Hamburg is definitely my favourite city in Germany. I must admit I love several German cities (I have a weakness for Germany!), their squared easy way of doing, their "fachwerk" houses, their cathedrals and why not... the German beer!
Hamburg offers several faces of the same city: Take a boat around the Alster and look at the amazing houses around, go to the "sex streets" at the Repperbahn & Sankt Pauli, walk around the "Altstadt" (Old City) and see famous architectural buildings. The most well-known are probably the Chilehaus (Chile House) and the Kontorhäuser (Office Buildings) at Burchardplatz but also Sprinkenhof, Mohlenhof and Messberghof...
New in town: the Beatles museum
Further information about Hamburg
It's also a shopping-paradise: Mönckebergstrasse, Spitalerstrasse and Neuer Wall, my favourite shops:
Flowery fashion at Gudrun Sjödén
The Tchibo outlet
All you can find shop, Strauss Innovation
My hotel recommendations:
East
GOOD: the cool design, the great restaurant, the bathtube, the amenities
TO IMPROVE: the bassin, the location, the kindness of the staff
Le Méridien:
GOOD: top location at the Alster, great wellness area, nice room
TO IMPROVE: prices, quality of the breakfast
Others:
The George
25 Hours
Restaurants:
Raven is one of the coolest places to be seen by now, unfortunately the service is far away of what is to be expected. Food good, but I did not enjoy a good experience there.
Le Ciel, greatest views on the roof of Hotel Le Méridien, tasting menu not to be missed
Ratskeller below the Rathaus (city hall), typical German food in a higher niveau
