Artful Escapes: Bayerischer Hof
By Adam Erace
Over the past 17 years, Belgian designer Axel Vervoordt has been revamping Bayerischer Hof, lending his wabi-sabi aesthetic and affection for earthier antiques and organic materials to Munich’s reigning grande dame hotel since 1841. His latest intervention, a collaboration with Japanese architect Tatsuro Miki, reshapes the lobby with high coffered ceilings, low-slung seating, and clay-plaster walls the pale yellow shade of whipped butter.
Vervoordt created a pleasant geometric tension by contrasting curved Bauhaus corners and atrium-level arched cutouts with the square-shouldered doorways in the adjacent reception—now boasting a long, walnut counter and a table set with minimalist, ikebana-style florals. Upstairs, he remastered Panorama Suite 7 with antiques, a loggia, and walls wrapped in the same clay-plaster finish as the lobby. All in all, this continuing reinvention of the property beautifully encapsulates one of the most sought-after trends in hotels—longevity.
A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2026 Summer Issue in the section “Artful Escapes.” Subscribe to the magazine.
This article was originally published by Galerie Magazine.