There are cities that you enjoy and think to yourself, “I’ll come back again soon.” And it doesn’t happen until one day it does. I was very excited to once again be returning to Munich, Germany. It simply had been too long since my last visit. Munich seems to be making quite a favorable impression on folks I know who both visit and choose to live there. It sparked my curiosity. From previous visits to Germany, when it comes to cities that offer what I enjoy, Munich had ranked well on my list. I was curious to see if she’d still be a top-of-the-list destination for me. The parks and the many districts are fun to explore. Plenty of natural beauty to enjoy all around Bavaria. And yes, the people too! And let’s not forget the great food options 🙂 I don’t get to Germany often. When I visit, though, I do enjoy getting to know the country and her cities better.
The perfect sculpture for the lobby!
For my most recent visit to Munich I was so looking forward to experiencing a hotel I had heard so much about, the Andaz Munich Schwabinger Tor. I’m no stranger to Hyatt hotels, or to their Andaz properties. I do like to sample different Andaz hotels when I travel because they are all so different. Nothing cookie-cutter about Andaz properties. I also didn’t want to stay in the center of Munich as it felt too touristy and dense for me. I had not stayed at the Andaz Munich before because it is a fairly new property and had not yet opened the last time I was in Munich.
Entering the hotel’s spacious lobby
How I Paid and My Room Assignment at the Andaz Munich Schwabinger Tor
Don’t think for a minute that I’ll go easy on the Andaz Munich as I pen this hotel and hotel room review. I may be a Hyatt fan girl, but that often means I hold Hyatt properties to a higher standard. Maybe even more so for a luxury property such as an Andaz. After all, first impressions matter and if you’ve not yet stayed here I want you to have the best and most informed impression possible.
I’m not writing to promote Hyatt. I’m writing to inform readers!
Specifics About The Hotel And Some Andaz Munich Backstory
The hotel opened in March 2019. The area of Munich where the hotel is located is called Schwabing Tor. Schwabing Tor is a newish area and the property was a disco club before it became the Andaz Munich. This location in Schwabing Tor means the hotel is not in the central area or touristy area of Munich. It’s good to note this before you decide on your choice for lodging.
The hotel is managed by Hyatt and owned by a real estate investment company. The Andaz Munich opened as a Category 4 property, but now now is a Category 5 level hotel.
The Andaz Munich is a lively and central location hub for those visiting and living in Schwabing Tor.
Lobby proved perfect for working, relaxing with friends, and as a meeting space.
As far as competitors for this property, I learned that all the Munich hotels compete for event business. Munich is packed with yearly events that bring in hotel guests. Perhaps in the 5 star hotel range a competitor for the Andaz Munich might be the Westin. I did not personally see the Westin property but asked where else a guest wanting a 5 star hotel experience might stay and a few local hospitality folks pointed to the Westin.
As a point of reference for the hotel serving the Schwabing Tor community, the hotel spa offers a membership as well as a day use pass.
For sure the community definitely uses the bars and restaurants in the hotel.
An unusually quiet moment at the lobby bar
I was told that Hyatt Globalists like this property as a choice for Munich stays, and as you read more about the hotel and the amenities, you’ll see why.
The hotel attracts a high percent of Hyatt affiliated guests I learned there are many Globalist at the property each week because the European business travelers earn status due to their frequent travels and stays at the Andaz Munich. On average 20-25 Globalists are in house per night.
The hotel has 277 rooms, both standard rooms and suites.
There are 234 standard rooms and 43 suites (Junior Suites, Andaz Suites, Large Suites, Residence Suites, Andaz View Suites, Tower Executive View Suites, Penthouse Suite). That’s a bunch of different configurations to choose from!
The average stay is 3 nights. It is mostly a business meeting hotel, so that three night number makes sense. January and February are a bit slower but there really is no off season for the property due to it primarily being a business hotel.
The Andaz Munich has been open since March of 2019. There have not been many refurbishments yet. However, the floors in the rooms were replaced in 2024.
It’s my understanding that the whole area called Schwabing Tor is new. Previously the building was a disco club. The hotel’s location in Schwabing Tor means it is not in the central area of Munich, which is either to your liking or not.
My recent stay at the Andaz Munich was for ten nights. I could have used a World of Hyatt free night award or booked nights with Hyatt points. The all cash rate for a standard room was well over $300-400 a night. I decided to use points for my stay.
Remember, if you’re paying cash for a hotel stay, let Pruvo monitor your rate for price drops!
The Andaz Munich is a World of Hyatt Category 5 property, meaning free nights start at 20,000 Hyatt points per night. High season is 23,000 points a night.
Ample options for seating in the lobby
My Check-In Experience at the Andaz Munich
Checking in to the hotel went smoothly. Check-in is at 3pm. I arrived late in the afternoon so knew I’d not have to wait. Even when I have to wait I often enjoy sitting in the lobby and people watching. When I arrived I was happy to hear I had been upgraded to a suite. It’s a property that doesn’t hold back Globalist upgrades if they are available!
Upon checking in I was given a “Welcome Home” card with a “First drink is on us!” message. Guests can get a free beverage of their choice during their stay. Nice idea!
I was also told that there is a nightly happy hour from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. A selection of wine and a barrel of Bavarian beer were complimentary, along with some classic German pretzels. Guests who don’t drink alcohol can order coffee, tea or soft drinks from the bar.
Pro Tip: Do you Pruvo all your hotels stays? If not, do what I do and let Pruvo monitor your reservations for price drops. It’s free and it’s the easiest way to save money on all your hotel rooms.
Using my Hotel Room Scorecard I broke down the individual elements of my Andaz Munich room which scored a 30 of 40 points.
Location (3/5)
I asked many people I know who favor this hotel why they chose it. Besides the hotel being the only Hyatt option, again and again I heard they favor the Andaz brand, enjoy newer modern design hotels, and heard about the great service and buffet 🙂
I give this hotel only three stars for location because as mentioned, it is not close to the central tourist area and sites you might explore.
That being said, for me the location was great. I walk everywhere and enjoyed exploring Munich on foot. The location gave me multiple opportunities to enjoy the parks, along with the varied routes I walked into the different Munich neighborhoods.
Munich is a great city for walking whether in the parks or through the central city areas!
There is public transportation just outside the hotel door and of course taxi services, too.
I didn’t mind the quiet hotel neighborhood. Munich is a big, busy city and I often choose a hotel that feels like a respite rather than a hotel in the hub of activity.
For me the location was a plus yet I’d suggest taking a close look at the location and making sure it will work for your stay.
Window seats in hotel rooms are so rare yet so wonderful
Lighting (3/5)
The lighting in the suite was dependent on which room you were in. The bedroom had great natural light because of windows on two sides.
The living room area of the suite was very dark, partly because of the small window and partly because of the color scheme and use of heavy dark wood in the design. For both reading and working, the living room lacked overhead lighting.
Living room accommodations were excellent.
Here’s a rather odd feature of the room I hadn’t experienced in other hotels. The window shutters are automatic (open and close) and not under your control. They are connected to a weather station and do their own thing. It’s hard to describe this without you seeing if for yourself. No one mentioned this when I was shown to my room and so for a few days I couldn’t figure out what was happening.
Each room had its own light switches so lighting was easy to customize to my needs. Because I had a corner suite, I enjoyed all the natural light.
There was one glitch when it came to lighting.
The bedroom was well-lit but not the living room. I asked for a desk lamp to supplement the lighting but they didn’t have any. I ended up moving a standing lamp from the bedroom to supplement lighting but the lack of outlets in the living room meant I couldn’t use multiple standing lamps.
Why is lighting so important?
Yes, I recognize that the average guest stays maybe two nights, but there are guests who work or just want to sit on the couch and read with proper lighting. Note to hotels: please make the lights in the living room areas adjustable and bright!
Window Access (5/5)
Having almost floor to ceiling windows in both the bedroom and suite living room area made a big difference. Natural lighting in a hotel room makes for a whole different experience. And much to my delight, the windows opened for air.
The best part of the window access was that in the bedroom there were window seats. What a great idea. I enjoyed sitting on them watching the sunset. I read on the window seat and spent time just watching the Munich world below coming and going.
Special window perch in the bedroom
Bed Comfort (3/5)
The bed was hard, but I prefer that to an overly soft bed. The pillows were all really hard and flat.
Too often all the pillows in hotel rooms and on offer are the same. That was the case at the Andaz Munich.
Suite actually had two window seats!
Bathroom (3/5)
There were two bathrooms in the suite.
One bathroom was just off the entry way. There were no hooks or places for a towel. Strange miss in design for wiping hands!
The main bathroom design was very strange. While standing at the sinks, you could see through to the bedroom. Usually over a sink there’s a mirror, right?
Where were the mirrors, you ask? Good question. There were swivel mirrors to the side of the sink.
You could close off the see-through window but again, just odd design. It took some sleuthing to figure out that the window over the sinks could be closed off.
Bathroom also had a large tub with window view
Many folks say they are not fans of the Andaz brand because it’s often too quirky and tries too hard to be original. In the case of this bathroom and some of the other suite features, I’d agree 🙂
There was a large tub but no tub amenities. I didn’t see bath salts/loofah or some of the other amenities usually found in high end hotels such as an Andaz.
Quite a few of the towels were old and a few ripped. I gave the ripped towels back to housekeeping.
Dual sinks are always a plus!
The bathroom had a shower, a tub, and a separate area for the toilet. The shower had both an overhead shower and a wall-mounted one. If like me you’re not a fan of overhead showers, this dual option system is a plus.
There was more than ample counter space in the bathroom for any sundries you might have brought along. There were also a few drawers where extra bathroom supplies were stashed.
One of my pet peeves in newer hotel shower stalls is that there is no place to put your sundries other than on the floor. Having a ledge for sundries is a simple thing that those of us who are now (or always did) bringing their own sundries when they travel might really appreciate. In this case there was a shelf behind the shower head. Spacious, indeed!
Interior Appointments and Furnishings (4/5)
My suite at the Andaz Munich matched the one you’ll see online, both in design and layout. That’s a good thing because too often guests’ expectations are set by photos they see on hotel websites. And when the photos don’t match the reality it makes sense that guests take issue.
I felt the corner suite design, with what was essentially a living/dining room, bedroom, bathroom, dressing area, toilet room, and a hall entry way worked well. It was a square, and I appreciated the large amount of space. The suite had a flow to its layout.
Always nice to have a spacious couch in a hotel room
The suite color choices (the dark grey and browns) and the heavy wood throughout made the suite design seem dark and heavy. If not for the light coming in from the two bedroom windows the suite would have been REALLY dark.
Except for artwork on the wall behind the desk, which I didn’t care for at all, there was no artwork at all. This can be a good thing in a hotel room, right?
Bookshelf area in living room—an artful decoration touch.
The living area couch was comfortable. There were throw pillows for the couch. That always adds a nice homey touch, as I’m starting to notice the lack of couch pillows in hotel rooms.
The living room had a large round table to supplement the desk area as a work space. It also served super well as a dining area.
I’ll admit that often, especially for an extended hotel stay, I move furniture around or even ask furniture to be removed for more space. Not this time 🙂 I’m sure though had I made one of my odd requests, the Andaz Munich team would have been more than amenable to my request.
The Andaz Munich guest experience team definitely looked into my Hyatt profile to see the items I often request when at Hyatt properties. I appreciated this and was pleased to see a Yoga mat waiting for me!
There was a large spacious closet area off to the side of the bathroom making the suite luggage and dressing area spacious.
The entry way was missing a surface for storing keys and day packs so I moved a small table from the bathroom to this spot and it worked well. I guess I do customize a hotel room to match my needs, but I hope not too much for housekeeping to handle upon my departure!
I really prefer a carpet and wood flooring combo for hotel rooms. This suite’s combo worked well.
The suite used pocket doors to close off rooms and also had lots of mirrors.
The coffee/tea/snack area was along the wall opposite the couch and table and chairs. It was a great, large space and provided more than enough room with a few drawers below.
A great layout and living room space in the suite
This coffee counter was big enough for snacks and whatever else in the way of food goodies I had on hand.
There was a coffee machine with a generous variety of pods on offer.
The coffee machine and pods were by the Julius Meinl, the premium coffee brand from Vienna. They were good, but I still prefer Nespresso.
Tea bags on offer were spot on and generous.
The peep hole on the entrance door is placed just right for the average height of women. That’s rare. This has long been a pet peeve of mine. Do only men check who’s knocking or ringing the bell? I think not. Easier for a guy to bend down than a woman to grow a few inches to see who’s at the door 🙂
In summing up the suite, I’d say it was wasn’t my design taste BUT it functioned super well for my needs. What a pleasure to enjoy all the space, the fresh air, and the views from my window seats. It felt more like an apartment than a hotel suite.
Electronics (4/5)
Plugs and outlets were adequate. Not great but adequate. This surprised me because the hotel is a newish property.
Always helpful to have a dedicated desk area in a hotel room
The living room could have used another outlet or two. I did need to use an adapter. I didn’t see one provided in the room for guest use, though. I asked the hotel for one and they provided two. Nice gesture!
Amenities (5/5)
The hotel does send welcome amenities to Hyatt Globalists.
Mine was customized to me! Who doesn’t LOVE German bread, pretzels, and cheese?
If this doesn’t say WELCOME to Munich I don’t know what would 🙂
I’ve had wonderful welcome amenities from many properties and even some I use quite often. As an example, the Andaz in Seoul gifted me a swim cap with ANDAZ written on it in bright colors. I love it!
In this case though, all that bread and cheese did not go to waste but instead went to my WAIST 🙂
My favorite mini-meal
YES on providing a Yoga mat!
I’ve started requesting Yoga mats when I stay in hotels. If you’ve ever taken a close look at the “need anything extra” card presented in your hotel room, you’ll notice Yoga mat is often listed. I’m starting to notice, though, how few hotels actually have mats.
The property provides water, and it was super generous whenever I requested more. It was also generous with whatever supplies you needed. That always leaves a positive impression on a guest.
When writing hotel reviews I often review the minibar and available snacks. The minibar and coffee area was well-equipped with a kettle and Nespresso style coffee maker. I also enjoyed the brand of tea bags the hotel provided. I’d not heard of them before. There was a mini bar fridge underneath the mini bar, which when cleared of some bottles provided plenty of space.
I’d say that this was one of the best counter/minibar/coffee areas ever. The kitchen area was large, well-equipped, and even had a good sized fridge and microwave.
Breakfast Options at the Andaz Munich
Because of impressions friends shared with me about their stays at the Andaz Munich I was prepared to be wowed by the breakfast buffet. And WOWED I was!
For breakfast there is a restaurant on the lobby level. Everything about the breakfast buffet, from the service to the offerings, was spot on. There was plenty of seating, mostly indoors but a few tables outside as well.
My favorite type of breakfast setting is when a hotel restaurant offers both a menu and a buffet. I find that when a property only offers buffet style for breakfast, well how can I put this, the buffet turns into a mess. Guests create the mess and staff can’t possibly keep up with the cleaning or restocking of food items.
Many options for a delicious breakfast!
Even when seated inside, on nice days the restaurant keeps the doors open so it feels like an indoor-outdoor space. Perfect way to start the day!
If you do not have access to the breakfast with your Hyatt status, the fee is 44 Euros per person. That’s about $51 USD. Not inexpensive, but could be a good value depending on what you’d eat and how much you enjoy breakfast meals.
What was on offer?
On the buffet side there was an assortment of both whole fruit and cut fruit. I very much prefer whole fruit over assorted fruit cups prepared by a hotel. There were local yogurt and dairy drinks, different types of cereal with homemade granola, plenty of pastries to choose from, and toppings for your bread.
There is a bread station, lots of fresh pretzels each day, cheese station, sliced meats and trout, raw salad greens area, eggs both soft and hard boiled, hot meats (sausages, bacon etc). There’s also a dairy station with yogurt and cereals as well as a wonderful assortment of fruits and nuts.
No, this isn’t at the hotel. But no conversation about Munich is complete without my fav topic……..pretzels!
There was also fresh ginger, which I really enjoyed. Made for wonderful tea. Not sure I’ve ever seen fresh ginger on offer at a hotel breakfast buffet.
Are you sitting down for this one?
The breakfast buffet had a Nutella station. And I don’t mean a big jar of Nutella. There was a Nutella machine and you make your own Nutella. It took me a while to figure this out. The machine mixes chocolate chips and hazelnuts and voila, Nutella!
The order off the menu options were excellent. Eggs benedict, waffles, omelettes—really just about anything you’d want for breakfast.
The staff in the restaurant was excellent. It’s no small task to run an efficient and pleasant breakfast restaurant when all the guests are there at once.
I sampled quite a few of the items and when I asked for something to be customized, such as a smoked salmon omelet, or a large green salad (yes, salad for breakfast for me is green heaven) the staff was more than happy to serve up whatever I requested. Breakfast was excellent and now I’m hooked on those fresh pretzels and freshly made Nutella!
As an aside, the hotel features a rooftop bar and terrace. It’s called M’Uniqo Rooftop Bar & Terrace. It’s closed on Sundays and Mondays. It’s sometimes closed for events and is only open in the evenings. Given its popularity with locals for both the food and amazing views, reservations are a good idea.
What Guests At The Andaz Munich Complain About?
When I review a hotel I always wonder what complaints hotel guests have, so I ask the hotel team. This hotel’s chief complaint is one I’ve come across a few times before.
Guests complain that the air conditioning doesn’t run cold enough. I needed neither air conditioning or heating during my ten day stay so I can’t speak to this.
I did notice many trainees on every shift at the hotel. I noticed this at the front desk, as well as in housekeeping.
I know the hotel is mostly a business hotel, but a dedicated old school concierge desk is much needed. The front desk staff is really too busy to sit and talk about restaurants or sites to see. And at least during my stay, many times when I asked the front desk staff questions, the answer was, “I don’t know. I’m new to Munich!”
I was told that labor costs are high in Germany, so hotels use trainees/students from colleges. The students do 6 months of classes and then 6 months of work.
I was also told that in Munich it’s hard to find workers with hotel experience. Munich’s high cost of living means people move in and then leave.
Relaxing to watch sunsets from the suite’s window seat
Even though the hotel is not very old there is always wear and tear of the rooms. As time goes on management becomes aware of this and starts the refreshing and refurbishment process. I saw some wear and tear issues, but to me, as long as management knows about this and is proactively working towards keeping the rooms and hotel in shape and resolving the issues, it is not something I’d complain about.
The Andaz Munich team definitely appreciates guest feedback and draws its refurbishment plans accordingly.
I did take the time to see multiple rooms of varying categories. There are a lot of room configurations to choose from.
The rooms, even the standard ones, are SPACIOUS. You can see the different room designs online and for sure, if you have any questions or requests, contact the guest experience team. They are awesome and very proactive and responsive.
As hotel rooms go, even at luxury hotels, I would not have been at all disappointed if I didn’t have an upgraded room. It’s one of the few properties I’ve seen where the size of the standard rooms would not be an issue at all.
Fitness and Spa Facilities At The Andaz Munich
For me this was a wonderfully surprising benefit. It added tremendously to how much I enjoyed my stay. For some reason people who love this hotel always focus on how much I’d love the suites or the breakfast but forget to mention the spa and pool.
According to the hotel, the 22,000-square-foot spa at Andaz Munich is the largest in the city!
The gym is well equipped, the pool is 20 meters. The pool capacity isn’t large, but I never saw anyone else using the pool. I swam a few times though.
Lovely swim environment because the pool is outdoors yet covered over.
The women’s locker room was well equipped.
There was a spa with steam and sauna.
Is it fair to wish for these kinds of amenities at more hotels? If you’re someone who will use the spa, pool, and gym, you will NOT be disappointed!
Hotel Service at the Andaz Munich
You can tell I was mostly thrilled with the hotel room and though the design was dark and not to my taste, the suite worked very well for my stay. I was also pleased with the service! Very pleased. This really does tie into my being impressed with the hotel.
I hadn’t met too many people who had stayed at the Andaz Munich. It’s relatively new on the Hyatt scene and let’s face it, many travelers will opt for a hotel much closer to the tourist action.
However, when people talk about this Andaz Munich property they get this gleam in their eyes that told me maybe I needed to give this hotel a visit next time I was in Munich. I’m so glad I did. In fact, this stay has me thinking maybe I need to give more Andaz properties a try. I’ve stayed at quite a few already and there are now a few on my visit list!
The Andaz properties are all so different, but as with many I’ve experienced, the Andaz Munich now sets a very high bar.
Housekeeping was always quick to deliver whatever I requested. If you’ve been traveling much these past few years you might have realized how short-staffed many hotels are. I did not find that to be the case at the Andaz Munich at all.
The front desk and concierge team is tops. The team in the restaurant is top notch as well. Quite a few of them have been at the hotel since it opened. Their level of dedication, professionalism, and pure fun in helping guests make the most of their hotel stay shows in so many ways. I had such a great time getting to know the team. I missed them the moment I left the hotel 🙂
There was never anything I asked for from housekeeping, the front desk and concierge team, the hotel management team, or the restaurant team where the staff didn’t happily oblige. I thoroughly enjoyed the friendly, warm and very helpful environment.
Final Thoughts On The Andaz Munich Schwabing Tor
The Andaz Munich is an unusual and wonderful hotel, and it’s the only Hyatt property in the area. The overall hotel decor, the rooms, the spa, gym, and pool area—it’s amazing to think they build hotels like this from scratch. Especially when they are not huge properties in scope.
Sadly, the level of service offered at this hotel seems to be something you don’t often find at hotels anymore. That made me appreciate it even more.
It is an expensive property, whether paying cash or using points. It is one of the most expensive hotels in the city and is considered a luxury property. Most hotels in Munich are 3 and 4 star so there really is minimal competition.
You’ll have to think as to whether it is a great value on points or when paying cash. I think it’s well worth the value, especially on points. And of course if you’re a Hyatt fan the choice is an easy one.
What this property offers and the service were both excellent. No doubt having the spa and pool available to me made a huge difference. And the complimentary breakfast, due to my Globalist status, was a standout. If you’ll enjoy the area and the surrounding nature of the parks and walking around Munich isn’t a bother for you, I’d choose this location.
It is a modern hotel with a certain vibe. You’d be hard pressed to find anything the hotel doesn’t do well. If what I’ve mentioned in this review suits you, you’ll enjoy the property. If you’re a fan of Andaz properties, which I am, this one ranks up there.
Every Hyatt hotel is different, every staff is different, and every guest is different, right? Some properties are bound to work better than others for what you’re looking for.
Would I stay here again?
Absolutely! Putting together this review was fun because it brought back memories of a very special and thoroughly delicious and enjoyable hotel stay in a city and country that is easy to enjoy.
I think of the Andaz Munich Schwabing Tor as a hotel for people who enjoy mixing their hotel stay with a great, though less central, location. If you enjoy spending time in a more local area of Munich rather than in a super touristy area, this property is for you. That certainly includes me and if it includes you, by all means gather up your travel gear and give this hotel a try and see what you think for yourself.
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