Who says a hotel can’t be as refreshing as a fresh pint of beer? Located at the heart of Munich, just a stone’s throw from the city’s wonderful museums, parks and breweries, Hotel Platzl goes down like a savoury, sumptuous, salivating pint of beer on a scorching day. Equally refreshing and rejuvenating, the hotel offers all your favourite amenities with a location that can’t be beat. It’s a modern spin on Munich’s history that raises a glass to the city’s vibrant culture, reverberating all around from nearby alleyways, longstanding Bavarian rituals and of course, those Purity beers that combine the city’s rich mineral water with slow lagering techniques, coming to make a beer people travel from all corners of the world to experience.

The ingredients of Munich itself are equally special, though not different from other cities. What Munich does best is take common urban elements (parks, skyscrapers, pubs) and make them cleaner, livelier, with a more unique spin you might not find in other German cities. In central Munich, glasses clink in golden-hour light, tourists wander cobblestone roads to museums like Haus der Kunt and Museum Brandhost, known for its modern art, and explore streets lined with Gothic and Baroque buildings that somehow feel vibrant and visually inviting. I’ve rarely seen a city of this size be cleaner, the people lovelier, vibrating with an energy you can tangibly feel in the sunshine air.

I visited Munich in the summer and couldn’t imagine a better hotel to experience the town. When you walk in, you’re greeted with a swath of Moorish charm, sleek tiles and Bavarian art that sets the stage for what’s to come. Breakfast is served in what looks to be a giant beer hall, serving German delicacies alongside a sumptuous buffet, ancient wooden floorboards and hand-painted walls adorned with Baroque German flair. You can dine at Michelin guide restaurants, plating divine hearty classics beneath the vaulted ceilings of a 14th-century mill setting, or you can sweat out those Pilsners at the revamped spa, overlooking Munich’s bustling city and iconic City Hall, from the comfort of your own sauna.

You really don’t feel like you’ve left the city when staying at Platzl Hotel. While many hotels offer an escape from Munich, Platzl feels like an extension of it. With every corner, hallway and amenity sprinkled with vintage charm, Platzl Hotel allows you to soak up Munich’s rich culture without even leaving your hotel, winding down after a day of exploration in a room equally striking as the architecture outside. Brass-dark wood panelling accentuates clean white walls and linens, splashes of gold among pillows and mirrors, bringing a nice contrast to the hand-carved wooden furniture. Opening your window to those jagged Munich rooftops—like someone cut the top of their houses spontaneously with scissors—you can see how this city’s quirky aesthetic has inspired everything from German Expressionism to Richard Strauss’ compositions.

Now, there may be a little more house music and performative Matcha’s, but tradition still courses through Munich like the Isar river, where locals sunbathe on a nice summer’s day. I rented an M5 to explore nearby countryside towns—and take advantage of the Autobahns lack of speed limit—and found the outskirts to be equally beautiful, speeding through lush green fields, napping cattle and rugged mountains throwing shadows on crystalline turquoise lakes. There’s so much to see in Munich as well, but day trips abound, offering a sprawl of verdant countryside as green as a Bierstädt painting.

Speaking of beer, I finished my day at Platzl’s downstairs bar, where crisp golden lagers glow against warm yellow-toned wallpaper, making for the perfect end to a perfect day in town. Few cities buzz quite like Munich—it’s best to get your buzz on at Platzl Hotel before exploring this fairytale destination.

W: Hotel Platzl Munich

Written by Asher Luberto for Luxuria Lifestyle International