Munich's premier hotel

I recently again spent few days in this hotel and having stayed also in other fivestar Munich hotels, I must admit the Mandarin Oriental is the best choice for those looking for luxury, privacy and perfect service.

Upon my early arrival about 11 a.m. I was immediatelly given a room, not common at some other hotels. The lady from reception even followed me upstairs to show me the room. I booked a superior category room but this room was actually bigger than some suites I had at other hotels. It featured a well organized walk-in wardrobe, marble bath with separated toilet and shower stall, a sitting area and a TV with DVD player. The view was nothing special but I did not ask for a room with a view, they would probably assign such upon request.

I inquired about an internet access point and was shown their small business centre. I asked whether it was possible to hire a PC and within minutes (!) a clerk brought me a laptop to my room to use

during my stay, free of charge.

Another pleasant touch is the free minibar, which partially compensates the higher accomodation price. I was also allowed a late 4 p.m. checkout, again without any extra fee.

The most lovely part of the hotel is the rooftop terrace with a small pool. There whole area is small but it does not bother because it is accessible exclusively to hotel guests so there are never too many people around. The views are really stunning, the pool is fully serviced with drinks and meals. Very romantic place to have a cocktail or a glass of champagne upon the sunset or in the early evening overlooking the bustling streets of Munich.

The dinner at the restaurant Mark´s was very pleasant too. Breakfast is only partially buffet-style, most things have to be ordered a la carte but are included,the staff is very friendly and helpful

they even bring you things from the buffet on request so one has not to leave the table at all.

There is a small desk at the entrance and the staff always watches the people coming in the hotel, for me it is a welcomed security feature that nobody can simply walk in and go up to the rooms like at some bigger hotels.

The only minus for me was the very small fitness area. But it was probably not possible to create a bigger fitness centre due to lack of space in the house.

This hotel is for me one of the very few remaing ones for whose the term " personalized service" is not only a plain brochure phrase but a reality.

The finest hotel experience anywhere

My wife and I spent our honeymoon in Switzerland and Munich in October, and let me say that ending up in Munich at the Mandarin Oriental was the perfect ending to the perfect honeymoon.

The concierge and staff bent over backwards to make our stay and the occaision as special as possible. I recognize that we were honeymooners, but after observing the staff's actions around other guests, it appears such customer service is the norm.

The rooms are not the crazy fancy of others, but more simple and understated elegance. The bathroom is riduculous. To reiterate what was stated in the previous reveiw, the robes are a huge plus.

I did a lot of reading on this site and others regarding our hotel in Munich. When I broke it down, there were basically three top hotels in the city: the Kempenski Vier Jahreszetien, Bayer. Hof, and the Mandarin Oriental. All three are in the same general vacinity, and I kept reading that the Mandarin was the smallest and quaintest of the three (and also was the most affordable too!). Well, after walking by the others while there, I can say that we are of the opinion that all are great, but the Mandarin Oriental is the way to go if you like to be pampered with the type of customer service that all the great hotels aspire to have. The Hofbrauhaus is literally right behind the hotel, but noise was never and issue -- and that is coming from a guest whose balcony overlooked the place.

If this says anything -- in choosing the city for our next getaway, my wife and I have found ourselves asking just one question: does it have a Mandarin Oriental?? If all of the others are like this one, then I doubt we will ever stay anywhere else!

BEST hotel E V E R !!!!

What can I say. Seriously, I travel A LOT and I've never had a room or service to parallel that of Munich's Mandarin Oriental.

From the rose-petal infused dish to wash my fingertips, to the elegant plate of daily afternoon fruit, this hotel does the little things remarkably well. The service is SUPERB without being a bit intrusive. The concierge staff really cares about your happiness - they go WAY beyond the call of duty and seem to know the tastes of every guest in the hotel.

My only critical comment is that the exercise room is so painfully small. They have some free weights, but no bench (and no room for a bench). It's amusing, actually. The exercise room does have a great plasma TV and, of course, it's stocked with fruit, so I spent most of my workouts munching and watching CNN.

The bathrobes are the thickest SOFTEST (which is rare) terry-cloth robes I've ever seen. I was very cose to dishing out the 165 Euros it would have set me back to bring on of those robes home.

The bathtub is huge and formd to the human body. The shower can fit ten people (not that I tried)....

The location, a block from the Maximillianstrasse, is PERFECT. The famed Hofbrauhas is almost right behind the hotel, and the restaurants in the area are amazing.

I have stayed at other top Munich hotels before this trip but, from now on, it's ONLY the Munich Mandarin Oriental for me!!!!

Class...total class

Because I am on a tight budget for a project that requires me to travel out of the country at least twice a month, I was little reluctant to stay in this hotel where the absolute cheapest rate is about 300 euros a night, but I have been dying to see what became of the old Hotel Raphael now that the Mandarin has bought it up.

My first impression was not good: I was shown up to a room that had a view of a parking garage. However, when I called down to the reception desk, they expeditiously relocated me to a room with a view. It was large, bright, and tastefully decorated. My only complaint was that the toilet seat was cracked and there was no one on the premises to fix it when I discovered it.

But, one tends to overlook things like these when everyone on the staff knows your name after you have checked in, and you feel like you're coming home. The bartender makes the best apple martini I have ever had in my life (his secret is 2 teaspoons of apple sauce and a bit of Galliano), and Dario the concierge is a dream come true. I will return again, and often.

Fantastic Hotel, Location and Staff

Our family stayed at Mandarin Oriental from Aug 1 to Aug 4 of 2004. We had 2 connecting junior suites - for my wife and I and our 2 children.

This is great hotel. The rooms are fantastic. The roof top pool has an incredilbe view of downtown Munich. It is worth a night here - to play in the pool, have a drink and check out the amazing view.

The staff was extremely helpful and always made us feel comfortable. We had several unusual requests for help for the concierge - who never failed to help us out and make us feel welcome.

Our family travels alot and usually we stay at pretty nice places. Mandarin Oriental is one of the BETTER 5 Stars in our European experience.

FYI - we have also stayed at the Hotel BayerisherHof - which is another 5 star in Munich. I can not think of anything nice to say about our experience there - other than "nice location"

Beautiful Hotel

Great location to the shopping district of Munich plus other sites. Spacious rooms and a very helpful staff. Enjoyed going into the square next to the hotel for coffee in the morning. Also, be sure to eat at the Hof for a traditional German meal and atmosphere. Lovely hotel.

Best Hotel in Munich

The Mandarin Oriental, is a small Hotel with perfect and friendly service which give you a feeling like coming home. It is perfect situated, at a small side road of the famous Maximilian street. The rooms are very spacious and well equiped. The bed is a dream. Marks restaurant serve good food, enjoy a great coktail and live music at the hotel bar. From the rooftop pool you have during summer a fantasic view over the roofs of Munich.

Best hote in Munich

Beautiful hotel with elegance. Great to know that even Prince Charles has also stayed at this grand hotel.

Exquisiite and pricey

This is a fabulous small hotel - but be prepared to pay dearly. However, if you can afford it, it's worth it - mostly. Location is central and within easy walking distance of key sights and restaurants. However, it can be noisy at night due to its proximity to the Hofbrauhaus so be sure to request a room NOT facing it. Our check-in was easy and fast. We had driven in and they valet parked our car. NY price of E19.50/day. The room was adequate in size and exquisitely furnished. Terrific marble bath with shower and tub. Fruit & cheese plate waiting for us when we opened the door. Breakfast is NOT included and was an exorbitant E24.00 per person for the buffet regardless of how much/little you ate. All in all a great place for our last night in Germany after spending a week hiking in the Bavarian Alps.

Fabulous Small Elegant Hotel

We have stayed there twice - previously when it was the Rafael and after it became the Mandarin Oriental. Wonderful location right behind the Hofbräuhaus - short walking distance to Marienplatz, Viktualienmarkt, Theatinerstrasse, etc. Gorgeous rooms - probably the best bathrooms in Germany - separate toilets/bidets, separate marbled showers & tubs. Ask for a room with a view towards Frauenkirche, Marienplatz - much better than the opposite direction. Just beautiful when the spires are lit up at night.Check-in can be slightly frosty, but didn't let it bother us. Wonderful bar for meeting friends & elegant breakfast room. Huge fruit basket in room upon arrival, wonderful service, super-comfy beds, great work area. We have stayed in all of the top hotels of Munich & like this the best - no conferences/meetings like at the Bayerischer Hof and nicer rooms than the Vier Jahreszeiten. Worth the splurge and be sure & have dinner at Austernkeller, a few blocks behind the hotel - excellent lobster thermidor in a cozy, yet colorful setting with incredibly gracious service. My favorite hotel in my favorite city!