Schwabing or Alstadt (Munich)
 

Which neighborhood is preferable to stay in?

It totally depends. Downtown (=old town=Altstadt) gives you a few more opportunities.

Unless you have a specific reason to stay in Schwabing, it would make much more sense to stay nearer the Old Town. Otherwise, most of what you will want to see will require a bus or train ride in. If you saty in Old Town, most everything is walkable. We typically stay near the Main Train Station ourselves.

Schwabing is OK IF you stay near a U-Bahn stop (assuming you will use public transport) otherwsie I would stay closer to the center of things and there is a wide range of hotels in that area.

>It totally depends. Downtown (=old town=Altstadt) gives you a few more opportunities.

...during the daytime (shopping etc.). In the evenings the Old Town is quite dead and Schwabing - especially the northern part between the Giselastrasse and Münchner Freiheit - is alive.

Correct, but there's nightlife in other parts of town too.

While I like parts of Schwabing, you might want to list the names of applicable hotels here.

There are a number of hotels in Schwabing, such as the Marriott and the Renaissance, that are rather far away from the action and avid nightlife that can be found in other parts of Schwabing.

The Hotel Astoria on Nicolaistrasse about halfway between Gieselastrasse and Münchener Freiheit is a good place. I have used it quite a few times in the past. There is plenty going on up and down Leopoldstrasse.

the Astoria puts on the best hotel breakfast you will find. Incredible the variety, quality, and amount of the food that is available.

These are the hotels I am considering: Opera, Torbraeu, Cosmopolitan, or Admiral.

Also in the running, but "big-chain" properties: Dorint Sofitel Bayerpost and Eden Hotel Wolff,

At the end of the day, I am unsure about the "right by the train station" location-- in most American cities, at least, near the train station would not be an appealing location, but in Munich, that seems to be a plus according to many reviewers. Do you have an opinion on any of these hotels?

topping.. anyone? ;)

If the questions is "What neighborhood" there's only one answer: "Sendling"

penny,

as in every city, the area around the train station is not the most upscale one. There are a few sleazy strip joints and cheap telephone shops etc in Munich as most everywhere, too.

However that would not hold me back from staying at the Dorint Sofitel Bayerpost which is a remarkably well designed hotel IMHO. Plus, its location is central.

Of the others I only know the Eden Wolff, although I haven't stayed there. It's located on the other side of the station from the Dorint, but the area does not differ that much. It is a far more traditional hotel and if it comes at the same price as the Dorint I would opt for the Dorint.

The Hotel Opera is located in the charming Lehel district, wlaking distance to the upscale shopping along Maximilianstr. The Lehel always feels like a village right in the city center to me. Not at all bad and locationwise nicer than the area around the station.
Their website also indicates the Gandl restaurant nearby. That is quite a nice place (where I had dinner once) and if there is some relation between the Hotel and the Restaurant, that might speak for the hotel.

The Torbräu is on Tal St. in the city center. Very central shopping street right in the thick of things.

The Cosmopolitan seems to be on Hohenzollernstr. in Schwabing. That is a nice shopping mile in the Schwabing district. Right in the center of things there and a nice area IMHO. It should be easy walking distance to Muenchener Freiheit subway station from where trains will whisk you into the city center within approx. 5 minutes (to Odeonsplatz and 7 min. to Maximilianplatz) - Munich is a compact city after all.
It being part of the Geisel Hotel Group is not bad, as they operate some of the more reputable hotels in the city.

I am not that familiar with the Admiral's location in the greater Gaertnerplatz area. This area is a bit more coloured and varied than other areas in Munich - not bad, though. It is closer to Viktualienmarkt.

In order to summarize: I don't think that any of the hotels you selected are in a bad location. I would, with all due respect, disregard the local expertise regarding Sendling that was offered by logos, which may be nice for living in Munich, but would not thoroughly increase the quality of your stay as compared with the options you already have.

The independent hotels you selected are all in nicer areas than the Dorint - and the Eden Wolff (which admittedly is also privately owned). The Dorint would be of completely different character being a modern design hotel and sporting a great pool and spa area (and also being much bigger than the other selections here).

From the impressions I got from taking a look at the websites of the hotels, I would prefer the Opera and the Cosmopolitan over the Admiral and the Torbraeu. That would, for one, be based on their respective location, and apart from that mere gut feeling, if you catch my drift.

If your focus lies on the area where you stay, I would opt for one of the four aforementioned places. If your focus lies on a nice hotel, this would bring the Dorint back into the competition. I think you can disregard the Eden Wolff. Not that that's bad, but it might be of the same character as your other four independent options which are all in a nicer location.

I hope this helps a bit. Have fun on your trip.

It may help you to know that, as an example, there is a rather upscale hotel directly across the street from the RR station: LeMeridien. Across one of the strets from that there is a sex store. Because of that and the fact that this area also has some ethnic take-out places some here, in the past, have charcterized the whole area as "seedy."

Fast forward to the main route from the RR area to the Marienplatz: on the way you will pass one of the largest sex stores in Germany, the Beate Uhse emporium, however nobody EVER says that the area around the Marienplatz is seedy so go figure.

Dukey,

while I agree that the area around the station is bearable and not spectacularly bad, there are quite a number of outfits along Seidlstr. and Goethestr. that would perfectly fit the desciption of being sleazy. And that is right off Bayerstr. where the Dorint and the Le Méridien are located.

It would still not put me off staying at the Dorint, which I like for its design and atmosphere. But I do stick with the views outlined on my former post: if location is vital, the smaller hotels penny mentioned may be a better choice.

HSV--Thanks so much! As you surmised, the area around the hotel is most important to us, as well as a hotel with some charm and personality, larger than a B&B but smaller than a 100+ room hotel. But we do not need the usual spa, pool, etc perks of the larger hotels-- I am leaning toward the Opera or Admiral, both of which look about the same distance from Marienplatz and related tourist area, as well as the "museum district"-- and both hotels have quoted me identical rates.
My main hesitation with the Cosmopolitan, at which I could get a jr. suite for the same price, is that it appears to be pretty far north-- we like walking, but about how many walking blocks is it from that area to, say, the Marienplatz-- not opposed to the subway, but we are city dwellers and like to walk if possible.

Thanks again for all of your insight-- you must live in Munich?
-PC

While I was based in Munich, I used to stay in Schwabing slightly further North than Hohenzollernstr. I walked into the city center (Maximilianstr.) a couple of times. It is about a 20 min. walk. Furthermore, there are rental bicycles everywhere. You just need to register by phone once and then call the company when you want to use a bike. They will then give you a code which you enter and then you are ready to go. Upon return its just another phonecall to the company where you indicate the location of the bike. Great way to explore the city.

If you torn between the Admiral and the Opera, my feeling would be to lean towards the Opera. The location of the Cosmopolitan is perfectly fine. Especially if you intend to venture out in the evenings it might be preferable towards all the other ones you mentioned. The ligne roset furniture advertised on their website should be a plus, too.
Basically I would be torn between the Cosmopolitan and the Opera. If you can get a Jr Suite at the former, I'd be tempted to jump at it.
Should you stay there, have a casual dinner at Schwabinger Wassermann or a romantic candlelight dinner on a Sunday night at Ö1 on Herzogstr. within easy walking distance!

Forgot to point out: I am not at all a local. I am living in the far North of Germany, in Hamburg. The Bavarians would most likely despise me for that ;-).

I used to be based in Munich, though, for a couple of months recently - and I have been travelling there quite a couple of times.

Local advice on Munich can be obtained from logos here on the forum.

We stay in the train station area when we are in Munich because we like wandering the Fussganger Zone that is close by. We have stayed in Schwabing but didn't want to have to ride the subway to get to Marienplatz. Our favorite hotel near the train station is Drei Lowen.

Hi again... still debating, this is why planning this far in advance is dangerous! The Opera is too expensive. The Admiral is in our price range is well-revied on tripadvisor, but now you have me concerned about the neighborhood, Gaertnerplatz. Is there stuff to do at night, within walking distance of the Admiral? Such as outdoor cafes, restaurants, bars? I am not in love with the pictures on the Cosmopolitan's website, the rooms look a little dreary... help! Should I be considering a different place altogether? We like to be in an area where dinner is nearby and a nice walk from the hotel.

>concerned about the neighborhood, Gaertnerplatz
It's the gay quater. Nothing to be worried about, they tolerate "normal" folks. ;-) Some nice restaurants too!

ha! we live in South Beach, so we'll fit right in. My concern was based on hsv's comment that, compared to my other selections, for example in Lehel, that area "is a bit more coloured and varied than other areas in Munich" - was not sure what that meant. Does anyone else think the Cosmopolitan rooms look kind of drab?

has anyone suggested the Acanthus? Is that out of budegt for you?

hsv, are you still there? am I annoying you? Let's assume the most important feature (after cleanliness) is location for nighttime-- we usually nap in the early evening after a full day of sightseeing (my hubby is of German descent, so up early!) and then walk to restaurants near the hotel and maybe a bar or two afterwards. Getting on the subway for the day outing is fine-- by the end of the day, we usually want to stay put in a nice neighborhood. Schwabing is sounding better, but I do not know of a hotel in the area (would Lehel fit the bill too?). I am obsessing, I know... I am a Virgo, can't help myself! ;)

penny,

as I said, I am not familiar with the Admiral - and while I have been to the Gaertnerplatz area, I am nowhere near capable to state an expert opinion on it. When describing the Gaertnerplatz area I tried to hint that it leaves room for different lifestyles (which I personally find quite refreshing), but may that it may not resemble what people travelling to Munich usually are looking for.
I think it is conveniently located for seeing the city sights.

To further confuse you, I'll add another hotel to the list, where friends of mine stayed and which they liked a lot. It is located in the Haidhausen district, which is a city neighbourhood that used to be workman's quarters, but has become quite fashionable over the years. There are a few nice cafés there, it is just across the River Isar and an easy tram ride from the center of town.

http://www.hotel-ritzi.de/

The webpage is in German only, unfortunately. FYI: "Die Preise" on the left hand side means "Prices".

The second sentence should read:

"When describing the Gaertnerplatz area I tried to hint that it leaves room for different lifestyles (which I personally find quite refreshing), but it may not resemble what people travelling to Munich usually are looking for."

We stayed in Munich for 5 nights and stayed in the neighborhood just south of the Nymphenberg castle. We enjoyed staying away from the center of town - gave us a more "lived in" feel, if that makes sense. We didn't mind the tram ride between our neighborhood and the city center area - trams are very convinient, as are the S-Bahn and U-Bahn. Even on days that we went back to the hotel for a nap in the afternoon and went back out at night (it was pretty hot during our trip) it was no problem to ride the tram back and forth. If we had been in Munich for only 2-3 nights, I probably would have chosen to stay right in the center of things though.

JC, what was the name of the hotel where you stayed?
-PC

pennycharlotte,
We just got back from a great weekend in Munich. We stayed at the Torbraeu and it was fantastic. I think we had a Deluxe Double - lovely room with a small separate sitting room and a beautiful bathroom, right next to the Isartor and within walking distance of all the major Altstadt sights. Many restaurants within walking distance - we really enjoyed our dinner outside at the Weisses Brauhaus. The hotel had excellent service - the staff all let us speak our pathetic German and spoke back to us in German (unless we didn't understand of course). It's the kind of place where the manager comes to talk to you at breakfast. I would definitely recommend it, and for a first trip to Munich would also recommend staying in the Altstadt. It was very lively at night, contrary to another post I saw.

We stayed at the Hotel Laimer Hof - here is the website:

http://www.laimerhof.de/english/welcome.htm

We really liked its location and the owners are really nice people. Our hotel room was small, which was the only drawback, but I understand that is pretty standard. It would have been nice to have a little more room on those hot afternoons to just relax in the room with a cool drink and read a book - or a shady patio or something like that to go to.

There is a terrific beer garden about a 10 minute walk from the hotel - wonderfully shady place with plenty of tables, lots of people hanging out, so great people watching opportunities, and of course - good beer and sausages :)

I have stayed in Schwabing with my family for a week - we rented an apartment, but I noticed there was what appeared to be a nice hotel about 1-2 blocks away - Koenig Ludwig, on Hohenzollernstrasse, right at Ludwigstrasse. It's a Best Western, which is a much nicer chain in Europe than in the US, and its about a block from the UBahn station at Franz Joseph Strasse. We thought that being in Schwabing was great, because late in the day/evening/night when you are returning, there are lots of restaurants, etc. still open if you want to sit out and have a beer, glass of wine, or bite to eat. It was also a very easy walk to the Altstadt if you did not want to take the Ubahn.

I don't know the Torbräu from the inside but stayed practically next to it in a little apartment (till this morning, in fact, I just returned from Munich a few hours ago) and found the location great. The little street itself is quiet, but there is more than enough nightlife within 5-10 mins walking distance. It's more or less in the heart of the city, 5 mins from Marienplatz. The S-Bahn and U-Bahn is just round the corner, so it's easy to get around if you want to visit places further away. The main sights in the city centre can all be reached on foot. The hotel looked quite nice from the outside.