Fascinating with potential!
Introduction This is a fascinating property with a lot of potential. We ran into a few issues but we came in with a much more understanding mindset knowing this is a new hotel, so they did not negatively impact our stay too badly. Check In The lobby is rectangular where you enter from one side, so it feels spacious and never-ending. The check in experience has departed from the traditional Andaz approach and there are some kiosk-desk hybrid areas to check in. We booked under a Prive rate and were upgraded from a base room to a standard (Andaz) suite, which was above and beyond even for our Explorist status in WOH. However, our host forgot to go through the rate details (ie property credit, breakfast inclusions, Andaz happy hour etc) but she was still friendly and pointed out what's around the lobby area and escorted us to the elevator. Room We were assigned an Andaz suite facing Leopoldstrasse and Schwabinger Tor tram station (pretty much the view in the stock photo online). The room is shaped somewhat like a dumbell where you enter into a foyer area with a wardrobe and powder room followed by a living/dining area. You then turn left to the glass-enclosed bathroom and the bedroom is behind that.The bathroom was extremely spacious with a freestanding large tub in the middle and two cubicles containing the WC and shower behind. Surprisingly it was single vanity although the table top area was more than enough.Pictures can do more talking here but some fancy features include electric blinds, a giant minibar and motion sensor bedside nightlights. The plethora of buttons however were a little too confusing and lacking adequate labeling...It was still a very beautiful and comfortable suite! Service The service was a little mixed unlike glowing reviews I've read on TA but again I do see potential and eagerness so I look forward to returning with a much more upped game in the future.The minibar (which is part of the standalone desk) in our living room was not powered for some reason...it took some 36 hours and 3 repeated calls to get it fixed (which was very quick in comparison). Our TV and the thermostat in the living room were both not working for some network/connectivity related reason and they pretty much shrugged their shoulders saying that all suites are facing the same common problem.A small flashlight outside the door is supposed to illuminate when you activate the DND button in the room. Ours was not installed at all...A few rooms down our hallway seemed to have gone through some plumbing incident and we saw a lot of fans and machines blowing at them (with open doors) and a soiled carpet across the area throughout our stayThis is all understandable given it's a new hotel, but looks like there are still many things to fix and most importantly with QC needed.The service in the restaurant however was very good in general. The GM was also very accessible as he was at the FD greeting guests and also came to say hi during breakfast time.When we checked out our host was very apologetic and took off all overages on our bill proactively, but we weren't angry or anything at all. Again a mixed bag but I can see they seem very eager to please. Dining We had breakfast as part of our room rate at the ground flooor restaurant The Lonely Broccoli. The service was very good and all our servers felt like they genuinely cared about us enjoying the food and our stay overall.Breakfast features two buffet stations with sprawling spreads of fruits, yogurt, grains, cheeses, cold cuts, pastries, juices etc and you can order hot items off the menu separately. They were all of very high quality and generally healthy-themed.We had room service twice (it was that good) and we were very satisfied with the taste, temperature, presentation and delivery of the food items. The price as well (applied our Prive 85 EUR credit) Location The hotel is named Schwabinger Tor but it is the tram station preceding that that is closest to the main entrance. From there it is a few tram stops to Munchner Freiheit where you can catch the U3/U6 to other city destinations. So not exactly in the city center but still quite accessible with public transport.We walked over from Nordfriedhof getting off the LH bus from MUC but it's a long walk so I think it may be quite challenging with luggage or on warmer days. It's a 10 EUR Uber ride from there or 55 EUR straight from MUC.The hotel has a BMW i3 courtesy car that can take you to nearby locations, however it's not very clear (nor mentioned/stated) of its limits, times, availability etc...it seems to be first come first serve. On the first day we had a host drive us to the BMW Welt, however when we checked out and wanted to get to the train station (Munich Hbf) they claimed they had no host with a driving license available... Spa This was the most mindblowing part of our stay - the spa measures 20,000 sq ft and is akin to a top-top-tier (read AF La Premiere!) airline lounge. It has a curvy-wavy architectural design throughout, with endless space, gigantic changing room areas, indoor cabana/relaxation areas, multiple sauna and steam rooms, before a spiral staircase leading to the heated lap pool. It comes with loungers and opens up further to some outdoor sundecks.The gym is immediately next door and is open 24 hours. It's very industrial-looking and brightly lit; many fancy TechnoGym machines but I couldn't find any weight related equipment - I suppose it's probably still on its way.