Tatjana von Stein's The Dean Munich revives city's forgotten creative history

Interior designer Tatjana von Stein opens her largest hotel project to date, The Dean Munich, in the city's Westend neighborhood. The 281-room hotel draws on two unexpected creative movements: Jugendstil (German Art Nouveau) and Munich's 1980s music scene. Von Stein retained elements of the existing postmodern hotel, including black stone floors, while reimagining public spaces with Art Nouveau-inspired forms, lacquered finishes, and reflective surfaces. A site-specific art program by curator Christian Ganzenberg introduces deliberate friction with the interiors. The hotel features Ibasho, a Japanese restaurant with a menu by consultant chef Alex Craciun, and Noren, a richly decorated bar with vintage Gabriella Crespi bamboo lamps. Guestrooms offer muted greens and soft curves for a calming contrast. Von Stein, born in Munich and now based in London, describes her design process as intuitive. Rates start at €225 per night.