Classik Hotel Martinshof

A quiet neighborhood, convenient public transit, a comfortable room, and a restaurant I enjoyed made for a nice week-long stay. I was surprised a few times to come back and find my room cleaned even though I’d left the “do not disturb” sign facing the hallway. I expect staff not to enter when that sign is up. The kettle had a fuzzy white layer about half a centimetre thick inside when I checked in, presumably calcium buildup. I reported it and they cleaned it, but not thoroughly, and I’d lost confidence that asking again would help. I didn’t have the tools to clean it myself, so I never used it. A shame, since I like having tea in the morning.

Breakfast was a lovely part of our stay, and Dingh greeted us warmly every morning and made sure we got off to a good start. We spent several days here with our two dogs, and would be happy to come back. At check-in, the system initially assigned us one of the smaller rooms in the class we’d booked. Since we arrived late, they couldn’t change it that night, but Mustafa sorted the problem quickly the next day. We had a wonderful stay in this charming part of Munich.

I booked a lovely Bavarian-style room with dark patterned wallpaper and a wooden four-poster bed. Instead, at check-in I found what felt like a youth hostel. Two short beds had been pushed together to make a “double,” despite my booking a queen. I’m not 12. I run a travel agency and spend about eight months a year travelling, so I’ve stayed in all sorts of places, but this hotel wins top marks for bait and switch. Calling the Classik Hotel Martinshof a dump barely covers it. We had just left the Prinzregent, literally a few metres away, and returned to München this week for one night, so we chose a different hotel. There was no staff around, and the building’s main door lock was broken. We spent 30 minutes in the rain fiddling with it before it opened. I’d asked for anything but a ground-floor room, but got one with the heat turned way up and a window opening onto a dirty light well. It also felt very unsafe, the first time I’ve felt that way in Germany. There were no outside lights, and people were smoking on the street. The whole place felt creepy. Avoid it.

The pillows were much too flat for me, though pillows are a personal thing and I’d forgotten mine. I had to fold a blanket underneath to get enough height. I also didn’t see an elevator, which could be difficult for someone with limited mobility or heavy luggage. Otherwise, everything was fine. It’s a cozy little hotel, nicely arranged and in a calm area. The staff were welcoming and helpful, and I enjoyed the breakfast with its local, homemade, organic products.