A slight name change and a more drastic reimagining of a single property in Munich has ushered in a new era of luxury hospitality in the German city.
When a newly built hotel opened in the heart of Munich in 2024, it was named the Koenigshof rather than Königshof, which was what the previous hotel on the site was called.
Rabea Moeller, general manager, said the spelling was intentionally changed “to emphasize the hotel’s new international positioning and contemporary identity.” While preserving the original pronunciation and heritage of the name, the use of “oe” instead of “ö,” said Moeller, “makes the brand more globally accessible and digitally friendly, while also reflecting the modern character of the new building and hotel concept.”
The property’s marketing agency wanted to rename the hotel entirely “but we had brand awareness so we kept the name with the slight spelling change," she said.
The previous building was demolished, Moeller said, “because it no longer met the operational, architectural and spatial requirements of a modern international luxury hotel.”
The original hotel on the site dated back to 1866, when a former private residence became the “Hotel Bellevue.” After World War I, it was renamed “Hotel Königshof.”
The hotel was owned by the Geisel family from 1938 until it was sold for an undisclosed price in 2021 to INKA Karlsplatz GmbH & Co. KG, which is owned by the Inselkammer family, partial owners of Munich’s Augustiner-Bräu brewery.
The hotel reopened in June 2024 as Koenigshof, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Munich. It affiliated with the Marriott brand while positioning itself as “an individual high-end establishment with a strong local identity and contemporary interpretation of Munich luxury," Moeller said.
The original reaction to the demolition was emotional and, in some cases, critical, because the former hotel had been one of Munich’s best-known venues for decades and was deeply connected to the city’s identity, she said. The property had been a landmark at Stachus — the city’s main square — for generations and was considered part of Munich’s hospitality history.
Many locals associated the hotel with classic, traditional luxury and with the golden era of Munich hospitality. She said the former restaurant in the hotel was also highly regarded internationally and held a Michelin star for many years, making the hotel an important part of Munich’s fine-dining scene.
The criticism mainly came from the fact that such an iconic and familiar building — one that many Munich residents considered a landmark of the city center — was being demolished and replaced with a radically modern architectural concept, Moeller said. The new design by the architectural firm of Nieto Sobejano, with its striking glass facade and central opening, “initially felt very bold and unconventional for Munich,” she said.
However, public perception changed significantly once the new Koenigshof was completed. Many residents of the city, she said, “appreciated that the new building did not try to recreate the past, but instead reflected a contemporary vision of Munich and modern luxury.”
The hotel now represents a more international, lifestyle-driven and experience-oriented understanding of luxury, whereas the former Königshof stood more for traditional grand hotel elegance. The architecture, gastronomy and overall concept helped “turn around” many opinions, she said, “because the project brought a fresh, cosmopolitan energy to Stachus while still honoring the heritage of the location.”
Moeller, who was previously general manager of the Munich Mandarin Oriental, said she wrote a “vision book” as the new building was being constructed and it included a plan of the Koenigshof’s restaurant.
“The city has a lot of Michelin-starred restaurants,” she said, “but I was not looking for that. I wanted a niche outlet that was much livelier, so we have a Latin American restaurant called the Glass Butterfly whose chef is Peruvian and that serves the best pisco sour ever.”
According to Moeller, 90% of the restaurant's demand comes from locals “who come to have a good time.”
The Koenigshof has 106 rooms, including 41 suites and little function space because the focus is on leisure, she said. While group business is not a target, there is a show room called “The View” on the ninth floor with sights over Munich and the Zugspitze, the tallest mountain in the Wetterstein Mountains, on clear days. A second room called "Studio" is adjacent to the lobby, offering a setting for up to 12 guests.
On the building’s ground floor, the MitoSphere is a longevity and wellness concept that is independently operated and is not a direct hotel outlet. The Koenigshof cooperates closely with MitoSphere, Moeller said, and offers wellness and longevity experiences for hotel guests, including a dedicated longevity-focused package.
The typical guest from North America will stay in the hotel for two nights before moving on to popular destinations such as Salzburg or Vienna in Austria. There is skiing in the Dolomites in Italy three-and-a-half hour away.
Moeller said business from the U.S. “is strong and important.”
As part of her “vision,” she said the hotel has a rich art collection and will be offering walking tours of the pieces on request.
She said that while the building's dramatic architecture is striking, hospitality is still about what happens within the building.
“Personalized service is what counts," she said. "We are selling emotions.”
She said some staff had been carried over from the old building, but “I developed my own style because you have to build individual stories.”
For instance, every Friday morning guests can attend a Bavarian breakfast in the kitchen featuring white sausage, and sweet mustard and brezel (German pretzel) as well as Augustiner beer. The breakfast is available upon prior registration and is complimentary for guests.
The hotel has created its own signature Koenigshof tea, served in the setting of the property’s lounges, which are called “The Green” and “The Gold.” The house blend reflects the property’s connection to Bavarian culture and local ingredients, Moeller said.
Guests can enjoy the tea alongside a curated selection of pastries and cakes, including the Koenigshof Cake. That cake is inspired by the historic Prinzregententorte, which holds an important place in Bavarian culinary history.
Moeller sees the Koenigshof’s transformation as part of Munich’s increasingly prominent place as a tourist destination. Oktoberfest — a weeks-long festival of beer and folk traditions — has always been a big draw, and the Koenigshof has a package that provides a guaranteed restaurant reservation. Christmas markets are also hugely popular.
But now, Munich is growing in popularity among U.S. luxury travelers as a year-round destination because it combines culture, safety, gastronomy, luxury shopping, proximity to the Alps and easy onward travel within Europe.
Moeller described the difference between the Koenigshof and the Mandarin as "fundamentally different environments.”
What the Mandarin taught her above all, she said, “was the concept of anticipating guests’ needs and the mindset of ultra-luxury hospitality.”
“I can now further refine these principles at the Koenigshof through my own vision and approach,” Moeller said. "Here, I have the opportunity to create truly personal and memorable moments for our guests, moments you cannot buy.”