Hi

I am going over to Munich and Salzburg with a friend at the end of November to the Christmas markets. I would like to stay somewhere central but have never been to Munich before so any hotel recommendations or even areas to stay in would be appreciated.

Thanks a lot!

Emma

The choices are numerous near the train station and Marienplatz (main square). You might identify your price range or how many stars you need.

We stayed at Hotel Blauer Bock, which is pretty near Viktualienmarkt and Marienplatz and liked it. Nice folks and good breakfast. Not too fancy.

http://www.hotelblauerbock.de/

Try Hotel Reservation Service. It will give you an idea of prices. You can sort hotels by location.

http://www.hrs.com/web3/

We are staying near Sendlinger Tor which is about 10 minutes from Marienplatz, has a small Christmas Market and is near an Ubahn stop. With a day ticket on local transportation it will be easy to visit the markets and other sights.

http://www.mvv-muenchen.de/en/home/index.html

You probably already know that there are several markets scattered throughout the city:

http://www.muenchen.de/Rathaus/touri...s_Markets.html

Regards, Gary

We have stayed at Hotel Schlicker, near Viktualienmarkt and Sendlinger Tor on Tal Strasse, several times. It's small, handy, and clean. I believe they have a web site now.

We thought our choice of Hotel Meier, Schutzenstrasse (a Pedestrian Mall) opposite the main train station- was a great find! Below the hotel we found a little orchestra playing, coffee bars and quick meal places. Very walkable to Marienplatz. The rate was 120euros including a lovely buffet breakfast with both continental and hot food.

Depending on your budget, I'd look into these:

1. Sofitel Bayerpost at the main station. Very pleasant modern design behind a period facade, amazingly dark but stylish and pleasant spa in the basement and excellent breakfast.
http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-...st/index.shtml

2. The Charles, a Rocco Forte property, probably currently the most upscale hotel in the city along with no.3
http://www.thecharleshotel.com/

3. Mandarin Oriental, has been around for a while with a better location than any of the aforementioned hotels just off Maximilianstr.
http://www.mandarinoriental.com/munich/

4. Hotel Cortiina, modern design right in the centre of Old Town.
http://www.cortiina.com/cortiina.htm

5. The brand new Louis Hotel on Viktualienmarkt could also be worth a shot.
http://www.louis-hotel.com/site/index.php

The five that hsv listed are among the most expensive in Munich. We love the Bayerpost and are staying there next month for the second time, having secured an excellent advance purchase rate about 6 months ago on their website. We like the location as well as the hotel.

Prices for the same hotels can differ dramatically from site to site so take the time to research if price is an issue.

Le Meridien is a very nice hotel conveniently located at the main train station and the rates there lately have been the lowest I have ever seen for that hotel. Very large rooms for Europe and you can grab a cheaper breakfast at the station.

There is a also a nice Mercure near the station.

We enjoyed Hotel Uhland very much.

I got the Courtyard Marriott by bidding on Priceline. Last year, the winning bid was $55 USD (although I might have been able to get it for cheaper). Some people don't like to be near the train station, but the neighborhood seemed perfectly safe, and public transit is very convenient.

I agree with willtravel that the Courtyard by Mariott can be very inexpensive by bidding on priceline. See biddingfortravel.com for the latest winning bids. It is more of an American style hotel than some others that are more Bavarian in style. It is in a convenient place about 2 blocks from the train station and about a 10 minute walk to Marienplatz where you will find the biggest of Munich's Christmas markets. About a block away from there is the creche market with tons of wood carved nativity figures. Maeienplatz is also close to other attractions like the Rathaus,Hofbrau Haus, Frauenn Kirche.

I also bid on Priceline for Munich and won the Courtyard. It was perfect for our needs. If you are concerned the Euro/dollar it may be best to have your rooms prepaid ahead of time.

We stayed at the Le Meridien in Munich and I HATED it. The location sucked - unless you needed to get on a train. To get to the Marienplatz you had to walk by some sketchy areas and late at night that wasn't fun. The air conditioning in our room was broken and the maintenance person was unable to repair it. I would not recommend this hotel - of all the hotels we stayed in in Europe this was one of our least favorites.

You haven't mentioned a budget, so you are getting suggestions all over the map.

We thoroughly enjoyed the Hotel Torbraeu, located right at the Isartor and within easy walking distance of all the major sights. www.torbraeu.de

Thanks a lot for all of the suggestions! I would hope to get a three/four star hotel for around €100/night. I travel quite a bit and find that by searching around I have always been able to find a good hotel in and around that price range whatever the city! My main priorities are safety,location and cleanliness.

Attymom, sory you had a bd experience as most reviews are positive. We always stay by the station and find it convenient to everything we need and not sketchy with a tram right outside the door and the U bahn right there which makes access to all of Munich simple. But we walk most everywhere and have no issues with the area. And we have been pleased with each of our three stays at Le Meridien.

Tripadvisor.com has lots of reviews on all hotels in Munich.

I don't know what your budget is, but I enjoyed my stay at the Bayerischer Hof. It is a lovely hotel, on Promenadeplatz, within walking distance of almost anyplace you would want to go.

Thanks a lot for all of the suggestions - I booked the Sofitel Bayerpost as I got a very good deal on it!

You will love the hotel - we are looking forward to our stay there next month.