Empire Riverside Hotel

The Empire Riverside Hotel on the St. Pauli harbor edge is Hamburg's best-known harbor-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 harbor 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 harbor views over the shipyards, Landungsbrücken and across the Elbe - the harbor 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 harbor-view hotel deal in the city, Booking 8.7/10 across 3,120 reviews, a guest favorite. Getting there: U3 St. Pauli three minutes on foot, S1/S3 Reeperbahn similar. Ideal for: stylish Reeperbahn-leaning weekends, harbor-view junkies and cocktail lovers.