Munich’s legendary Bayerischer Hof Hotel and Munich Airporthave been wooing the UAE market with a series of roadshows in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ainto attract morevisitors from the region.

With a guestbook containing the names of Brigitte Bardot, Robert De Niro, Gerard Depardieu, Grace Kelly and Goldie Hawn – to name but a few, the opulent five-star luxury hotel in the heart of Munich is opening its doors to a growing number of discerning Gulf travellers, seeking the finest in European luxury hospitality, as part of a EURO12 million ($11 million) expansion of the historic five-star property.

The multi award-winning hotel, which marks its 178th anniversary in 2017, already generates as much as 5% of its total bookings from the UAE. With projections for 3.6 million luxury leisure and business travellers arriving in Germany from the GCC by 2030 – an increase of over 200% - the hotel is now preparing to further its popularity in the luxury Arab market.

Bayerischer Hof and Munich Airport hosted a media lunch at the St. Regis Dubai, Al Habtoor City, On Wednesday, 22nd March 2017, attended by InnegritVolkhardt, owner and General Manager of Bayerischer Hof and Corinna Born, Director International Media Relations at Munich Airport.

Volkhardt said: “Germany has long enjoyed a strong relationship with the Gulf, thanks to its historic hotels, stunning nature, iconic landmarks, football and culture. In recent years Germany’s popularity with travellers from the Gulf region has grown considerably and the GCC countries consistently feature in its top 20 source markets. 

“Home to Oktoberfest, Munich is at the centre of Bavarian heritage and stands as the gateway to the Alps and the rest of Europe. The city features dozens of museums, world class spas, churches, parks and cultural centres as well as festivals, theme parks and world-class events, while visitors can enjoy skiing in the winter and hiking during the summer months.”

Once the largest hotel in Europe, Bayerischer Hof was designed by architect Friedrich von Gärtner under commission from King Ludwig I and has been owned and operated by the Volkhardt family since 1897.Located on the picturesque Promenadeplatz, where trees line a square of monuments, boutiques and chic cafés, the lavish building – an homage to Munich’s immaculately uniformed architecture – features 340 rooms including 65 suites. 

Each tastefully decorated room is equipped with air-conditioning, multimedia-TV featuring more than 380 international channels and high-speed Internet access. With the GCC guest in mind, the hotel also offers Arabic-speaking guest relations, a prayer room, Royal Palace Suite and an Arabic chef. 

With an eye on the international VIP, a number of lavish suite-ensembles feature in the hotel, ranging in size from 89sqm to 130 sqm, offering sky-scraping views of the city, marble bathrooms, mahogany finishes and walk-in wardrobes. 

The Panorama floor,designed by Count SiegwardPilati, created especially for guests looking for privacy, offers a range of suites each with a fireplace, whirlpool and 80 square metre roof top terrace with a view extending as far as the snow-capped Alps on a clear day. 

The current renovation and modernisation project includes the construction of the ‘Vervoordt Wing’, designed by Belgian art dealer, Axel Vervoordt, who counts among his clients De Niro, Sting and Calvin Klein, and the addition of a state-of-the-art penthouse suite, which will occupy the entirety of the newly added eighth floor, encompassing its very own spa. 

Volkhardtadded: “We have identified significant opportunities to not only extend our services and hospitality, but to work with our valued GCC guests to create a hotel that blends style and luxury with history and heritage.”

Bayerischer Hof has been recognised for its excellence through a number of awards, including: Member of the Gold List: Condé Nast Traveller; Best Business Hotel in Germany: Business Destinations; Top spot amongst Germany’s grand hotels Der Feinschmecker; and One of the 50 Best Hotels Worldwide: Institutional Investor.  

Corinna Born, Director International Media Relations, Munich Airport, which celebrates its 25th anniversary on May 17 this year, revealed Dubai is the airport’s busiest intercontinental route with over 740,000 passengers flying between the two cities in 2016. She said: “Our new summer timetable offers 250,000 flights to 238 destinations in 68 countries, while Munich Airport welcomes 78 weekly flights from major Middle East cities, with Emirates alone flying three times a day between Dubai and Munich.

“The involvement of Germany’s most opulent and unique hotels, such as Bayerischer Hof, provides a further attraction for Middle East visitors and we are delighted to be working together to raise the profile of the hotel to our partners in the GCC,” she added.

Munich Airport is the only 5-star airport in Europe and was awarded the title of Best Airport in Europe 2017 for the tenth time in 12 years by London-based SkytraxInstitute.Within Europe, the airport serves 173 cities, more destinations than any other European airport.

Born added: “Being honoured as the only five-star airport in Europe is a thrilling accolade for our service and high-quality passenger service we provide.”