Holiday Inn - the niu, Brass Munich Olympiapark

A clean, simple room that was just right for a night’s rest, and reasonable for the price. At check-in, the helpful receptionist even gave me an introduction to the city.

The rooms are comfortable and the breakfast is good. It’s a small hotel near the BMW offices, in an industrial area, and it doesn’t really feel set up for families.

Parking was a nightmare, and it costs €15 a night. The spaces are so cramped that even with your mirrors folded and the car parked close to one side, getting out is difficult, and nearby cars can ding your door. On the road to the garage, cars were parked with one set of wheels on the sidewalk, leaving barely enough room for one-way traffic. Only the accessible parking space was large enough, which felt discriminatory. The whole place is secured like a prison. You need a key card for the elevators, every floor’s stairwell doors, and the lower garage entrance doors, even in a fire. The elevators are tiny, and so is everything else. The rooms are smaller than what I’ve had in New York or San Francisco, and there’s no shower door. There’s no free breakfast either. Unless you’re tiny and driving a tiny car, I’d stay away.

It feels a bit like a Travelodge, but it’s pretty cheap and well equipped. The hotel is a little far from the city center, about 15 to 20 minutes by public transport. There’s no room service and no restaurant, so you have to depend on nearby places to eat. Breakfast is available from 6:30 to 10:30.