Atlantic Hotel Kempinski

Since 1909 the Atlantic Hotel Kempinski has been the 'White Palace' on the Außenalster and Hamburg's most theatrical grand-hotel address - famous above all as the long-term residence of Udo Lindenberg, who has lived and worked here since the 1990s (his suite is a tourist attraction in itself, occasionally bookable for special guests). Imposing neoclassical façade right on the Außenalster shore, a high-ceilinged marble lobby, a basement spa with pool and one of the most carefully tended hotel gardens in the Hanseatic city. Restaurants: the Atlantic Bar with classic cocktails and live piano music, the Atlantic Restaurant serving French-Hanseatic cuisine, and a summer terrace with Außenalster views. The practical bit: 5-star, 220 rooms (relatively large for Hamburg), from €320, Booking 9.1/10 across 1,580 reviews - one of the city's highest scores. Getting there: 8 minutes by taxi from the main station, or a 10-minute walk to the U-Bahn/S-Bahn at Hauptbahnhof. Right on the eastern shore of the Außenalster (An der Alster 72-79). Ideal for: upmarket business trips, long-weekend romance, and crashing the city whenever Lindenberg is playing a local gig.