5 Best Hotels in Altstadt, Hamburg

The "grand" here refers to its size, from the nearly 11,000-square-foot spa area and five restaurants to the 511 guest rooms and extra-wide beds. The centerpiece of the hotel is the Boulevard, which was modeled after the Champs Elysées and is lined with restaurants and a bar. The Grand Foyer features a lush, tropical installation with a waterfall and an accompanying bar, a large, quiet sitting area, and abstract art. Outside the Bourbon Street Bar, a piano player fills the air with music throughout the afternoon and evening.

Concealed down a side street not far from the main station, this small boutique hotel, with its retro rooms, furniture, and phones, will undoubtedly please fans of film noir and Mad Men. Guest rooms are softly lit, their dark, wooden chairs and cabinets offset by light green walls, gray curtains, and white wood panels behind the beds. The Henri feels a lot like a stylish bachelor pad, a sensation heightened by the hotel's small, denlike lobby and lounge, which flow on to an open-plan kitchen space, where there's a communal refrigerator stacked with bottles of beer and tubs of ice cream. Plus, the Henri features a rooftop spa equipped with a Finnish sauna and also a fully-equipped gym.

Perched at the end of the Reeperbahn, this branch of the Motel One chain is ideal for those looking for a trendy, design-minded, central yet inexpensive base. The bed linens are sumptuous, towels are lush, and the bed is crowned with real leather and dark wood. The bathrooms have rainfall showerheads and organic toiletries. The rooms are small, however, and despite having HD TVs, lack basics like telephones, chairs, closets (there is a bar for hanging clothes), and information folders.

There's no missing the black glass and gray concrete form of the Radisson Blu, which towers 330 feet above Dammtor train station, with sweeping views of Planten un Blomen and the city. Built in 1973, it's a bold yet welcoming property that resembles a giant harmonica balanced on one end. Guest rooms here have three modern design styles: pale-wood and earth-tone furnishings; bold aquas and mustard interiors; and black lacquer accents, dark wood, and turquoise carpets.

Behind the facade of a centrally located, former Deutsche Post building hides the sleek style and famously comfortable beds of one of the city's finest business hotels. Dominated by gray, white, and dark-brown hues, rooms are furnished with tasteful, contemporary furniture, huge beds (by German standards), and even bigger marble bathrooms. The Sofitel's Ticino restaurant serves flavors from around the world, while downstairs there's a funky indoor pool and spa area, decked out in Italian tiles and natural stone, as well as a small gym.