Where to stay
25hours Hotel HafenCity Poised in the heart of the sleek Hafencity area, this new port-inspired hotel offers stylised ‘cabin’ rooms with nautical panelling and maritime design touches. Head down the road to admire the famous warehouses that line the nearby canals or rent a Schindelhauer bike from reception to explore further. Doubles from £119. Ueberseeallee 5, 00 49 40 257 7770, 25hours-hotels.com
The Fontenay Architect Jan Störmer was inspired by the movements of Hamburg’s artificial lakes when designing the curving walls of this hotel. High ceilings and pale parquet floors combine with full-length glass windows to give an airy feel. Even the spa’s sauna boasts skyline views towards Hamburg Television Tower, a 30-minute walk away. Doubles from £302. Fontenay 10, 00 49 40 6056 6050, thefontenay.com
Kempinski Atlantic Set in the heart of the city looking out over Alster Lake, this historic hotel will transport you back to the golden era of Atlantic cruise ship travel (it originally hosted first-class passengers poised to cross the oceans). Expect opulent rooms furnished with Macassar ebony furniture and Italian marble bathrooms. Doubles from £485. An der Alster 72-79, 00 49 40 28880, kempinski.com
Hotel Louis C Jacob This riverside hotel outside the city centre houses one of Germany’s most prestigious private art collections within its 18th-century walls. Art lovers should request the lavish Liebermann Suite, where the famous German painter once stayed. Doubles from £220. Elbchaussee 401-403, 00 49 40 8225 5405, hotel-jacob.de
Sir Nikolai Sandwiched between the bustling old town and historic warehouse district (both within easy walking distance), this 19th-century office building has been transformed into a swish hotel filled with velvet accents, Persian rugs and mid-century furnishings. Doubles from £131.
Katharinenstrasse 29, 00 49 40 2999 6666, sirhotels.com
Tortue Two excellent in-house restaurants sit within the moody interiors of modern Tortue, styled in a muted palette of slate and stone. Pick from Asian-inspired dishes or a brasserie serving German-influenced French cuisine, such as bouillabaisse, braised rabbit and veal escalope. Doubles from £160. Stadthausbrücke 10, 00 49 40 334 41400, tortue.de