Review - The Charles - Rocco Forte - Munich
When in Munich, maybe for Octoberfest or performing on your Eras tour as you are Taylor Swift, there is a choice of a few fine luxury brands - among them is Rocco Forte’s The Charles located by the old botanical garden not far from the main train station and actual accommodation of choice of the mega star.
I stayed for one night to check it out and see if it is a good option in the Bavarian capital for my clients.
Atmosphere
Upon entering the lobby you directly get a discreet quiet luxury feel even with the high ceiling and marble floors. The atmosphere remains quiet and feels residential, like your home away from home - and not your business hotel in a random town - in the lobby restaurant, the breakfast restaurant (currently a Zuma popup at night) and the rooms.
Room
As a Rocco Forte Knight Travel Advisor I received a double upgrade from their Classic Room to the Deluxe Panoramic View Room - which was on a higher level and had a small French balcony. I also received a 100$ hotel credit which I made good use of at dinner, see below. My clients receive the same perks as well, by the way.
The room was generously sized with 430 sqft (40 sqm) and had a lounger and a small couch with a table. The Charles conducted a soft-retrofit of their rooms. I noticed that the bed, the couch and the cushions have been renewed, but the wooden furniture showed some wear and tear.
Nonetheless, the quality of the furniture is high and the bathroom appliances and marble did not disappoint either.
I slept perfectly in the King box spring bed.
The bath products are from their in-house brand Irene Forte. Quite nice, but I do like other brands better. I liked that the bathroom provided a shower and a separate tub.
Spa
The spa in this city hotel was relatively spacious. The well-sized pool and the sauna and steam room were fairly empty when I visited. While it’s not a destination spa, it is just the right size to recharge after a travel or city walking day.
Dining
I went for dinner at the lobby restaurant - since my hotel credit did not count towards the Zuma pop-up restaurant (which will apparently “pop-out” in winter). At first I was concerned, wondering whether a restaurant in the lobby can be any good - well, I was proven very wrong :)
The staff at the lobby restaurant was phenomenal - I have probably never met such friendly German staffers - just goes to show that the management at a hotel or restaurant is extremely important - how do they select people? how do they train people? what kind of people they don’t employ? super important! and here they nailed it 100%.
I loved most of the dishes, including the white homemade Italian side-bread - I could live off of that alone. The only dish that was a little weird was the starter “green paprika” - it was not spicy, fine - but it needed some other thing to balance it.
And now: breakfast!
I was brought to my table in the main restaurant (at that time used for the mentioned Zuma popup), it was quite busy at this Wednesday morning. I ordered coffee and an omelette. The buffet was extensive and covered all bases including a corner for Bavarian specialties like Obazda (kind of fresh cheese), pretzels and white sausages. Service was attentive and I left happy and ready to start the day.
Since I liked the lobby so much, I just went for lunch again the next day haha - had a simple yet tasty pasta dish!
And here a last look at the Zuma outdoor kitchen:
Service
Just a word on the service: amazing and detail oriented. From reception, restaurant to cleaning. See the turndown service as an example:
Summary
| Hotel | The Charles |
|---|---|
| Brand | Rocco Forte |
| Stay here if you |
|
| Don't stay here if you |
|
| What was not on par? | The internet connection was spotty - one moment it was ok, the next it was gone. |
| CT Points | 96 |
I genuinely enjoy Rocco Forte service quality - and the Charles is no exception. I have yet to try the Rosewood, but I would prefer it over the Bayrischer Hof. It is just more modern, more cosy and the service is just that tad better.
