Location, location. Some travelers enjoy being hosted by Herr und Frau Innkeeper, who welcome them to their charming little place in a suburban or countryside setting. Others like staying smack-dab in the Innenstadt, walkably close to citified attractions. If you’d prefer the latter option and are heading for Stuttgart, Steigenberger’s 189-room property stands imposingly huge and deluxe. Directly across Arnulf-Klett-Platz, architect Paul Bonatz’s massive Weimar-era Hauptbahnhof sports a 56-meter (183-ft.) tower topped by a Mercedes-Benz star for can’t-miss orientation and as a symbol of local automotive prominence.

Dating from 1931 and named for Swabia’s dirigible pioneer, “das Graf” dominates the sleek, five-story Zeppelin Carrè complex.. Virtually around a corner: Königstrasse, high among Germany’s standout shopping corridors. Comparably close: access to the vast Schlossgarten, flanked by vineyard-covered hillsides.

Thick, gold-accented blue carpeting, discreet lighting, and potted greenery soften the lobby’s overt business-clientele atmospherics. Solid Buche beechwood-furnished guestrooms are outfitted with hookups for global communications. Exemplary soundproofing (notice the extra-heavy draperies) muffles the clamor of traffic down on the Platz. Hotel amenities include a Shiseido Day Spa (massages, sauna, solarium, Schwimmbad, “wellness” treatments).