munich hotels

At the bottom of this webpage I have listed some hotels that have been recommended by people on this site. As for stars, in Germany, stars are awarded by the German Hotel and Restaurant Association (DEHOGA) based on points awarded in certain categories. These do not reflect cleanliness and maintenance; all starred hotels have to meet the same minimum requirements. I have stayed (120+ nights) at mostly non-starred hotel in Germany, and all were clean and well maintained. Stars are awarded on such considerations as hours the front desk is open or whether or not they have heated towel racks. Stars are, IMO, a compensation for lack of atmosphere. One thing to consider, according to DEHOGA, hotels have to take credit cards to have two or more stars. A hotel has to have a bilingual "staff" (German/English) to have three or more stars.

hi lee..
thanks so much for the info on the stars... really good to know... i guess what i am trying to say is i am looking for a nice, clean place to stay, reasonably priced (but i'm not afraid to pay up a little in need be), in a safe area. i hear staying by the train station can be a little seedy at night? i will look at your ideas.. thanks again!!!

The train station area is being upgraded bit by bit; there is a very posh Le Meridien right across the street, but it is more upscale than charming. We have in the past stayed at the highly recommended Hotel Uhland, a nice small family-run hotel in a residential area with lots of charm. It is an old mansion and every room is different. Walkable from the train station in about 15 minutes. There are some nice older places (read lots of charm) near Marienplatz that are worth considering too. I can't name any as we haven't tried that area yet, but we will next time. It is a short ride from the main train station by S-Bahn, and more in the center of the main sights than the train station area.

kathy, I've stayed at both Hotel Uhland and Hotel Royal, and would absolutely recommend either. I haven't checked, but believe both are at least three star (for whatever that's worth). As Lola mentioned, Hotel Uhland is in a quiet residential area about a 15-minute walk from the Hbf. I often take a Taxi from the station when hauling luggage, but have also walked on occasion. On my last visit there, I had to direct the Taxi driver (who didn't speak much/any English), even though I gave him the address and he was using a GPS. He must have been having a "senior moment" that day? I stayed at Hotel Royal when I was in Munich in September, and found it really convenient as it's so close to the main station (about 5-7 minutes) and an easy walk to Marienplatz. Whether the area around the Hotel is considered "seedy" is perhaps a matter of opinion, but I didn't mind it at all. Inside the Hotel is a different world, so what's outside wasn't a concern. There was some construction taking place on the streets, so there were some construction fences, etc. I've found the rooms at both were about the same - clean, well maintained and comfortable. The staff at both were wonderful, and both serve great breakfasts (the Hotels in Munich are my "gold standard" for breakfasts throughout Europe). Happy travels!

Another vote for Uhland.

you don't think hotel uhland is too far from the center of town? i think i read it's 1,25 miles or about 20 minutes away? pleasant walk tho?? maybe nicer than staying right in town? per rick steves hotel royal is "best value in price range (as long as you can look past the strip joints flanking the entry)" i don't think that's quite what i'm looking for.. hotel am vittualienmarkt and blauer bock look ok in the center of town.. no sure about hotel munchner kindl with no elevator.. i'm not quite as young as i used to be...

kathy, "per rick steves hotel royal is "best value in price range (as long as you can look past the strip joints flanking the entry)" i don't think that's quite what i'm looking for." One of the reasons the neighborhood didn't bother me at all, was that I'm only in the Hotel to sleep and shower, so not spending a lot of time in that area. As I recall, Hotel Royal did have an Elevator. Perhaps one of the others that you mentioned would fit your criteria better, but unfortunately I don't have any comments to offer on them? Cheers!

I'm not a big Uhland fan (more expensive than needed, IMO), but it's not too far away. In 2007, on the last Thursday of Oktoberfest, I arrived at MUC and took the S-Bahn to the Hbf, stowed my bag, then walked to Theresienwiese. It was a short walk, I don't think 15 minutes total. On the way I passed Hotel Uhland. If you don't want to walk, Uhland is also close to an U-Bahn station (Theresienwiese, U4/U5) which goes to the Hbf.

When I stayed at Uhland, I didn't think it was too far from the center...walked back and forth from Marienplatz several times. I can't recall how long of a walk it was, but 20-25 minutes sounds about right. And, yes, it's a pleasant walk. Once you get beyond a few busy streets and tram tracks, it's pedestrian-only the rest of the way. If you don't like walking or can't walk, then it might be a little far away, but you can take a taxi or use the subway/U-bahn. I thought it was perfect, but I prefer to walk whenever possible and don't have an issue with trekking 45 minutes on foot if the weather is good. I didn't look at Lee's website, so I'm not sure if he already mentioned it, but Wombat's Hostel is another place people seem to like a lot...maybe another option for you to consider. I don't believe it's the typical hostel with alot of loud young people.

We stayed at the Blauer Bock. Excellent breakfast. Nice folks. Location is very near Viktualien Markt and therefore Marienplatz. Price has been drifting up and I remember that they required an advanced credit card. We have also stayed at the Hotel Bristol. More modern and functional. Again a decent breakfast and nice folks. It is at Sendlinger Tor, pretty easy walk to Marienplatz. Ubahn stop right at the hotel. We are returning there in November.

We got back from a trip to Europe on October 15th. In Munich we stayed at Hotel Uhland. We stay there every time we go to Munich. It's about 3 blocks to the U-bahn station and you can go anywhere. We got a partner ticket for the inner ring that costs 10.20 Euros and is good for buses, s-Bahn and u-Bahn until 6 a.m. the next morning. We've become experts in getting anywhere we want to go.