Since 1841, the Bayerischer Hof has occupied Promenadeplatz with the quiet authority of a building that predates the German state it sits in. Five generations of the Volkhardt family have run it without selling to a chain, and that independence shows in every decision: a Michelin-starred restaurant alongside a rooftop cinema, a Blue Spa with pool and terrace alongside a jazz club in the basement, the Falk's Bar for serious cocktails alongside a palm garden for afternoon tea. The scale is grand — over three hundred rooms across what is effectively a city block — but the family ownership prevents the anonymity that scale usually brings. The rooftop pool and terrace offer the Frauenkirche and Alpine panorama that belongs on the shortlist of Munich's great views. The hotel Munich measures all others against, and finds them wanting.
Location
Altstadt-Lehel, Munich
Insider Intel
The Blue Spa rooftop pool for the Frauenkirche and Alpine panorama — even if you swim nowhere else in Munich. Atelier for Michelin-starred dining. Falk's Bar for cocktails that compete with dedicated bars. The jazz club in the basement for the surprise of live music beneath a grand hotel. Request a room with city views on an upper floor.
Year-round. The rooftop pool is heated and operates through winter. The jazz club runs regular programmes. Summer for the terrace at full capacity; winter for the spa when cold air makes the heated pool theatrical. Munich's social calendar often revolves around this building.
Promenadeplatz 2-6, Altstadt. Marienplatz U-Bahn/S-Bahn, 5 minutes on foot. Rooms from EUR 350. Family-owned since 1841 — five generations of Volkhardts. Over 300 rooms. Blue Spa rooftop pool, Michelin-starred Atelier, Falk's Bar, Night Club with live jazz. The rooftop terrace is open to spa guests (day passes available). Smart casual minimum in restaurants. Book direct for upgrades and spa access.