Hotel Bayerischer Hof is a

luxury hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suite (hotel), suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a d ...

located at Promenadeplatz 2–6 in the

Altstadt ''Altstadt'' () is the German language word for "old town", and generally refers to the historical town or city centre within the old town or city wall, in contrast to younger suburbs outside. '' Neustadt'' (new town), the logical opposite of ...

district of

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

, Germany. Established in 1841, the hotel remains a destination for celebrities and guests of state in Munich. It is the venue for the annual

Munich Security Conference The Munich Security Conference (MSC), formerly Munich Conference on Security Policy, is an annual conference on international security policy that has been held in Munich, Germany, since 1963. Over the past four decades the Munich Security Con ...

History

1885 Bayerischer Hof Munich ad Harpers Handbook for Travellers in Europe

The Bayerischer Hof opened on October 15, 1841. It was constructed by

Joseph Anton von Maffei Joseph Anton Ritter von Maffei (4 September 1790 – 1 September 1870) was a German industrialist. Together with Joseph von Baader (1763–1835) and Theodor Freiherr von Cramer-Klett (1817–1884), Maffei was one of the three most important railw ...

and designed by

Friedrich von Gärtner Friedrich von Gärtner (10 December 1791 in Koblenz – 21 April 1847 in Munich) was a German architect. Biography His father was also an architect, and moved in 1804 to Munich, where young Gärtner received his first education in architec ...

. The original structure had about 100 rooms and two banquet halls. Some of its renowned guests included

Empress Elisabeth of Austria Elisabeth (born Duchess Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie in Bavaria; 24 December 1837 – 10 September 1898), nicknamed Sisi or Sissi, was Empress of Austria and List of Hungarian consorts, Queen of Hungary from her marriage to Franz Joseph I of Austri ...

and

Sigmund Freud Sigmund Freud ( ; ; born Sigismund Schlomo Freud; 6 May 1856 – 23 September 1939) was an Austrian neurologist and the founder of psychoanalysis, a clinical method for evaluating and treating psychopathology, pathologies seen as originating fro ...

. In 1897 the hotel was purchased for 2,850,000 Marks by Herrmann Volkhardt, who purchased additional adjoining properties and rebuilt the hotel in the

Neo-Renaissance Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th-century Revivalism (architecture), architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival architecture, Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival ar ...

style. The hotel hosted performances in the grand ballroom by artists like

Enrico Caruso Enrico Caruso (, , ; 25 February 1873 – 2 August 1921) was an Italian operatic first lyric tenor then dramatic tenor. He sang to great acclaim at the major opera houses of Europe and the Americas, appearing in a wide variety of roles that r ...

. Herrmann Volkhardt died in 1909 and left the hotel to his three sons – Hermann, Ernst and Wilhelm, with Hermann managing the property. The Bayerischer Hof was almost completely destroyed in an Allied air raid on April 25, 1944, with only the Spiegelsaal (Hall of Mirrors) surviving. On October 22, 1945, Hermann Volkhardt and his son Falk established Munich's first post-war restaurant in the Spiegelsaal. The hotel was rebuilt in stages, with 74 rooms open by 1949 and 250 beds in 1951. Hermann Volkhart died in 1955, and Falk purchased the remaining 2/3 of the property from his two uncles by 1959. Between 1959 and 1961, Falk Volkhardt completed construction of the modern seven-story, 71-meter hotel structure at .

Palais Montgelas

In 1969, Falk Volkhardt purchased the historic adjoining Palais Montgelas, and renovated it as an additional wing of the hotel, containing multiple historic function rooms. The renovations, designed by

Erwin Schleich Erwin Schleich (20 April 1925 – 13 August 1992) was a German architect, architectural conservator, and architectural historian known for his post-war reconstruction of buildings and monuments in Munich. Biography Erwin Schleich was born in M ...

, were completed in time for the

1972 Munich Olympics The 1972 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad () and officially branded as Munich 1972 (; ), were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from 26 August to 11 September 1972. It was the ...

. The palace was built in 1811–1813 by Emanuel Graf Maximilian Herigoyen for

Maximilian von Montgelas Maximilian Karl Joseph Franz de Paula Hieronymus de Garnerin de la Thuile, Count von Montgelas (; 12 September 1759 – 14 June 1838) was a Bavarian statesman, a member of a noble family from the Duchy of Savoy. His father John Sigmund Gar ...

. From 1817 to 1933, the palace was the service building of the ''Bavarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs'' (until 1918: State Ministry of the Royal Household and of Foreign Affairs) and from 1933 to 1945, the first official residence of the Bavarian State Chancellery. In 1969, Falk Volkhardt purchased the historic adjoining Palais Montgelas, and renovated it as an additional wing of the hotel, containing multiple historic function rooms. The renovations, designed by Erwin Schleich, were completed in time for the

Facilities

The hotel offers 340 rooms of different styles, 60 suites, 40 meeting rooms, five restaurants, a breakfast room on the roof garden and six bars. The hotel's

spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa health treatments are known as balneotherapy. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters and hot springs goes back to pre ...

is located in the upper area of the hotel and stretches over three floors. It was built according to plans by the French interior designer

Andrée Putman Andrée Putman (23 December 1925 – 19 January 2013) was a French interior and product designer. Life and work Childhood and youth (1925–1944) Andrée Christine Aynard was born into a wealthy family of bankers and notables from Lyon. H ...

. It provides a sauna, a swimming pool with sun terraces, a bar and a lounge. The

gym A gym, short for gymnasium (: gymnasiums or gymnasia), is an indoor venue for exercise and sports. The word is derived from the ancient Greek term " gymnasion". They are commonly found in athletic and fitness centres, and as activity and learn ...

overlooking the Frauenkirche was designed by

Ralf Möller Ralf Rudolf Moeller (born Möller; ; 12 January 1959) is a German actor and former competitive bodybuilder. He is known for his roles of Brick Bardo in ''Cyborg'', Kjartan in ''The Viking Sagas'', the title character in the television show '' C ...

. The entire seventh floor was renovated and offers a VIP area. Located on the ground floor is the hotel's Komödie im Bayerischen Hof and the nightclub Bayerischer Hof with daily live performances of jazz, blues and soul musicians.

Operation

The hotel has 585 employees, including 100

apprentices Apprenticeship is a system for training a potential new practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study. Apprenticeships may also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in a regulat ...

and has been family owned since 1897. Operator is the Gebrüder Volkhardt KG. Managing Partner since 2004 is Innegrit Volkhardt.

Awards

The Hotel Bayerischer Hof has received numerous awards, including: *

The Leading Hotels of the World The Leading Hotels of the World, Ltd. is an international marketing organization that was established in 1928. It represents more than 400 independent luxury hotels in over 80 countries, and its headquarters are in New York City. History The or ...

* World Hotel Award – Award in the category Classic Hotel 2007 *

Veuve Clicquot Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin () is a Champagne house founded in 1772 and based in Reims. It is one of the largest Champagne houses. Madame Clicquot Ponsardin, Madame Clicquot is credited with major breakthroughs, creating the first known Champag ...

– Entrepreneur of the Year 2000 *

Gault Millau Gault et Millau () is a French restaurant guide. It was founded by two restaurant critics, Henri Gault and Christian Millau in 1965. Points system Gault Millau rates restaurants on a scale of 1 to 20, with 20 being the highest. Restaurants given ...

– Best Bar Germany, Falk's Bar * Global Finance – Best Business Hotel Munich 2005

Events

The

is held yearly in February at the Bayerischer Hof. The Jazz Summer of Hotel Bayerischer Hof in July, as a continuation of the 1999 abandoned

Münchner Klaviersommer Münchner Klaviersommer (Munich Piano Summer) was a series of jazz concerts in Munich featuring various famous artists. Despite the name, not only pianists performed in these concerts. The concerts were usually held in July in the Philharmonic Hall ...

, in which the Bayerischer Hof has been involved in since 1992.

References

External links

*
Bayerischer Hof
– The Leading Hotels of the World
Hotel Bayerischer Hof
– cosmopolis.ch
Review of Restaurant Atelier at Bayerischer Hof
– cosmopolis.ch {{DEFAULTSORT:Bayerischer Hof Hotels in Munich Hotel buildings completed in 1961 Hotels established in 1841 1841 establishments in the German Confederation