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Hilton Munich Airport

Kempinski Hotel Airport Munich photo

ABOVE: The glass roof of the Hilton Munich Airport soars high above an atrium lobby.

When you have an early-morning departure, it's reassuring to know that the airport check-in desk is only a 5- or 10-minute walk from your hotel room. And when your room is in a handsome building that was designed by architect Helmut Jahn, sleeping at the airport becomes an even more attractive proposition.

The hotel under discussion is the Hilton Munich Airport (formerly the Kempinski Hotel Airport) at Munich International Airport, which is the gateway to Germany's most popular tourist region.

Although the hotel caters primarily to business travelers, leisure travelers are certainly welcome--and on weekends, room rates drop to less than half the normal price, making this luxury hotel more affordable for middle-class travelers.


An oasis of air and light

Helmut Jahn is the German-born Chicago architect whose "New Modernism" is evident in buildings such as the United Airlines Terminal at O'Hare International Airport and the Sony Center in Berlin.

In designing the Hilton Munich Airport, he created a spacious, light-filled atrium hall between two rectangular wings with hotel rooms, suites, and conference space.

The atrium is 24 meters or nearly eight stories high, with a curved skylight roof and glass curtain walls at both ends.

Imported palm trees, tall glass shelves of potted (if artificial) geraniums, red chairs, and translucent green floor insets add warmth to the glass-and-terrazzo lobby.

The overall effect is both spectacular and welcoming. It's also quite distinctive, avoiding the institutional look or the gratuitious glitziness that one finds in so many modern hotels.


Bed...

Charles Lindbergh Restaurant picture

ABOVE: A buffet breakfast is served in the Hilton's Charles Lindbergh Restaurant.

The Hilton Munich Airport has 343 rooms and 46 suites. I stayed in a standard double room (3122) in the hotel's west wing on a visit to Munich International Airport, and I was pleased with my accommodation.

Kempinski Hotel Airport Munich photoThe room was big by German standards, with stylish modern wood furniture and a bathroom with a granite countertop. The large window, which overlooked the hotel garden, was double-glazed to block out noise from jets and other airport traffic.

To my surprise, I was able to open the window when I wanted fresh air. (That's when I realized just how excellent the soundproofing was!)


...and breakfast

Breakfast isn't included in all rates, because many of the Hilton's business travelers start off their day with breakfast in a conference room or on a departing airplane.

Several breakfast options are available:

  • Room service.

  • An excellent breakfast buffet in the Charles Lindbergh Restaurant (see photo above).

  • At the Nightflight Bar in the lobby, where you can grab a coffee and croissant.

 Another option, if you aren't on expense account, is to get breakfast at München Airport Center next door.


Lunch and dinner

The Hilton Munich Airport has two dining choices:

  • The Charles Lindbergh Restaurant, which offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets plus an à la carte menu. The daily theme buffets (including a special Sunday buffet) attract local people as well as visitors.

  • The Nightflight Bar, located beneath the atrium's palm trees, serves cocktails, snacks, and light meals from morning until late at night.


Room rates

When we last checked the Hilton Munich Airport's rates, fully-cancellable weekday bookings for a standard king guest room started at just over €150 without breakfast through our discount reservations partner, Booking.com.

For slightly more, you could make a reservation with breakfast included.

  • To check the best available rates for the dates of your visit, see Booking.com's Hilton Munich Airport pages.


Also see:
Munich International Airport
Munich Airport Center - shopping and travel services

About the author:

Durant Imboden photo.Durant Imboden is a professional travel writer, book author, and editor who focuses on European cities and transportation.

After 4-1/2 years of covering European travel topics for About.com, Durant and Cheryl Imboden co-founded Europe for Visitors (now including Germany for Visitors) in 2001. The site has earned "Best of the Web" honors from Forbes and The Washington Post.

For more information, see About Europe for Visitors, press clippings, and reader testimonials.