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We check out the affordable hotel options in the prosperous, hi-tech capital of Bavaria – from a capsule motel to a kitsch city centre cocoon An hour or so from the Alps and a world away from boho Berlin, Munich’s reputation is one of industry and prosperity – a blend of moneyed modernism and proud traditionalism. But Bavaria’s home of BMW is also one of Europe’s boom towns – few cities come near to matching its wealth and lifestyle – hence its reputation as the hi-tech and high-art capital of Germany (the land of “laptops and lederhosen”). Those fastidious types at Monocle magazine like it so much, they rated it the world’s most liveable city last year , citing its “mixture of urban lifestyle, nature, tradition and avant-garde” as providing the perfect quality of life. Here are 10 affordable hotels to try on the Bavarian lifestyle. Hidden highlight: Hotel Lux Until last year, this narrow building was a nondescript hotel, above an even more nondescript pub, its claim to fame that it was around the corner from the tourist-packed Hofbräuhaus . Now, a superb spiral wooden staircase leads to a handful of well-designed, if modestly furnished, rooms, each one enhanced by local art. For a unique experience, take the Ponyhof room at the top of the staircase (there are no lifts), co-designed by local artist Hans Langner , aka Birdman, famous in these parts for his clever bird-themed postcards. But be warned, this garish blue room plastered with bird designs is loved and disliked in equal measure. Even if you don’t manage to book a room, don’t miss the real highlight: the bar/restaurant beneath is pricey, but superb. • Ledererstrasse 13, +49 (0)89 45207300, munich.hotel-lux.info . Single from €87, double from €149. Book ahead for the restaurant Low budget design: Motel One Motel One is a rising star of European budget hotels and has been getting rave reviews for its clever designs and excellent service – think capsule meets boutique. In Motel One hotels (there are hotels in 19 cities across Germany and Austria), what you see is what you get: on the one hand, double bed, uplifting pastel shades offest against clean lines, flat-screen TV, air-conditioning, en suite bathroom and free WiFi. On the other, breakfast costs extra and there is no restaurant, just a bar, with sandwiches created by TV chef Alfons Schuhbeck . Of the six locations in in Munich, Motel One Deutsches Museum is on a ridge overlooking what is one of the best two or three science museums in the world. • Motel One Deutches Museum, Rablstrasse 2, +49 (0)89 44455580, motel-one.com/uk . Single rooms start at €69, doubles €84; breakfast buffet €7.50 Groovy in green: H’otello There’s a freshness about the two existing H’otello hotels (the other one is in Holzkirchen, Bavaria, and look out for a third opening in Berlin in a few months), and it’s not only down to the minimalist, pared-down designs. The rooms are entirely uncluttered, aided and abetted by light materials and a handful of easy-on-the-eye colours. The two H’otellos are five minutes from one another, and five minutes from the tranquil Luitpoldpark . Even better, they are also equidistant from Olympiapark and the Englischen Garten , one of the world’s largest city parks. A 20-minute walk from either hotel will see you Weissbier in hand settled in the Englischen Garten’s Seehaus beer garden next to the delightful Kleinhesseloher See boating lake. • Fallmerayerstrasse 22, reservations: +49 (0)89 45831200, hotello.de . Singles from €87-€305, doubles €112-€330. Throwback: Cocoon The feel of this small hotel is a gentle throwback to the 1960s and 1970s combined with the twist of more modern designs. So, get ready for see-through plastic “ball chairs” and “cocoon cabins” in the reception area, and chaise longue-like chairs in the rooms accompanied by small space-saving “swing-away” computer desks. Cocoon is located 400 metres form the historic Altstadt (Old Town), on the edge of Munich’s most in-vogue quarter of Glockenbachviertel with its shops and cafes. Opened in 2008, the reasonable prices attract a range of travellers happy to stay in a hotel attempting to offer something distinct. • Lindwurmstrasse 35, +49 (0)89 59993907, hotel-cocoon.de . Singles from €79, doubles from €99 and suites from €129 Deutsche Eiche Munich is home to one of Germany’s largest gay communities and the city’s Christopher Street Day parade is now a major fixture in the city’s events calendar (9-10 July). Deutsche Eiche (German Oak) is centrally located in Munich’s hip Gärtnerplatz area and has been something of a meeting point for gays and lesbians since the 1950s. As well as a hotel, it has a Bathhouse, spread over four floors, which offers a Finnish sauna, a salt sauna and bathing facilities. Its restaurant offers a combination of hearty Bavarian and less-cholesterol-counting dishes. • Reichenbachstrasse 13, +49 (0)89 2311660, deutsche-eiche.com . Singles from €79, doubles from €139; apartments and suites start at €199 Sustainable: Alterwirt From the outside, the Alterwirt appears not untypical of the traditional-looking Wirthäuser (pub/restaurant) that Bavaria does exceptionally well: beer garden, and a slightly olde worlde feel. What distinguishes this place is that it is part of the Germany-wide Bio Hotels organisation. The hotel’s rooms have been renovated using sustainable materials, all food is seasonal and organic, and there is also an organic shop. It is situated in Munich’s affluent Grünwald area, around 12km from the centre, with the added bonus for film buffs that it is a few minutes from Bavaria Film , one of Europe’s top film studios and the location for Alfred Hitchcock’s first ever film, The Pleasure Garden. • Marktplatz 1, D-82031 Grünwald, +49 (0)89 6419340, alterwirt.de . Singles from €105, doubles from €155 Avant-garde: Pension am Kiserplatz There are several reasons why people love this guest house. It’s located in the legendary Schwabing quarter , the boho stomping ground from around 1880 to 1914 to a panoply of the world’s foremost artists and thinkers, from Lenin to Thomas Mann to Kandinsky. There are only 10 rooms in this Pension, all individually decorated with furnishings ranging from Jugendstil (as in the Pension’s façade) to baroque to modern and even an English room. The owners have undertaken a lot of the room designs and furniture restorations themselves, creating a homely atmosphere. It’s no longer in the avant-garde, but it is a pleasant reminder of what used to be. • Two single rooms, €33 and €35, and eight doubles range from €49 to €65. Bookings cannot be made online: +49 (0)89 349190 History hotel: Torbräu Torbräu is the undisputed grand old dame of Munich hotels. Located at Isartor , one of Munich’s original city gates, it has provided beds for visitors for more than 500 years. This former brewery was a focal point for rioters unhappy with the all-important price of beer in the 19th century, saw Hitler’s putschists pass by in 1923 and was almost totally destroyed by Allied air raids during the second world war. Today, it may not be the most stylish hotel in the city, but it exudes history and attracts a loyal clientele. • Tal 41, +49 (0)89 242340, torbraeu.de . Singles range from €154-€228, doubles €194-€282 Cheap and indy: Euro Youth Hostel Located right next to the central train station in a street full of lower-price lodgings, this hostel is a great stop-off point for travellers on a tight budget. It originally opened its doors as the far more palatial Hotel Astoria in the 1880s, and miraculously survived the second world war intact. It’s been a hostel since 1998 and in contrast to some others around Europe, it is independent rather than part of a chain. It is conspicuously well looked after and friendly, while its combination of tradition tied with modern touches (and a great bar) provides extra charm. • Senefelderstrasse 5, + 49 (0)89 59908811 euro-youth-hotel.de . Prices start at €11 a night for a shared room but can rise to €40 during the Oktoberfest Worth a mention: Hotel Monaco For visitors on a tight budget but wishing to avoid the usual hostels, Hotel Monaco is a decent option. It is a perfectly adequate – if unexceptional – low-budget, two-star hotel, but it offers extra low rates of €44 a night in an effort to catch the attention of travellers keen to avoid the hustle and bustle of hostels. There is an added option of taking part in an online room auction before booking while a handful of “last-minute deals” are available. • Schillerstrasse 9, +49 (0)89 5459940, hotel-monaco.de . Doubles from €44-€85. A single room with shared shower/WC can be as low as €30 • Paul Wheatley is a journalist based in Munich and the author of a new history of the city, Munich: From Monks to Modernity Getting there Rail Europe (0844 848 4070, raileurope.co.uk ) has fares from London to Munich from £161 return including travel on the overnight service from Paris. Munich City breaks Hotels Germany Paul Wheatley guardian.co.uk