Not to give too much away too soon in this review, but I declare the Hilton at the Munich Airport (MUC) to be one of the best airport Hilton properties anywhere in the world. Heck – it just might be one of the best airport hotels I’ve ever stayed at.
It’s an extremely well designed hotel that looks nothing like a Hilton. It’s stylish, comfortable, surprisingly quiet, and the location (attached directly to the airport) can’t be beat.
A full review of my one night stay at the Munich Airport Hilton
I only booked this property because it was attached to the airport. I wasn’t looking for a five-star experience. Convenience was my number one motivation, but I was pleasantly surprised by how freaking nice it was.
Welcome to the Munich Airport Hilton! Sure, it looks neat, but the car guy in me was more interested in the Mercedes taxicabs parked out front. You don’t see that back home in the US!
The location
The Hilton at the Munich Airport in Germany is attached directly to Terminal 2. You will have to go outside for a brief moment to access it.
The lobby (and check in process)
One look at the lobby and I knew that this was unlike any other Hilton that I’ve ever stayed at. It was easily the nicest airport Hilton I had ever stepped foot in. Check this out:
The main lobby. What do you suppose their air conditioning bill is like during the summer when it’s hot and sunny?
And they said palm trees don’t grow in Germany. Everyone who told us that have obviously never stayed at the MUC Hilton.
That’s the reception desk over there (which will be on your right immediately after coming in through the main entrance).
The only negative thing that I have to say about the check in process is that it was a little slow. They seemed to be slightly understaffed, so it was a bit of a wait to be checked in.
Getting to my room
The process of getting to my room on the third floor was admittedly kind of fun. I don’t believe I’ve ever had fun trying to find my room at a hotel anywhere else in the world, but the architecture of this place made it quite the adventure. This is a beautifully designed property.
The elevator. There was some kind of prerecorded announcement playing in here which I couldn’t fully understand since my knowledge of the German language is very limited. She was either flirting with me or letting me know that the elevator was malfunctioning. It was hard to tell really.
I challenge you to tell me that this isn’t a nice looking hallway here on the 3rd floor. I’ll bet anything that you can’t.
That moment when I realized that my room was all the way at the end (where the hallway gets all dark and creepy).
S**t is getting real.
For all I know, room 3101 is where they send all hotel reviewers to die. It was fun while it lasted I guess.
My room for the night
I splurged on an upgrade to a suite during the check in process. Why the hell not, right? The main reason for splurging was because it was still early afternoon, and I was planning on spending all afternoon working. Having a comfortable place to spread out seemed like a darn good idea. Long story short, it was totally worth it.
Holy moly! I was imagining a room like the one I had at the ORD Hilton as I was opening the door, so to say that I suddenly became lightheaded (and weak in the knees) upon seeing this should be understandable.
The first thing I saw (through the blurred vision) was this handy luggage rack – which if you remember from my review of the BOS Hilton, isn’t something you’ll always get with this hotel chain.
Straight ahead to the left is the bathroom. Which was very conveniently located I might add (due to my excitement levels reaching the danger zone).
The fact that I’m 4 pictures into the room overview and I haven’t even left the entrance yet tells you everything you need to know about how freaking nice this is. Let’s move on…
Is there anything more awesome than a flat screen TV so large that it ends up being the dominant element in the room?
Yes, as a matter of fact there is! I so want to high-five the person who made the decision to put another large flat screen TV on the other side.
To say that this suite was sweet is a big fat understatement.
Sure, the bed looks nice, but let’s be real: the temptation to watch TV (two things at the same time) will make sleeping nearly impossible.
Did I mention the TVs?
The funny thing about all this is that it was basically impossible to take a pic of anything without one of the TVs getting in the way.
Ok, one last thing about the TVs: they aren’t internet enabled (so you can’t watch YouTube or Netflix), and there wasn’t a single English language channel on the menu. I ended up watching campy Korean TV shows all evening.
The main room of this suite contains a couch, table, and a variety of chairs. I like having options!
Don’t get excited though, because the couch (while beautiful) was an absolute mother******. It really is as uncomfortable as it looks.
This chair was better (but not perfect). At least it didn’t make me swear.
As you can see, nearly every piece of furniture in this room was something you’d expect to find in a fancypants home furnishing catalog. I love the asymmetrical nightstand!
“I endorse this room.” Not that my endorsements carry any weight or anything, but it’s fun to feel important sometimes, right?
And now, it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty and show you some of the details (which I hope at least one of you can appreciate). This is the closet…
…this is the fully-stocked minibar (bottled Coke FTW)…
…just above that is the coffee machine (featuring more fancypants design)…
…and finally, two bottles of water (sparkling and still). Neither were free – or reasonably priced.
The view
I do have to say that this was only the second airport hotel that I’ve ever stayed at where the view from my room disappointed me (my suite at the Rome Airport Hilton was the worst) . Yes, I could see the runway in the distance, but it was too far away to really appreciate.
If you squint your eyes (and tilt your head 36 degrees to the left), you might see the runway way out there past the buildings.
The view from the other window wasn’t any more interesting. That said, the probability of seeing someone pick their nose (or worse) is higher from this vantage point.
The bathroom
Just as it is every time that I stay at a hotel in Germany, the bathroom completely blew me away. German hotel bathrooms are next level awesome, and this one here in the Munich Airport Hilton didn’t disappoint.
Remember the pics of the bathroom I showed you in my Westin Grand Munich review? Never in a million years would I have thought that a Hilton bathroom could be better than that, but here we are.
Those of you with multiple personalities will appreciate the dual sinks.
You’re going to have to share the toilet though. Sorry.
Not only is the shower large and spacious…
…the tub is deep (and looks to be a fantastic place to wash away all the bodily funk you’ve accumulated from being on airplanes for the past 17 hours).
Long story short, this is a bathroom that makes the one I experienced in my room at the Hilton MSY seem even worse than it was (if that’s even possible).
Room service (and some thoughts about food)
I didn’t find the food and dining options in this hotel to be all that interesting. Yes, there is a bar and restaurant located in the main lobby, but I chose to be antisocial and opt for room service instead. It was decent food, though extremely salty.
Room service. This burger was pretty good, but it would have been much better without all the salt. I could barely taste anything else!
I also ordered a bowl of soup, which came with a side of bread. I’m not sure, but I’m suspecting this is one of the reasons why my belly has been getting a little pudgy lately.
I had also considered walking over to the McDonald’s located in the central courtyard area of Terminal 2. It was only a five minute walk, but I just couldn’t bring myself to eat what is essentially the same exact food that I could get so easily back at home in the US.
Pros and cons of the Munich Airport Hilton
If you really want to know how I feel about this place, The fact that I can’t wait to stay at this property again should speak volumes. Not only is the location excellent, but I love the architecture and attention to detail. I’m getting ahead of myself here…
Pros
The location (just steps from Terminal 2) makes this the perfect hotel for anyone needing to catch an early morning flight.
It’s a very modern property. Everything is new, very clean, and meticulously maintained.
It’s one of the quietest airport hotels I’ve ever stayed at.
Cons
It’s a bit of a walk from Terminal 1 (about 10 minutes). This is only really an issue if you have a lot of luggage to manage.
Expect to pay a premium to stay here. Convenience is expensive!
Sorry aviation enthusiasts – this is not a very good plane spotting hotel.
