Mauritzhof Hotel Munster

One of Munster's "Art Hotels" right on the edge of the Promenade that encircles the Altstadt ("Old City").

Promenade
Eisenbahnstrasse 17, D-48143, Munster, Germany
phone: (02 51) 41720; fax: (02 51) 46686;
email: info@mauritzhof.de
web site: Mauritzhof Hotel Munster

Thirty-nine rooms and suites, each slightly different. Rooms are on the small side but with large beds. Rooms on one side have balconies or terraces overlooking the car-free Promenade. Rates start at $133 for two people in a "Comfort Room" facing the street; for about $8 more, you can upgrade to a Promenade view. Junior suites start at about $180, and suites $280. Two-night weekend packages for two, including breakfast, start at $360. Other available packages include spa or beauty treatments.

European-style buffet (see below) is served in the hotel bar or, in nicer weather, on the garden terrace. Breakfast is included in some rates or can be purchased for about $16 per person.

Complimentary Wi-Fi access in all guest rooms. Meeting space for up to 45 people in a modern boardroom overlooking the Promenade. The library can accommodate twelve people. Daily newspapers from around Europe are complimentary.

Take a photo tour of the Mauritzhof Hotel Munster

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Guests in this modern hotel will find themselves in an ideal base from which to explore the Altstadt (old city) on foot or by the popular Munster mode of transportation, the bicycle. My room overlooked the Promenade, a pedestrian path lined with trees ringing the city center.

The hotel, which bills itself as one of Munster's "arthotels," welcomes guests with a glass-walled lobby framing busy Eisenbahnstrasse. Inside, tea lights and metal roses set a hip, casual vibe.

Rooms are sleek, and shall we say, efficient. Arriving as I was in Munster via large-scale Texas, where it seems every car is at least an SUV, the scale of the Mauritzhof seemed more akin to a dollhouse. No space is wasted, particularly in the bathroom, which is strictly SRO for one person at a time. A miniature toilet and tiny metal trash can fought for space with a stand-alone shower.

The room itself, though also tiny, was comfortably sparse with a futon-style bed covered with the traditional European feather duvet and large square pillow (all-white linens, of course). Tiny bedside lamps set on plastic tables cast a warm glow, and an August Macke print was the only adornment on the walls.

Despite the tiny quarters, the hotel was quite comfortable. Free Wi-Fi access allowed me to check in with my office and family back home from atop the bed when jetlag had me wide awake at 3 a.m. In the morning, an excellent complimentary breakfast awaited in the lobby bar downstairs. A good, quick option for business travelers (or anyone ready to start the day quickly), the buffet was a European-style spread of cold sliced meats and cheeses, fresh fruit (including pomegranets, kiwi and grapes), cereals and nuts, and an assortment of juices and pastries. Two hot items were scrambed eggs and bacon. Coffee and tea were served by the friendly and efficient staff; my tea was accompanied by a pitcher of freshly squeezed lemon juice. No squeezing, no seeds, no mess. Ahhhh.