Review: Sofitel Munich Bayerpost

While I’ve had generally positive experiences with Sofitels overseas, my last stay at the Sofitel City Centre was so jarring it pretty much reset my opinion of the brand. Instead of sophisticated French luxury, I found only a stripped down experience with signs of cost-cutting everywhere; the only 5-Star thing about the stay was the price. 

So I was a bit hesitant when choosing the Sofitel Munich Bayerpost as one of my three hotels in Munich. But it presented an opportunity to burn some of my Accor points, and I found a bed & breakfast rate for a fairly-reasonable €258. 12,000 Accor points reduced the out-of-pocket costs to €18, and looking back, I’m absolutely convinced it was the right decision. 

Check-in

The Sofitel Munich Bayerpost is next to Munich Hauptbahnhof station, the transport hub of the city. From here you can easily travel to the airport or other tourist areas via the S-Bahn, or take an intercity train to/from elsewhere in Germany.

Some people say that the neighbourhood around Hauptbahnhof feels rough at night, and indeed there are a few adult stores and gentleman’s clubs in the vicinity (the red light district is also nearby). That said, it doesn’t feel actively unsafe (in particular because there’s always a good amount of foot traffic); exercise common sense and you’ll be fine.

Sofitel Munich was the final stop for our road trip, after which we needed to return the car at a Europcar office nearby. The staff at the entrance helped store our bags until we came back to check-in.

There was only one counter open, but also only a single family ahead of us in the queue.

When it came to our turn, we presented our passports, Singapore vaccination certificates, and a credit card, and were processed within five minutes. As an Accor Silver member (courtesy of my complimentary Accor Plus membership), I also received two welcome drink vouchers which could be redeemed at the bar.

While some hotels (ahem Sofitel City Centre ahem) try and palm off a cheap soft drink on you, the Sofitel Munich went above and beyond by offering pretty much anything you wanted, even a glass of Perrier Jouet champagne! 

Room

While my booking was for a Superior Room (one step above the lead-in Classic Room category), I was pleasantly surprised to find that I’d been upgraded to a Luxury Room. The front desk staff didn’t even mention this at check-in, but I knew straight away since the Superior Rooms don’t have bathtubs. 

Though the room was rather dimly-lit (which explains the grainy photos below), I have to say I’m still a fan. The modern decor and homely touches like a window bay settee and a plush yellow armchair made it feel welcoming, certainly a lot more premium than the other hotels we’d stayed at on this trip so far.

If there’s one complaint I had, it’s that the bed was on the softer side (though I still managed to rest well), and there wasn’t any bedside charging outlets or USB ports.

The room had a 48-inch LCD TV, with easy access to the HDMI ports behind for connecting your own device. This being Germany, some of the channels had more…adult content. Cover the younglings’ eyes. 

Beneath the TV are a series of Type F power points, though USB charging ports are absent. 

While the room is undoubtedly stylish, it’s not a good place to get work done. Both chairs are meant for lounging, rather than sitting up straight, and the coffee table is an example of form over function. 

Near the entrance is a luggage storage area, as well as the in-room minibar. A 500ml bottle of Evian water is provided daily, which is another nice premium touch. 

The minibar had a Nespresso machine with three capsules, plus teabags and an empty mini-bar for storage of personal items.

A welcome amenity of SchokoGugl (miniature cakes) and a card was left on the table. I’m not sure if this is something for all guests or just Accor elites (keep in mind I’m just a lowly Silver), but they were delicious nonetheless. 

The bathroom adopts an open concept design, although you can lower the blinds and slide a glass door closed if you’re prudish that way. 

There’s barely room for a single vanity, let alone his and hers. Fortunately there’s shelf space to store your personal items. 

As mentioned earlier, one of the perks of a Luxury Room is that you get a bathtub. It’s not a freestanding model, but at least the sunken bathtub’s faucet was in the middle, allowing you to lie at either end.

For those in need of something faster, the shower area had both a hand and rain shower. Water pressure was phenomenal, so good you’d just stand under the flow and imagine you were in the midst of a warm water thunderstorm.

Bathroom amenities are by Diptyque’s Philosykos range, which I believe are now in use at the Mandarin Oriental Singapore. They were provided in bulk-sized bottles in the shower, and individual-use portions at the bathtub.

While the Sofitel Munich does have bidets, those are a perk reserved for suites guests. Everyone else does things the old-fashioned way. 

You can probably tell by now, but I was very satisfied with the room. Separate shower and bathtub (quite a rarity in Europe), premium touches like a Nespresso machine and complimentary Evian water, and fancy in-room amenities- certainly one of the better ones we had on our trip. 

Facilities

Spa

On the morning of departure, we were debating whether to walk around the old town area or spend some time in the spa. We decided on the latter, and I’m so glad we did. 

Access to So SPA is included for all in-house guests, and the facility is open from 0800 to 1200 hours in the morning, and 1600 to 1900 hours in the afternoon. 

Let’s start with the swimming pool, which has to be the most interesting hotel pool I’ve ever seen. The best description I can give is that it’s like an underground cave system, with pathways leading to different chambers. A waterfall can be triggered at the press of a button, and it’s a whole lot of fun to explore. 

Elsewhere is a series of footbaths in psychedelic colors, which alternate between hot water (red) and cold water (blue). I’m not sure if you’re supposed to place one foot in each, or hop from one to the other, but it’s fun either way.

Both a steam room and an infrared sauna area available. The steam one doesn’t photograph too well, but the infrared sauna shows up just fine. 

Oh, and before anyone asks, yes, the German sauna culture stories are true. It’s mixed gender, and you’re expected to wear your birthday suit. You can bring a towel to wrap yourself in if you’re shy, but no swimsuits are allowed. 

This logic extends to the shower area as well. It’s also mixed gender, and yes, people do in fact shower naked (fancy that). 

I don’t know if this will be reassuring or disappointing, but during the time we were there, the only other couple we saw were probably in their 60s, making it less Temptation Island and more Mister Rogers’ Neighbourhood.

All in all, a fantastic spa experience, and something you should block out time for when you visit.

Gym

Even though I didn’t use it, I could tell that the Sofitel Munich’s gym is going to disappoint fitness buffs. It’s sparsely equipped, almost as if someone shifted out all the equipment and forgot to put it back. There wasn’t even a treadmill, just some free weights, medicine balls, a cycling machine and a cable machine.

Breakfast

Breakfast is served at Schwarz & Weiz from 0700 to 1100 hours daily. It costs €40 per adult, so it’s almost always better to book a breakfast-inclusive rate than to add it on separately at the hotel. 

Just like my previous visit to Munich, it’s SOP to wear a mask and a pair of disposable gloves when approaching the buffet line. However, unlike my previous visit, there was very little compliance and enforcement. 

The self-serve buffet had one of the largest selections of any breakfast we had in Germany. 

Cold options include the usual selection of cold cuts and cheese that you’ll find at most European breakfast buffets…

…cut fresh fruit and yoghurt…

…and a salad bar. 

For hot items, there was bacon, Nuremberg sausage, mushrooms and tomatoes.

Pancakes and an egg station rounded out the selection.

A range of freshly squeezed juices as well as still and sparkling water are available for self-service. 

The sharp-eyed amongst you will have spotted the ice bucket in the corner, which contains bottles of bubbly. If there’s one thing to nitpick, it’s that they served cremant instead of champagne at breakfast. But fine, that’d still be more acceptable than a French hotel serving prosecco…

I also want to point out that the Sofitel had the most exquisite butter I’ve ever tasted: Beurre Charentes-Poitou AOP. It came wrapped like a sweet, and I struggled to limit myself to one portion. The French may not know much about military strategy, but man, their butter. 

Here’s the obligatory food spread photo. 

Conclusion

While my sample size can’t be said to be representative, Sofitel Munich Bayerpost has gone a long way towards erasing the bad memories of Sofitel City Centre. The hotel’s service and amenities were much more on song with the brand’s premium positioning, and I’d consider this one of the best stays of our entire trip.