11 Best Hotels in Schleswig-Holstein and the Baltic Coast, Germany

Some claim that this beautiful 19th-century town house on the edge of the Binnenalster is the best hotel in Germany. Antiques—the hotel has a set of near-priceless Gobelin tapestries—fill the public rooms and accentuate the stylish bedrooms; fresh flowers overflow from massive vases; rare oil paintings adorn the walls; and all rooms are individually decorated with superb taste. With 10 different places for dining and drinking within its premises, you don't necessarily need to stay overnight to get a taste of the Vier Jahreszeiten's famous luxury.

On the shores of Lake Alster and surrounded by a park, this upscale hotel built in 2018 combines sculptural architecture, a classic yet modern interior, two restaurants, and a rooftop bar with outstanding views. The Fontenay is an oasis for rest and relaxation thanks to the spa rooms offering full treatment with premium organic products. It also offers a sauna, infinity pools, and a library with more than 1,000 books. Nearly all rooms have a glass-fronted balcony for a bright and spacious feel as well as the latest technologies and luxury amenities.

Nestled in five meticulously restored, gleaming white structures on a secluded beach, the hotel displays an almost Californian Bel Air charm and offers timelessly furnished rooms decorated in soft colors. Seemingly endless activities are offered, and the spa area is breathtaking. The kids' club includes supervised activities, their own restaurant, and a three-story villa, kitted out as a playhouse, with a tube slide giving fast access out to a garden with more play equipment.

Those who make the effort to travel 20 minutes from the center of town to this small yet luxurious hotel perched above Elbe will gain a mixture of sophistication, Michelin-starred dining, and fine Hanseatic hospitality. Founded in 1791, the hotel has drawn plenty of famous names to its chandeliered dining room and oak-floored guest rooms over the years. From one of the hotel's tastefully appointed, river-view rooms you can watch passing ships, while the spacious rooms of the hotel's more modern wing across the road look onto manicured little courtyards.

This luxurious resort sits directly on the dunes in a white, thatch-roof country house, and the view from most of the rooms is magnificent—with some luck, you may even spot frolicking harbor porpoises. The property has rooms, suites, and brightly furnished spacious maisonettes that cover two floors and are equipped with a fireplace. The real attraction here, however, is the restaurant, where renowned chef Johannes King creates delicious German-Mediterranean fish dishes. The hotel is in quiet Rantum, at the southeast end of the island.

Located inside Hamburg's new landmark, the Elbphilharmonie, the Westin offers lodging on 10 floors soaring above the Elbe River. The purist design of the rooms with themes of sand, air, and water does not distract from the spectacular views that can be enjoyed from floor-to-ceiling windows. The hotel also has one of the longest indoor swimming pools in Hamburg. The Bridge Bar is fun, and the Saffron restaurant spoils the taste buds with Hanseatic cuisine.

The "grand" here refers to its size, from the nearly 11,000-square-foot spa area and five restaurants to the 511 guest rooms and extra-wide beds. The centerpiece of the hotel is the Boulevard, which was modeled after the Champs Elysées and is lined with restaurants and a bar. The Grand Foyer features a lush, tropical installation with a waterfall and an accompanying bar, a large, quiet sitting area, and abstract art. Outside the Bourbon Street Bar, a piano player fills the air with music throughout the afternoon and evening.

There are few hotels in Germany more sumptuous than this gracious Edwardian palace facing the Aussenalster, which draws both celebrities and the not-so-famous searching for a luxe retreat. Built in 1909 for first-class passengers about to travel across the Atlantic, the hotel still exudes class. Tasteful desert hues mingle with deep-color furnishings in guest rooms, and Murano crystal chandeliers light belle époque interiors. The marble-covered bathrooms have heated floors.

Futuristic, minimalistic—call it what you like—hip five-star hotel SIDE stands out from the rest of the crowd because of what's on the inside, including a soaring, glass-paneled atrium and sleek, space-age interiors decorated with brightly colored cubes and pebble-shape furniture. The hotel's popularity with its business clientele and local fashionistas is enhanced by its excellent cocktail bar and Meatery restaurant, which many claim does the best dry-aged beef in town.

One of Sylt's loveliest old thatch-roof apartment houses, this is a quiet alternative to the busier main resorts in Kampen and Westerland. The Ulenhof has four buildings 850 yards away from the beach in Wenningstedt. The larger apartments, for up to five people, are a good deal. A separate bathing facility offers a huge wellness area with two saunas, a pool, and a Tecaldarium, a Roman-style bathhouse.

The star on the Baltic Coast is this huge, modern resort, comfortably residing on a peninsula between the yacht harbor, a sandy beach, and the port entrance. Setting a new standard of luxury in the region, the smartly designed Hohe Düne offers maritime-themed rooms and suites with names reminiscent of ship quarters, such as "Boatman's Cabin" or "Captain's Suite." A real catch is the spa, taking up a full three floors with a pool, several saunas, and plenty of massage rooms.