Munich pulls off something a lot of European capitals struggle with: it's grand without being stuffy. The Glockenspiel chimes out over Marienplatz twice a day and a little crowd stops to watch every time, while a few streets over surfers take turns on a permanent standing wave in the English Garden, one of the biggest city parks on Earth. Add in beer gardens the size of a footy oval, a market that's been trading since the 1800s, and the twin onion domes of the Frauenkirche marking the skyline, and you've got a city that's easy to fall for on day one.

Where you stay changes the trip. A room near Marienplatz puts you in the thick of it, walking distance from everything worth seeing; a base in Schwabing or Glockenbachviertel trades a bit of convenience for a more local, less touristy feel. Munich's accommodation runs from grand hotels on Maximilianstrasse right down to simple guesthouses near the main station, so there's something for every budget and every kind of trip.

Where to stay in Munich

• Altstadt (Old Town): the historic centre around Marienplatz and the Viktualienmarkt. Best if you want everything on foot, with the Glockenspiel, the shopping strip on Kaufingerstraße, and the old beer halls all a short stroll from your door.
• Schwabing: Munich's old bohemian quarter, right by the English Garden. Leafy streets, indie bookshops, and a proper student-and-artist buzz once the sun goes down.
• Glockenbachviertel: south of the Old Town around Gärtnerplatz, and the city's trendiest patch. Cocktail bars, vintage stores, and one of Europe's biggest LGBTIQ+ scenes packed into a few blocks.
• Maxvorstadt: the museum quarter, home to the Pinakothek galleries and Munich's university crowd. Quieter by night, great by day if art and architecture are on your list.
• Haidhausen: known locally as the French Quarter, all cobbled streets and cafés, with a slower pace than the centre but still an easy tram ride from Marienplatz.
• Near Hauptbahnhof (Main Station): not the prettiest patch of Munich, but hard to beat for logistics, with direct trains to the airport, every S-Bahn and U-Bahn line, and generally the best value hotel rates in the city.

How much is Munich accommodation?

Expect to pay from around AU$140 a night for a solid mid-range hotel room, with prices climbing fast around Oktoberfest in late September and early October, when rates can double or more.

• Hostels & budget rooms: from AU$50 per night, mostly dorm beds or simple private rooms near the station or in the outer suburbs.
• Budget hotels & guesthouses: from AU$100 per night, a step up in comfort without the central location.
• Mid-range hotels & apartments: from AU$150 per night, generally central with an ensuite and breakfast included.
• Boutique hotels: from AU$230 per night, smaller properties with more character and a better address.
• Luxury hotels & resorts: from AU$400 per night, think spas, rooftop pools, and addresses on Maximilianstrasse.

Top-rated hotels in Munich

• Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski München: a grand 19th-century property right on Maximilianstrasse, with a rooftop pool and spa that looks out over the rooftops toward the Alps on a clear day.
• Mandarin Oriental Munich: set in a 19th-century neo-Renaissance building near Marienplatz, with a rooftop infinity pool and a spa that regularly tops Munich's best-of lists.
• The Charles Hotel: a Rocco Forte property tucked beside the Old Botanic Garden, with a rooftop garden and one of the calmer spas in the city centre.
• Sofitel Munich Bayerpost: a former early-1900s post office turned hotel, a block from the Hauptbahnhof, with soaring original ceilings in the lobby.
• Eden Hotel Wolff: a family-run four-star hotel opposite the Hauptbahnhof, with a proper Bavarian breakfast buffet and rooms set up well for families and pet owners.

Tips for finding the perfect accommodation in Munich

• Booking around Oktoberfest (late September into early October)? Lock in your room three to six months out. Prices climb and rooms fill up the closer you get to the festival.
• A lot of Munich's older hotels don't come with air conditioning as standard. If you're visiting in July or August, check before you book.
• Staying near a U-Bahn or S-Bahn stop matters more than staying right on Marienplatz. Munich's trains are fast enough that a 10-minute ride barely counts as a commute.
• The airport (MUC) sits well out of town, so factor in the 40-minute S-Bahn or airport bus trip when you're picking a neighbourhood.
• Filter by "breakfast included" if you can. Bavarian hotel breakfasts are hearty enough to set you up until a late lunch, and it's an easy way to trim the day's food budget.

Got extra days up your sleeve? Munich makes a brilliant base for side trips into the Bavarian Alps, including the fairy-tale turrets of Neuschwanstein Castle and the views from the top of Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak.