Reserving a hotel just days prior to arriving meant that the best old-town options were already taken. We wanted to stay somewhere comfortable with a convenient location and naturally not too pricy. The Arabella Sheraton Grand fitted the bill perfectly.

The hotel is located in Bogenhausen on the eastern side of the Isar River and therefore somewhat outside the main tourist areas. However, it is only 10 minutes from the old town on the very efficient underground railway system. The Arabellapark station is only a block from the hotel, and the location is very convenient for drivers. A shopping center across the road with a supermarket and a number of restaurants was also handy.

The hotel is in a large, modern building of limited architectural interest. It is apparently the largest and highest hotel in Munich, and views from the upper floors are quite spectacular. As could be expected, the reception rooms very modern and stylish and check-in as fast and efficient as I have became accustomed to on previous stays in Sheraton group hotels.

Our room was suitably large and stylish, using modern furniture and dark blue carpeting that tends to look good. The two large single beds were standard German fare – very soft but surprisingly comfortable, NOT leaving any backaches the next morning. The requested baby bed was already in the room, and we supplied our own travel mattress for the toddler. An electric kettle, bar fridge, iron, and trouser press were included – items often not standard in German hotels. The large TV had several international channels – mostly news – and of course, all the German ones. Although on one of the lower floors, we could still see the silhouettes of the Frauenkirche and the BMW headquarters from our room.

The bathroom was particularly nice – mostly white with black accents and stainless-steel furnishings. It had two washing basins in front of large mirrors and a separate shower and bath. The half-round shower swing-doors did a good job of keeping the floor clean, at least while showering. Physics determine that water will run down, and unless you plan to stand inside the shower until the doors have dripped dry, water is going to end on the floor the moment you open the doors.

The hotel has a lovely spa – wellness area in modern German – in the basement with a large pool and several jet streams and a separate Jacuzzi-like section. Several beauty treatments and a fitness center are available, but we never made it past the pool. The small meals served from the poolside bar looked pretty appealing, but we took all meals outside the hotel.

The Arabella Sheraton Grand caters mostly to a business clientele – the BMW headquarters-like, mid-1970s head office of the Hypovereinbank, one of Germany’s Big Four banks, is an immediate neighbor. However, on weekends, pleasure travelers reign supreme, and room prices fall from a lofty €300 to below €100 per night.