Munich
Germany


The Experience

The pale yellow buildings that comprise almost a block of downtown Munich look more like a prestigious embassy than a hotel. And in a way, the five-star Bayerischer Hof is both. Since 1841, the hotel's many public venues -- from the formal Kamin Lounge to the famous Falk's Bar -- have hosted visiting dignitaries, movie stars and the European elite. The Volkhardt family has owned this Munich institution since 1897, and over the last few decades has painstakingly renovated the hotel piece by piece. As a result, the Bayerischer Hof may give the sense of a continual work-in-progress; the elevators are a little temperamental, and the enormous lobby can sometimes feel like an awkward patchwork of several hotels in one. The adjoining Palais Montgelas drips with baronial splendor, while the newly renovated VIP sixth floor of the main building could be a hip Miami boutique.

The Rooms

The rooms here are nothing if not eclectic -- options include Bavarian country house, tropical getaway, African colonial, English manor and the sleek continental modernity of architects Graf Pilati and Hans Minarik. Is this Munich or Niagara Falls? It's a fine line between novelty and kitsch, but even left-field entries such as "Paradise Island" maintain a certain Teutonic reserve (despite the sand-covered bathroom floor). The rooms themselves are generously sized; a basic double room is almost 300 square feet. The newly renovated suites on the VIP floor strike a more contemporary note, with sleek, muted interiors. But the most successful experiment is Suite 725, a gorgeous art deco Pilati creation.

The Service

The service here is what you might expect from a historic property that's been kept in the family a while: formal, but with a friendly Bavarian charm. Just stand a few minutes in the lobby, and you'll eventually be approached by an inquiring staff member. The service is all the more impressive considering the continual avalanche of traffic moving through. Business conferences are this hotel's bread and butter, so a quiet continental escape this is not.

The Highlights

You can stay a week at the Bayerischer Hof and go to a different bar every night (well, you might have to spend two at Trader Vic's -- yes, that Trader Vic). The famed Falk's Bar, housed in a mirrored banquet hall dating from 1839, was the only room in the hotel to escape World War II unscathed. As for entertainment, in addition to the requisite piano bar you'll find an actual 560-seat theater (we can't vouch for the entertainment, though). The Blue Spa on the roof is the hotel's newest signature attraction. Its wraparound terrace café affords jaw-dropping views of the city, and the impossibly cool blue-tiled pool has a retractable glass roof for winter. After a four-hand massage, relax in fluffy cotton splendor with a freshly squeezed juice by the fireplace.

-- Gisella Willaims

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