Sir Rocco Forte has announced his hotel group is to develop a new 71.5m euro (£49.5m) five-star hotel in the centre of Munich, Germany.

The eight-storey, 160-room new build hotel will be situated in the heart of the city at Lenbach Gärten on the edge of the Botanical Gardens in a site currently occupied by Maximilian University which is being developed by Frankonia and architects Hilmer & Sattler und Albrecht.

Due to open in 2007, the hotel will boast 28 suites; a restaurant with two private dining rooms; a bar; a health club with gym, swimming pool, sauna and treatment rooms; eight meeting rooms and a 400-capacity ballroom.

Interior design will be overseen by Rocco Forte Hotels’ director of design, Olga Polizzi.

Sir Rocco, chair and chief executive, said: “A hotel here fits perfectly with our plan to build a luxury collection of hotels in the key cities of Europe. Once finished, the hotel will be the most stylish and best-located property n the city.”