Lady Olga Polizzi on Redesigning The Charles Hotel

When The Charles Hotel first opened in 2007, its contemporary architecture, conceived by Munich’s own Christoph Sattler, and interiors by Lady Olga Polizzi, set a new benchmark for city hotels. Now, nearly two decades later, Lady Polizzi has returned to reimagine the spaces she knows so well. 

Working with trusted design partners Magdalena Onisko on the guest rooms and signature Monforte Royal Suite, and Paolo Moschino and Philip Vergeylen on the hotel’s public areas, Lady Polizzi has successfully blended her signature mix of residential warmth, layered detail, and a tangible sense of place.

“My inspiration for the design of our hotels always starts with the place. Each has its own identity. I start by getting to know the city I am working in and reading its history, then I look at the location and the style of the building for inspiration, and it builds from there,” she says. 

The transformation is clear from the moment you step inside. The lobby has been reimagined as both a grand arrival and a welcoming living room, where a sumptuous circular rug, patterned like a compass, draws the eye towards a central floral arrangement. Towering columns are softly draped and framed by abstract sculptures, adding a sense of proportion that feels museum-like. 

From the lobby, the flow leads naturally into Florio, the hotel’s breath-of-fresh-air Italian restaurant. Here, Lady Polizzi drew inspiration from the Old Botanical Garden just beyond the windows. Tall ceilings and abundant natural light provided the canvas for elegant layering through botanical prints, playful fabrics, and a chandelier whose delicate leaves cascade like the park’s own foliage.

If Florio reflects the greenery outside, the Circle Bar offers contrast – a more masculine space with its distinctive round shape and handsome, library-lined walls, the occasional oil painting standing guard. Here, Lady Polizzi’s eye for balance comes to the fore. “I find it quite harsh in a space to have everything new,” she says. “Even in a new build, the odd antique can fit in well.” The mix of contemporary comfort and historical pieces creates an inviting atmosphere where guests can relax with a chilled glass of champagne. 

Upstairs, the Monforte Royal Suite has emerged as a highlight of the redesign and is, in Lady Polizzi’s view, the finest in the entire collection. Generous in scale and rich in detail, it feels more like an elegant private residence than a hotel suite. “Nowadays, hotels are more like homes and homes are often more like hotels,” she says. Every element is personal: fabrics chosen with care, artworks with character, and furniture selected as if for her own home. “If I don’t like a fabric, a painting or a piece of furniture for myself, I wouldn’t dream of putting it in one of our rooms.” The result is a space that feels individual, comfortable, and quietly opulent.

For Lady Polizzi, art – whether that be paintings or antiques – lends each hotel a sense of identity that is deeply tied to authenticity. “I always use local artists and artisans, and I try to get things made in the country in which I am working, as this immediately gives a feeling of authenticity.” For The Charles, its extensive collection of works by Franz von Lenbach, the celebrated 19th-century portrait painter whose house-cum-museum Lenbachhaus is a few minutes from the hotel, does just that – grounding the hotel in its city and enriching every guest’s experience.

In Munich, Lady Polizzi has not reinvented The Charles – she has evolved it. The hotel retains its architectural distinction and spirit, yet every space now feels subtly attuned to how we live and travel today. It is a landmark renewed and ready for its next chapter.

Experience Munich through the lens of its most refined address at The Charles Hotel and discover the newly reimagined spaces for yourself.