Andaz Munich Schwabinger Tor

BACKGROUND The first German property for Hyatt’s boutique Andaz brand, Andaz Munich Schwabinger Tor opened in February 2019 in the city’s former bohemian quarter, now a vibrant business district awash with start-ups and entrepreneurs.

WHERE IS IT? Andaz Munich is on the perimeter of the city, near to the city’s English Garden, and on the district’s central Leopoldstraße, a tree-lined boulevard. Munich’s historical centre is 6km away, while Munich airport is 33km from the hotel.

WHAT’ S IT LIKE? Andaz Munich embraces an art hotel vibe, so spaces feel more boutique than they do in your usual business hotel. Designed by the interiors team from cool creator Concrete, the fit-out celebrates Munich tradition with modern style and artwork and the end result is up-beat and chic, rather than cliché. Subtle nods to the Bavarian capital include the use of diamond motifs in everything from flooring to dining room detailing, a calming blue and white palette, and the lobby’s art installation of a summer sky, filmed from the roof of the hotel.

ROOMS The hotel offers 243 guest rooms, 43 suites and one penthouse suite. I stayed in a King Room, the hotel’s entry-level tier. My room felt large, thanks to the clever utilisation of a double-sided room divider and console. The fit-out looked expensive, from the plush furnishings and subtle Bavarian embellishments to the sleek mod cons. A wide window seat offered a cosy view into the leafy street below, with zero traffic noise floating up to the room.

FOOD AND DRINK Choose from one signature restaurant, two casual cafés, a rooftop lounge and a lobby bar. With a strange name, but solid, steakhouse-style menu, The Lonely Broccoli offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. Upstairs, on the 12th and 13th floors, M’Uniqo Rooftop Bar (pictured) serves stylish Italian dishes from burrata to truffle pizza and treats you to 360-degree panoramic views of the city. Popular as a chic hang-out for locals, you’ll have to book ahead for a table, and patrons regularly queue for a place at the bar. Otherwise, the centrepiece mirrored lobby bar is an amiable option, with pockets of seating encouraging you to linger, or grab a sandwich and coffee from the two cafés: Café M and Bicicletta.

MEETINGS The 2,000 sqm dedicated event space and function centre encompasses seven studios, two show kitchens equipped with full live cooking facilities, a 500 sqm ballroom and 200 sqm exhibition space and pre-function room.

LEISURE The 2,000 sqm spa includes six treatments rooms, a 17-metre open-air swimming pool, gym, sauna and relaxation circuit. A separate exhibition space is used to support and highlight specialty brands and artisans. My stay coincided with Oktoberfest, with the room transformed into a design studio and pop-up for German atelier, Alpenprinzessin, with the local designer’s collections of luxury dirndls and other traditional Bavarian garments for purchase.

VERDICT With an art hotel aesthetic, urban location and notable event spaces, Andaz Munich Schwabinger Tor deftly caters to both business and leisure travellers.

Andaz Munich embraces an art hotel vibe, so spaces feel more boutique than they do in your usual business hotel