Review - Bayerischer Hof - Munich
Munich, tourist magnet in Southern Germany and capital of Bavaria, has always been one of the wealthiest cities of the country and thus has a lot to offer for the discerning traveller. It achieves the impossible by resembling a small charming village (which hides its actual size quite well), while still having international renommée in culture, art, science, history and cuisine.
The Bayerischer Hof is the classical choice in Munich. It’s not only frequented by local celebrities and members of high society, it’s also hosting the yearly Security Conference Munich with high profile state guests.
On TripAdvisor, this hotel doesn’t get the expected rating close to 5.0, when you compare it to the other luxury hotels in town (Mandarin Oriental, Rocco Forte, Vier Jahreszeiten,…). I wanted to find out, why that was.
Location
The Bayerischer Hof is certainly well located: close to the famous Frauenkirche with its recognizable onion towers, next to the Fünf Höfe (elegant department store), the Maximilianstrasse (luxury shopping) and many other landmarks.
During the day, very expensive cars stopped by and in the end even the bus of FC Bayern München
Opposite to the entrace is a small park and nice old architecture
Atmosphere
The lobby cafe of the Bayerischer Hof
Many of the negative comments on TripAdvisor are regarding the state of the furniture and interiors, which I can confirm in some cases as you can see in the photo below. This chair in the lobby cafe is quite a disgrace.
How expensive was this chair, that they won’t replace it?
Another point that I didn’t like was the whole ground floor luxury shopping “mall” and reception area design. A renovation victim of the 90s….
Am I on a cruise ship?
The interior of the room floors was more to my liking with classical pictures and earthly colors.
Room
I booked the cheapest room via LHW and used an upgrade at time of booking. This is possible once per membership year (as a basic member). Otherwise you would have to hope to get an upgrade on check-in, which usually happens anyway as LHW member. So I got a Double Room Deluxe.
When I tried to find out what style my room was, I had a hard time finding that info on the hotel website. They have a vast number of distinct interior styles for their rooms. What is your guess?
Axel Vervoordt Style The rooms in the style shaped by Axel Vervoordt in the new south and north wings of the hotel are characterised by a subtle and restrained design. The linen fabric which is used for the beds, sofas, armchairs, chairs and cushions is kept in light or dark natural and earth tones from beige to dusty blue. The furniture made from old wood, whether it’s the table, chest of drawers, bedside table, desk or shelves, is always unique pieces.
Classic These rooms exude traditional European elegance. You will stay in the most stylish of settings, surrounded by precious antiques and fine, classic materials. The rooms are located in the historic Palais Montgelas, a separate wing built in the classical style in 1811.
Cosmopolitan R&B style With exciting contrasts in rich red, elegant black and timeless beige tones, our Cosmopolitan R&B rooms ooze contemporary style.
Colonial style With our Colonial style, we have transported the magical world of Africa to Europe. You will be greeted by glowing savannah colours and reassuring clay tones, underlined by magnificent materials. The stunning bathrooms are the work of Italian designer Renato Rabbiolo.
Graf Pilati style Sample understated luxury in the style of famous architect Siegward Graf Pilati. The modern yet elegant rooms – which feature subtle tones such as pearl grey, taupe and champagne, sunny ochre yellow or muted pastel shades – exude both fine design and a cosy atmosphere. The rooms’ spaciousness is underscored by exquisite materials, upholstered furniture with piping, and numerous decorative elements.
Laura Ashley style
My guess is on Graf Pilati!
I was kind of surprised by my room, because I was forewarned by certain TripAdvisor commentary that rooms in the Hof can be worn and badly designed. Well, I actually liked mine! The style and calming, understated colors, my heavenly bed, and a reasonable size.
What I didn’t like so much was the view. It was on to the street, a rather ugly building, and, temporarily, a huge construction site (of a Rosewood hotel nonetheless - so you could say: a luxury construction site? which doesn’t make it better).
The bathroom was appropriately sized and made extensive use of dark marble throughout. There was one issue with it: a really bad smell from the drains, which couldn’t even be fixed by a handy man, that reception sent over. I can’t believe this still happens in such hotels. Why is the cleaning staff not noticing this and reporting it? Seems to be a management problem. It doesn’t seem to be a singular problem either, since I read about the same issue on TripAdvisor.
Dining
View from the rooftop bar is priceless
Let’s start with the amazing rooftop bar that is probably one of the best spots in Munich. Look at the view. For my pre-dinner beer, I even had to wait a little due to too many elegant people occupying the outside tables (it was a Saturday in summer, not sure about other days). Btw, yet another design language was utilized on the whole rooftop and spa area: it’s more like a yacht club with wood and white linen. Much better than the ground floor.
Fortunately the breakfast had nearly the same view, one level below the rooftop bar. I got a table assigned inside on Sunday morning, which was still fine regarding views. I would criticize the loud atmosphere and too many people at the buffet. The quality and selection was great, though. Even Champagne was included (forgot which one). There is also a roof terrace where you can get breakfast a la carte, which is open to hotel guests only. I only read about it on the website and now wish that staff would have told me.
I have to mention that the Bayerischer Hof is home to the only Three-Michelin-Star restaurant in Munich: the Atelier. I have not dined there this time, though. I know, I missed an opportunity here, but I promise to do it next time.
Spa and Pool
Airy pool with closable roof for bad weather
The outdoor pool is located near the top floor and thus has air, sun, and a view. Pretty nice! The service was a little slow here. No one came to clean a table with food leftovers for some time or to ask me for my wishes. This should work better. If I compare it to the Four Seasons Istanbul at the Bosphorus pool service - it’s worlds apart. I didn’t use the gym, but I saw it was large enough with the same great views.
I had a massage booked as well, and was taken to a lower floor to a massage room with windows to the courtyard. It was a really skillfull and calming experience.
Other things to do
Just like a cruise ship, the Hof offers a variety of venues that you wouldn’t always expect at a city hotel: there is a cinema, a night club, a theater, a library, and a Trader Vic’s! I am not sure, I really need all that for my stay in a city that has so much to offer anyway, but why not?
Summary
| Hotel | Bayerischer Hof Munich |
|---|---|
| Brand | LHW |
| Good |
|
| Bad |
|
| CT Points | 92 |
First of all I want to say that overall it was a good stay and some of the negative TripAdvisor ratings are exaggerating. The materials used in my room were all of high quality, the service was quite good in general, the views from the bar, restaurant and pool made you feel being at the heart of Munich. The Bayerischer Hof is still family owned, which is a great thing! But it’s also challenging to keep up with industry standards when you don’t have a huge corporate chain backing you.
Ironically the view from my room was the construction area of the new Rosewood hotel, which will bring the Hof under high pressure on their home turf in the luxury segment starting in 2023. I guess the contacts of the owner into Munich’s high society and beyond will keep her hotel the go-to place for German film stars, politicians, the important Munich security conference and other events. But the unknown luxury traveller will probably want to see what foreign brands have to offer: Mandarin Oriental, Rocco Forte, and later the Rosewood. I’ll hopefully be able to review all of them, but from afar I can already guess that this will be a tough fight and needs a lot of investing, not only in the furniture or interior design of the reception area, but also in the training of their staff.
