London, Paris, Frankfurt and beyond: CNBC names Europe’s best hotels for business travel

International travel may still have its challenges.

But finding a solid hotel for a business trip isn’t one of them.     

CNBC Travel and the market data firm Statista today release a ranking of the “Best Hotels for Business Travelers” in Europe.

This is the first ranking of its kind between CNBC and Statista, who are also releasing hotel rankings in the Middle East today. Asia-Pacific rankings were published in September.

In total, we analyzed more than 10,000 four- and five-star hotels in 117 locations to produce lists corporate travelers can trust. We did this using a three-step process:

• Asking business travelers and hotel industry professionals to answer a CNBC reader survey which ran from May 3 to June 7, 2022.
• Reviewing more than 1 million hotel data points, which included objective information (location, business facilities, food, leisure activities and room characteristics) and subjective reviews (gathered from Google, TripAdvisor, Expedia and similar websites).
• Weighting the data to prioritize the hotel characteristics deemed most important in the reader survey.

For full details about our research methodology, click here.

From Amsterdam to Zurich, here is the full list of the European winners in PDF format — complete with final scores — some of which are highlighted below.

Alternatively, you can search by city or country using the table here:

1. Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam
2. Canal House Suites at Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam
3. Hotel Okura Amsterdam
4. Sofitel Legend The Grand Amsterdam
5. Conservatorium Hotel

The Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam tied for the highest scores for customer reviews among Europe’s largest financial centers, a distinction it shared with Rome’s Villa Spalletti Trivelli. Travelers rave about the canal-side location, but they say it’s the smaller points — the turndown service, fresh tulips in the room, the luxurious bedding — that make it one of Amsterdam’s finest hotels.

1. Louisa’s Place
2. InterContinental Berlin
3. SO/Berlin Das Stue
4. Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin
5. KPM Hotel & Residences

In a city with ample competition from major hotel brands, the owner-run Louisa’s Place — named after Queen Louise of Prussia — topped our list. Built around 1900, the boutique hotel in West Berlin has 47 spacious rooms, each with high ceilings and separate bedrooms.

1. Steigenberger Wiltcher’s
2. Sofitel Brussels Europe
3. Hotel Manos Premier
4. Le Louise Hotel Brussels – MGallery
5. Stanhope Hotel Brussels

Steigenberger Wiltcher’s location on the prestigious Avenue Louise — and its style, aptly described as “luxurious simplicity” — make it a favorite with business travelers in Belgium. Travelers can take an online tour of the hotel before visiting, virtually walking the hallways to peer into its restaurants and ballrooms.

1. Charlottehaven
2. Hotel Kong Arthur
3. Villa Copenhagen
4. Hotel Skt Petri
5. Zoku Copenhagen

Charlottehaven has hotel apartments in two areas — the larger units in the “Garden” and the newer apartments in the “Tower” which have 180-degree views of the city. The hotel combines kitchens, laundry areas and other comforts of a house with the amenities of a hotel. Nearby metro and train stations make it easy to commute around the city too.

1. The Merrion
2. InterContinental Dublin
3. The Marker
4. Camden Court Hotel
5. The Shelbourne, Autograph Collection

Scoring 3.78 (out of a possible 4 points), the five-star Merrion hotel in the center of Dublin tied for the second highest overall score in Europe. Its 142 rooms and suites are inside four restored Georgian townhouses dating to the 1760s. There’s also a two-star Michelin restaurant — Ireland’s first — plus two bars, a spa and six meeting spaces.

1. Sofitel Frankfurt Opera
2. JW Marriott Hotel Frankfurt
3. Best Western Premier IB Hotel Friedberger Warte
4. Le Meridien Frankfurt
5. Steigenberger Airport Hotel Frankfurt

The Sofitel Frankfurt Opera is on Opera Square, or the Opernplatz, near the city’s famed opera house. In addition to its central location, the hotel wins over business travelers for the small touches that make for seamless stays: complimentary car valets and minibar beverages, 24-hour room service and stylish rooms outfitted with Illy espresso machines and Bose sound systems. 

1. Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues Geneva
2. Fairmont Grand Hotel Geneva
3. Hilton Geneva Hotel and Conference Centre
4. The Woodward Geneve
5. La Reserve Geneve Hotel & Spa

Marble bathrooms, down pillows and balconettes with unobstructed views of Lake Geneva — these are some of the reasons the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues Geneva consistently ranks among the city’s most luxurious places to stay. Business travelers can take meetings to the next level with private tours of the nearby Patek Philippe Museum or helicopter tours over Mont Blanc — with all details organized by the hotel.

1. The Langham London
2. The Savoy
3. Bulgari Hotel London
4. One Aldwych
5. The Lanesborough

The Langham London is a U.K. institution. It’s got a West End location, restaurants helmed by the two-Michelin starred chef Michel Roux Jr., and a bar, Artesian, that was named the world’s best four times in a row. Travelers who book executive rooms or higher get access to The Langham Club, which comes with perks like private check-ins, pressing services, all-day dining options and private meeting spaces.

1. Gran Hotel Ingles
2. Barcelo Torre de Madrid
3. Rosewood Villa Magna
4. VP Plaza Espana Design
5. Wellington Hotel & Spa Madrid

It’s rare for a small property to outrank major hospitality companies, but Gran Hotel Ingles has done exactly that. “Pure luxury” is how the 48-room hotel is described by travelers, from its sleek interior to its cocktail weekend events accompanied by live music. Opened in 1886, the hotel is said to be Madrid’s oldest.

1. Hotel Viu Milan
2. Excelsior Hotel Gallia
3. Best Western Plus Hotel Galles
4. Milano Verticale | UNA Esperienze
5. Armani Hotel Milano

The website for Hotel Viu Milan leads off — not with its rooms or restaurants — but with one word: bleisure. That’s because this hotel is serious about blending business stays with relaxation: morning yoga on the terrace, aperitives after work and dinner at the on-site restaurant Morelli, helmed by the Italian Michelin-starred chef Giancarlo Morelli.

1. The Thief
2. Hotel Continental
3. Radisson Blu Scandinavia Hotel, Oslo
4. Clarion Hotel The Hub
5. Scandic Holmenkollen Park

The Thief Hotel on Tjuvholmen, or “Thief Islet,” takes its name from its seedy past as a hotbed of criminals. Now it’s an upmarket neighborhood known for art and architecture. Art features prominently in the hotel too, as do designer furniture and upmarket Nordic cuisine.

1. Hotel de la Ville
2. Villa Spalletti Trivelli
3. Hotel Villa Pamphili Roma
4. Hotel Artemide
5. Anantara Palazzo Naiadi

The historic Hotel de la Ville, next to the Spanish Steps, is a Rocco Forte Hotel — a company bearing the name of one of Italy’s most famous hotelier families. Business travelers love its rooftop bar and central courtyard, but it’s the concierge — known to help with insider tips and hard-to-book restaurant reservations — that gives the hotel the edge in Italy’s capital city.

1. Le Bristol Paris
2. Les Jardins du Faubourg
3. Kimpton – St Honore Paris
4. Pullman Paris Center-Bercy
5. Le Meurice

Guests of Le Bristol Paris can count President Emmanuel Macron as a neighbor — Elysee Palace, the official residence of France’s president — is just steps away. From white-gloved service to its three-Michelin-starred restaurant Epicure, the hotel is the height of Parisian elegance and culinary excellence.

1. Grand Hotel Stockholm
2. Radisson Blu Waterfront Hotel Stockholm
3. Hotel At Six
4. Bank Hotel
5. Lydmar Hotel

Tying for No. 2 in overall points with Dublin’s The Merrion, the stylish Grand Hotel Stockholm secured the top score for its amenities and facilities, not only in Sweden, but in all of Europe. Its waterfront location is bolstered by four restaurants, a champagne bar, spa and gym, the latter with personal trainers. Room service is available round the clock for those with late-night work to complete.

1. Palais Coburg Hotel Residenz
2. Hotel Sans Souci Wien
3. The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna
4. The Harmonie Vienna
5. Grand Hotel Wien

This grand hotel built in 1845 is the former home of Austrian royalty. The all-suite boutique hotel has a restaurant with two Michelin stars and a wine cellar that is said to house some 60,000 bottles of wine.

1. The Dolder Grand
2. Widder Hotel
3. Baur au Lac
4. Park Hyatt Zurich
5. Acasa Suites Zurich

The Dolder Grand may have opened in 1899, but this hotel outside of Zurich’s city center has an almost futuristic feel. The interior features works by Salvador Dali and Jean Tinguely, and it has a two-Michelin starred restaurant and a 4,000-square-foot spa. From royalty to rock legends, former guests include King Charles and The Rolling Stones.

 — Natalie Tham contributed to this report.