The Charles Hotel, a Rocco Forte Hotel

What the classifiers highlight

Opened in 2007 beside Munich's Old Botanical Gardens as part of a regeneration project, this new-build hotel was designed with the largest average room size in the city rather than the cramped footprint older buildings force. Both guides note the deeply indulgent bathrooms and Florio, the Italian restaurant Fulvio Pierangelini built around floor-to-ceiling views of the park.