Where to stay in Munich

We stayed 4 nights last September at Pension Lindner. Good location and breakfast included. As for charm.... well, it had a good location and breakfast was included. Lol. It was nice and clean, good wifi, and a 5-minute walk to Marienplatz and the trains. Definitely more modern than charming. We would not hesitate to stay there again.

We last stayed at the Hotel Viktualienmarkt, which was very convenient to the central attractions. It was also right across the street from the large market area (as name implies) which is as colorful as it gets. The S-bahn system is pretty easy to get to anything not nearby.

Another vote for Lindner. I haven't stayed there yet but probably will try to my next trip to Munich. Great location, short distance to Marienplatz (which is the center of downtown), good price, elevator.

We stayed at the Kempinski when we were in Munich. It's easy walking distance to the Marienplatz and the public transport. I think it's slightly overrated, but breakfast was great. And the concierge was amazing.

We stayed at Pension Lindner too, back in August, and would definitely stay there again. As was said, the modern decor wasn't anything to write home about, but the lady who runs it was very helpful, it had a great included breakfast, and the location was ideal. Very easy walk to both the Marienplatz and Viktualienmarkt.

In 2015, we were very happy with the Hotel Blauer Bock. Excellent location, facilities, and breakfast. Close to the Viktualienmarkt.

http://hotelblauerbock.de/hotel-en-0/

Just to let you know, some people do not like the area around the main train station and find it a little bit seedy. I stayed at a hotel on Schwanthalerstrasse and was fine, even walking back at night. The area has a lot of nighttime entertainment, including the adult variety. You can't see in the windows but it makes some people uncomfortable. It is still a safe area.

I would suggest the Eden Hotel Wolff, directly across the street from the main RR station on Arnulf Strasse.
Excellent English-speaking staff, very helpful, close to the Marienplatz.
The restaurant is very good with a superb breakfast buffet as well as lunch and dinner.
I stay there each time I am in Munich, three or four times a year.

Thanks to all of you — your generosity is much appreciated. I now have an abundance of choice.

We've stayed multiple times at the Platzl (https://www.platzl.de/en/). I can't say enough about the service. Rooms are charming and quieter facing courtyard. 2-3 block walk to the Marienplatz and one block away from the Hofbräuhaus. If you want an amazing breakfast, they have the absolute best in Europe IMHO. Highly recommended.

OP..... Please come back and tell us where you booked!!

want to stay where we can easily walk around the city sites, feel safe after dark, and preferably some charm

I second those who say stay in the city center if possible. We always stay at Motel One and those Sendlinger Tor location would be a good option for you.

My second recommendation would be to stay in Haidhausen. Great neighborhood with lots of shops, restaurants and flower filled squares. Again I usually stay at Motel One Ost here but there are also hotels near Rosenheimerplatz right on the SBahn line or hotels near Max Weber Platz on the U5 line.

The only times I’ve ever stayed near the main train station is i when I was in town for business and needed something close to the train station. It’s safe and close to the long distance trains but lacking in everything else.

DJ

After much debate and all of your input, we decided initially to try the Pension Lindner and do without the charm in exchange for location and friendliness, only to find out they were fully booked. Having determined that location was key, we ended up booking with Derag Livinghotel am Viktualienmarkt, which is near there, recommended by RS book; it looks promising. We only have 2.5 days in Munich, and half of one of them will be spent at the BMW factory and museum, so we decided we wanted to be able to walk everywhere on our hit list, without having to travel much. Thanks everyone for your input --- I am really impressed at the results of asking a question on this forum, and since I obsess about travel plans, I now have a new way of getting suggestions. Happy traveling!