Mandarin Oriental Munich Hotel

Mandarin Oriental Munich Hotel

Seven floors above Munich's Altstadt, the rooftop pool at Mandarin Oriental looks toward Isartor and the beer gardens of the Hofbräuhaus, a view the hotel calls the city's most beautiful, and it is hard to think of another old-town address with a pool up there to challenge that. The 73 rooms and suites, some with private terraces, mix East and West in a city that leans heavily Bavarian, and several count among the largest rooms in Munich, useful after a day on foot near Karls Gate and the American Contemporary Art Gallery a few minutes away. Matsuhisa Munich brings Japanese-Peruvian plates to a city better known for schnitzel, Ory Bar has built a reputation on its cocktails, and The Lounge runs afternoon tea for guests who want the ritual without the fuss. Between meetings, the business center and conference hall do the practical work. Afterward, the sauna, steam room and spa handle the rest, alongside a 24-hour fitness center for anyone who prefers sweat to steam. This suits the traveler who wants a serious kitchen and a serious workout inside the same walk, and who will not flinch at a 250 euro damage deposit or 27 euro daily parking. It suits less the family hunting a budget stay: children under twelve stay free only if they share existing beds, and an extra bed runs 150 euros a night. Staff move between seven languages without missing a step, which matters more than it should when the nearest familiar word is a menu away. The rooftop pool, though, is the reason to pick this address over its old-town rivals. Mandarin Oriental Munich pairs a rooftop pool over the Altstadt with Matsuhisa's Japanese-Peruvian kitchen and an Ory Bar cocktail list, all inside walking distance of Isartor. The 73 rooms run large by Munich standards, though a 250 euro deposit and 150 euro extra-bed fee keep it out of budget-trip territory.