Best Independent Style Hotels in Germany

Embracing the island’s traditional style, this Severins Resort boasts the longest continuous thatched roof in Europe. Perched right on the Wadden Sea in the town of Keitum, it’s popular with families; Severins has a kids’ club and welcomes pets, providing their own concierge, an outdoor pet shower, bowls and beds. The boutique hotel offers 10 bedroom categories, five apartment houses and two restaurants: Tipken’s and Hoog, as well as a bar, a Smoking Lounge and a Wine Cellar. A ​​2,000 m² spa comprises treatment suites, a fireside indoor pool, five themed saunas, a fitness suite and a cafe.

Arty and bohemian, this property is found in the Sartorius Quarter. A meeting place for creatives (by candlelight on Moorish-style floor couches), the former factory has been redesigned by Frank Kassner, in collaboration with Georg Rosentreter and Lina Freund. As such, industrial-chic reigns across the 123 bedrooms, with polished concrete, lattice windows, black steel and corrugated iron, offset by upcycled antiques, graffiti, burnt larch headboards, oiled oak floors, and original stone tiles from Italy. The East of Italy restaurant serves Mediterranean-meets-Levantine cuisine and the Weights & Measures bar provides beautifully presented signature beverages.

HARBR. Hotel Ludwigsburg, a member of Radisson Individuals, offers 111 guestrooms in a prime city-centre setting next to the main railway station. Select from five room categories, including spacious Studio+ layouts designed for longer stays, all featuring walk-in showers, smart TVs and high-speed Wi-Fi. Clean lines, subtle nautical details and quality materials create a calm, contemporary atmosphere.

Start the day with a breakfast showcasing regional produce, then return to the lounge bar, a relaxed space by day that transforms into a lively meeting point at night with cocktails and nightcaps. Host business gatherings in a choice of three versatile meeting rooms with the latest technology and support from the events team. Hire a bicycle and explore Ludwigsburg’s grand Baroque palace, landscaped gardens and vibrant cultural scene, all within easy reach of the hotel.

A hotel inspired by the bathing culture of the Orient, Vitalhotel Alter Meierhof is an indulgent and pampering experience. A huge heated indoor-outdoor pool provides views across to Denmark; there’s also a tepidarium, meditative sauna, aroma and steam baths, rasul and hammam ceremonies. The ambience and decor in the property are deeply elegant, with its 54 bedrooms created in a country house style. Breakfast in the gourmet brasserie, which also serves homemade patisserie in summer on the beach terrace. Grab a healthy lunch at the spa’s Vitalbar. Dine on modern French dishes at the two Michelin star Meierei Dirk Luther, or at the Spanish-themed Bodega, by night. And finish your day with a fireside nightcap in the lobby bar.

This Relais and Chateaux property certainly ramps up the fairytale feel of the Black Forest. It’s like a picture postcard; a traditional mountain style chalet building, bursting with colourful floral window boxes. The food is simply divine – so much so, that it’s gained two Michelin stars – and is based on the Baden terroir with a focus on the elements. Chef Martin Herrmann is at the helm of the Gourmet Restaurant Le Pavillion and guests have the option to enjoy a unique and magical dining experience, served in a forest clearing. Classically decorated rooms with a regal air, have minibars, balconies and king-sized beds as standard.

While the building dates back to 1841, the décor and facilities of the Bayerischer Hof are both modern and very comfortable. Guests can take their pick from some of the most exclusive and elegant suites in the whole city and it is a good idea to book far in advance in order to secure the simply stunning Presidential, Rooftop Panorama. This huge suite feels more like a miniature palace and comes complete with frescoed ceilings, a butler service and a stunning and very large living area complete with an adjoining balcony.

Immerse in nature when you stay at this Bavarian-style property, a former equestrian centre set among the Chiemgau Alps. While its midcentury exterior is traditional, the design-forward interiors of this hotel boast brushed wood finishings, soft leather furnishings, burnished brass hardware from a local blacksmith and pieces from B&B Italia. There are three restaurants; the White Stag, the Hubertushütte and the artful two Michelin-starred es:senz by Chef Edip Sigl. Das Achental hosts one of the Leading Golf Clubs of Germany and a 2,000 square-metre wellness area with reclaimed wood, slate stone and Austrian stone pine saunas, and a classic steam bath.

Embedded into the medieval quarter of the city, this design hotel brings a blend of sleek modern lines and nods to times past. Owner Hans Georg Näder has brought his personal passions (art and travel) into the decor, with handpicked furnishings from across the globe and interiors by Anja Müller. The building’s original rustic timber beams and open fireplaces remain, creating a guest house feel, with 59 bedrooms, a restaurant, wine cellar and bar. Zum Löwen boasts one of the most inviting pools in the land with a naturalistic but dramatic lighting design. It’s part of the hotel’s spa, Bains Douches, along with a salt-lined room.

Standing right opposite the cathedral (and the station, making it handy for rail travellers), this five-storey 19th-century townhouse is a refined setting to relax after a day’s sightseeing. Unwind in the spa, or with a drink in the cigar lounge, to the sound of live piano music. Excelsior’s Michelin-starred restaurant Taku is a draw, serving an east Asian menu, plus you can sample French fine cuisine at Hanse Stube, take tea in the Winter Garden drawing room and dine al fresco in the courtyard. The hotel’s decor weaves together antique pieces with contemporary textiles, to a sophisticated effect.

This five-star urban resort is found on the Sonwik waterfront with marina views. Its highlight is a gleaming 2,000 m² wellness retreat – SPA Five Senses – spread over three levels with an indoor pool and an outdoor rooftop infinity pool for adults only, four saunas and a separate junior spa area for kids. This, along with multiple bedded suites, childcare, a kids’ kitchen and a games room, makes it a hit with families. While couples love the many wining and dining options. Bedrooms have coffee machines, and cosmetics by Team Dr. med. Joseph, plush textiles, knitted throws, Scandi lighting and herringbone wooden floors, for a retro-modern effect.

A longtime haven for artists and writers, this castle (a National Monument) was erected in 1916. Since then it has hosted a G7 summit as well as 220 annual concerts and literary events. The food offer is Michelin-starred with French and Japanese dining courtesy of chef Christoph Rainer at Luce D’Oro and many other eateries dotted around the expansive site. Deep in the Elmau Valley, Schloss Elmau now includes a newer wing, accommodating many of the suites, a spa, a yoga pavilion and a library. There’s also a kids club and a huge bookshop.

Stay just a little out of the city, in the standalone Germania Campus, a former brewery site, reimagined as a place to eat, drink and sleep. The Factory Hotel’s 128 56 metre square bedrooms and 16 suites are found in a new wing, providing peace and quiet away from the buzzier parts of the destination. Modern and minimalist with lots of concrete, polished steel and exposed brick walls, the warehouse architecture has been embraced. Guests can eat in the Dadi Brasserie or in the Spanish La Tapia bar, with breakfast taken in the Seaside, indoors or out.