Hotel Königshof

The Hotel Königshof is a luxury hotel in Munich, Germany. The former building, which was demolished in 2019, was listed as a historic monument in the Bavarian heritage register. A replacement building which again will contain a luxury hotel is under construction as of 2024. It used to be part of the hotel group Geisel Privathotels and The Leading Hotels of the World until its demolition and subsequent sale of the property. The new hotel will open in 2024 under a contract with Marriott International renamed Koenigshof, a Luxury Collection Hotel.

Location

The hotel is located in the Munich city district named Ludwigsvorstadt, just few meters west of the historic square named Karlsplatz (Stachus). Originally, a roundabout similar to the east side of the square was planned, yet it was never realized. The Hotel Königshof is situated in the apex of the proposed half-circle across from the Karlstor.

History

The Munich Karlsplatz ("Stachus"), view in western direction, postcard from late 19th century with the original hotel visible.

The former Hotel Königshof, demolished in 2019.

The original Königshof

In the beginning of the 19th century, the architect Gustav Vorherr received the land on which the hotel is located from King Max I. Joseph for his service regarding the expansion of the city. The architect eventually built a private residence in the classical style. The house, owned by Baron von Sternbach, served as a meeting place for a group of scholars who were called to Munich by Maximilian I. Joseph (Bavaria). The guests included writers such as Paul Heyse, Emanuel Geibel, Friedrich Bodenstedt, as well as the art historian and poet Adolf Friedrich von Schack, court theatre director Francis von Dingelstedt, and Franz von Kobell. In 1866, the building with the central location between the city center and the main train station became Hotel Bellevue. After the beginning of World War I, the hotel was renamed Hotel Königshof. In 1938, the hotel, which consisted of 200 beds at the time, was taken over by Karl and Anna Geisel. Both started as innkeepers at the Oktoberfest Löwenbräu beer tent, and also owned several wine farms. During World War II, the hotel was destroyed up to the outer walls.

The hotel from 1955-2019

After the destruction, the Geisel family decided to rebuild the hotel, which was completed in 1955. In 1970, a complete renovation was undertaken. This hotel offered 71 single and double rooms, 16 suites, 180 underground parking spaces, as well as a spa area with sauna, steam bath, whirlpool, and fitness room. Moreover, the gourmet restaurant Königshof, which was awarded one Michelin star and 18 out of 20 points from Gault-Millau, was located inside the hotel.

Future

At the beginning of 2019, the hotel has been demolished, and a replacement is under construction. During this process, the property has been sold by its former owner, Geisel Privathotels, and will be opened in 2024 under a new management contract as Koenigshof, a Luxury Collection Hotel which is a brand of Marriott International.

References

Bibliography

• Heinrich Habel; Johannes Hallinger; Timm Weski (2009), Bayerisches Landesamt für Denkmalpflege (ed.), "Landeshauptstadt München : Mitte", Denkmäler in Bayern - Kreisfreie Städte und Landkreise (in German), vol. Bd. I.2/1, München: Karl M. Lipp Verlag, p. 371, ISBN 978-3-87490-586-2
• Susanna Lajtos (2010), Allitera Verlag (ed.), In luxuriösen Betten (in German), München, p. 127, ISBN 978-3-86906-099-6{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

External links

• Official website of Koenigshof, a Luxury Collection Hotel at marriott.com