Munich: Hautbahnhof to Marienplatz easiest way?

Take any S Bahn going in direction Ostbahnhof (approx. every 2-3 minutes); Marienplatz is the 2nd stop. There is no tram from the main station to the Marienplatz.

If you can handle your bags on the SBahn, I would do that.

The taxi route is somewhat circuitous and thus is kind of expensive for
such a short route. Even if there was a tram, they are not made for people
lugging baggage on and off.

Thank you so much! We will plan on using the S-Bahn, and great to know there is no tram (Google maps showed it as an option, interestingly enough!) Much appreciated.

You will go downstairs at the Hbf. Just follow the green "S" signs to the underground platforms.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:S-Bahn-Logo.svg

Map it out using Google maps street view well beforehand. Walk 20 minutes, it is a good way to get oriented.

It’s an easy walk and you won’t be the only ones with bags. You can also take a cab. That would probably be the easiest.

We were at a hotel next to the train station. We didn’t want to schlep our bags to the tour hotel which was near the Marienplatz. A cab was way to go.

The easiest way might be to take a Taxi. But for us, the easiest was to take the S-bahn from Hbf to Marienplatz, even with luggage.

great to know there is no tram (Google maps showed it as an option, interestingly enough!)

That's a tram stop which is misleadingly called "Marienplatz (Theatinerstraße)" and is about 300m north of Marienplatz. However, if your hotel is north of Marienplatz, this could be a sensible option. You then take tram no. 19 (destination "Berg am Laim"), which leaves from the south entrance of the main station (when you leave the train platform to the right)

S-Bahn if you're OK handling your luggage. Its fairly easy to get to the S-Bahn line in the Munich Hbf.

Taxi, if you need assistance with your luggage.