St. Pauli · ★★★★
Empire Riverside Hotel
20up Bar on the 20th floor — Hamburg's most iconic harbour-view skybar.
The Empire Riverside Hotel on the St. Pauli harbour edge is Hamburg's best-known harbour-view tower and home to the famed 20up Bar on the 20th floor — since opening in 2007 it has been a fixture for anyone who wants to take in the full harbour sunset. Very modern, clean design out of the David Chipperfield school, with crisp lines, glass and concrete, free of clutter. 327 rooms, around 60% with harbour views over the shipyards, Landungsbrücken and across the Elbe — the harbour view here is genuinely substantial, not just a strip on the horizon. The 20up Bar is also open to non-guests, by reservation or via the in-house booking; it is often packed from 6 to 10 pm, so book a table. The Tower Bar Restaurant on the 21st floor offers a 360-degree view, while Waterkant on the ground floor serves Hamburg classics. Practical: four-star, from €145/night — the best value-for-money harbour-view hotel deal in the city, Booking 8.7/10 across 3,120 reviews, a guest favourite. Getting there: U3 St. Pauli three minutes on foot, S1/S3 Reeperbahn similar. Ideal for: stylish Reeperbahn-leaning weekends, harbour-view junkies and cocktail lovers.