. On the 2nd day, after my husband arrives, we plan to tour Munich. (Could we do this on our own?) Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Hi Amberkat, there are plenty of hotels around the train station area. As I mentioned before the two best hotels are Sofitel(189euro) & Le Meiridien(149 euro). They are perfect for you to catch the tour buses in front of the station. You shouldn't have any problem getting on the train into town when you arrive in Munich Airport. The train station is just below the airport, you can take the elevator down to where you buy the train tickets & then take the escalator down to the platform easily. The airport is well designed for public transportation convenience..

The Hotel Amba is right across from the Main Train Station & is ideal in location. Only a short walk to the Ped Zone & less expensive than most others mentioned. The Uhland is also nice, but it is over by the Oktoberfest grounds. There is a also a bus stop at the end of the block.

At the airport is there an elevator down to the platform? I have read that there are luggage carts available. Can the luggage carts be brought down to the platform? There is no way we could manage the esculators with our luggage. Would it be easier to take the bus? If so, what hotels are near the bus stop in Munich? Would the Mariott or Renaisance be farther from the train station than the LeMeridian or Hotel Amba?

I'm don't know Hotel Amba, but the LeMeridien is directly across the street from the train station.

I'm still not sure whether you are looking for a 2* or a 5*. My preference is the Drei Lowen across the street from the train station. I think they are a 3*. If you go to Octopustravel.com you can see pictures of the various hotels.

Sofitel is directly across the street from the train station, Le Meridien a block away south of the train station, but really close.

I've used the "not so new" airport 5-6 times, and as far as I can remember we always took the elevator to the ticket counter basement level. After we purchased the ticket we took the escalator down to the platform. One time I arrived with my young son with all the suitcases while my wife arrived the next day, My son waited on top of the escalator as I went up & down carrying all our suitcases and then took him down with the last suitcase. I never worried about somebody stealing the suitcases as we would have if we were in southern Italy. We never looked for an escalator down to the platform, but it is very likely that there's one also. By the way, if you book Le Meridien, try to get the breakfast package as it is worth a lot, unless your tour bus leaves at 7am, then you should juts buy some danish the night before so you can eat on the bus.

LeMeridien is not "a block away"..it is literally across the street depending on which exit from the station you take.

Thanks for all of the suggestions. We could easily leave one person at the top of the esculator when we arrive! (Myself, daughter & her friend) Then I realized that my husband will be arriving alone and have his and my daughter's second suitcase. Maybe he could strap them together and piggyback them on the esculator. I guess I could get up early and take the train to the airport to meet him.

No one has mentioned the Mariott so I guess it is not as close to the train station as the others. I also found the King's hotel but it seems to be a little way down. I'm going to compile a list of all of the hotels near the station and then research distance and price, and quality and make my decision. Another hotel that came up on a google search was the Hotel Monoco. It seems to be a bit of a walk from the station also. I can't see getting a cab when you are that close. And we will be arriving late at night so the quicker it is to get to the hotel, the better. Thanks for all of your help!

I have stayed at the Marriott and the Renaissance many times in Munich. (I have lots of reward points). Both are located close to each other in Schwabing, and are close to the U-Bahn stop. The handy airport bus stops across the street from the Renaissance. The Marriott has air conditioning which might make a diffence if it's hot.

You can often get the Marriott using Priceline for $65.

If you don't mind seeing naked old guys, then take a stroll through the English Garden with a lunch stop at the Chinese Tower.

Another note ... You could check out the Intercity Hotel. It is connected to the train station and looked clean. I wouldn't want to stay around the train station myself as it would be too loud and busy for me. There are somes areas around the station that are a bit too seedy for my tastes. (Not unsafe - just creepy.) I wouldn't recommend the Hotel Monoco.

I would prefer to stay away from the train station in the older part of town. I think convenience has to take precedence on this trip and we won't be at the hotel much anyway. Dutch, you said the Mariott is near a U bahn stop, would that also happen to be an S bahn stop? I really don't want to have to switch trains with luggage.

You absolutely don't want to transfer trains or even worse to change system to a U bahn train, it's a real pain with the suitcases. That's why it makes sense to stay near the Hauptbahnhof. I do think south of the train station is a seedy area with too many striptease joints and sex shops. For that reason we stay in Hotel Anna in Stachus/Karlsplatz S bahn stop (one stop before the train station.
As an alternate to staying near Hauptbahnhof, you can instead stay at the CITY Hilton (2 Hiltons in Munich) which has its own entry to the S bahn station (Rosenheimer Platz) 4 stops closer to the airport. The rooms have all been recently renovated. The bellman will take your suitcases down to the train platforms when you depart. I'm sure if one of you enter the hotel and ask for help, he will come down with the luggage cart to pick up all your suitcases. City Hilton is cheaper than Le Meridien.

The Airport bus (operated by Lufthansa) is really a handy way to get into Munich from the airport if you don't want to hassle with your luggage or the expense of a taxi.

Le Meridien is great-right across the street from the train station. They even stored our baggage for an overnight trip to Rothenburg by train. Herties Dept. Store down the street has a good cafeteria we enjoyed. You can't beat the location for buses, trains, subway,etc.

I'm staying in Munich for my honeymoon and wanted someplace nice and somewhat affordable. after a few days of research i found the Golden Leaf Parkhotel Im Lehel. it had very good reviews, was between Marienplatz and the Englischer Garden plus was very reasonably priced. once again this is after a whole buncha research. if you don't like this one i stayed at the NH München Deutscher Kaiser which is right across from the main train station in Munich. if i remember it was about a 5 minute walk to the marienplatz. very nice rooms and very helpful staff. little more expensive and we wanted to see the englischer garden too. good luck.

Hi...My husband and I along with another couple are spending 3 days and nights in Munich for Oktoberfest. We are looking for a hotel that is centrally located in the city and within walking distance to many of the sights. Close to the Oktoberfest grounds as well. Price is a factor. Any recommendations???

We stayed at the Kempinski airport hotel - I know it's a bit out of the way, but it was AMAZING. What a wonderful hotel! Then we just walked to our terminal when we flew out.

We also stayed a night at the Hotel Uhland, which was decent as well. Not in the same class, but nice.

We just returned last week, stayed at www.acanthushotel.de very nice place, can walk easily to the Marienplatz.

Katy99, Not to hijack the thread but if you are looking for Oktoberfest accomodations in Septemeber, BOOK NOW. Especially the hotels within easy reach of Teresian Wiesse (sp). The Uhland would be ideal and then any of the hotels near the train station are one U-Bahn stop from the fair grounds. Good luck.

I have a couple of good suggestions for hotels. I've stayed at the Royal, which is completely non-smoking and right near the Hauptbahnhof. It's not an attractive area but it's safe. The hotel turned out to be great for budget reasons. The rooms are clean and simple, and a room at the back is quiet.

The hotel I love is the Admiral on Kohlstrasse; it's small and wonderful.

I also have a thought for Ambercat-- could the girls pack any lighter?? It is so hideous to be dragging too much luggage around. I've done it and I will never do it again!! It is a nightmare on the trains, and in general you feel ridiculous. I don't know how long their tour is but they probably don't need half of what they think they do. Good luck!

I am considering the Hotel Anna and Holiday Inn Centre City. Hotel Anna is considerably more expensive but it seems very nice. They never answered my question in reguard to distance from s-bahn station. It seems that the Holiday Inn has easier access to the S bahn line. Am I right? (3 women with 5 large bags and carryons - we need the most convenience we can get!)

amberkat: The S bahn station is just across the street from Hotel Anna. It's called the Stachus Station just one stop before the train station. It is on the major S & U bahn line.

I'm familiar with the location of the Holiday Inn Centre, it's a further walk from the Rosenheimerpltz S bahn station. If you want to stay in that area, I would recommend staying at the City Hilton which is right on the Rosenheimerstrasse and has its own S/U bahn entryway.

The King's Hotel was mentioned earlier - we stayed there 1 night before our flight home from Munich. The hotel itself was good, although it is about a block and a half from the main train station, so I wouldn't want to drag too much luggage that far. We only had 1 suitcase and 1 day pack each and a small dufflebag. Across from the hotel was is a strip club called "BOOBS" though - which we thought was hilarious, but I can see how some might think it was a little tasteless - LOL.