Munich

Rocco Forte Hotels is offering travellers to Germany a new way to explore “the legendary castles of King Ludwig II.” Built between 1864 and 1886, the castles of Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, Schachen and Herrenchiemsee have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage sites for their historical significance and “fairytale charm.”

The Lufthansa First Class Lounge in Terminal 2 at Munich Airport has reopened. First Class travellers can enjoy the stylish lounge, with its modern design and comfortable ambiance, across approximately 1,000 square metres and now sporting a newly designed dining area with an à la carte restaurant, a front-of-house buffet, and a newly designed bar offer the highest level of exclusivity.

The Charles, a Rocco Forte Hotel in Munich, has unveiled a glamorous makeover as it completes the extensive renovation of its ground floor.

Rail Europe has introduced new train routes connecting Slovenia to major European cities. Available through its partner solutions RailAPI, RailFlash and RailPortal, the new routes open up Slovenia’s vibrant destinations to partners worldwide, complementing the existing offers on raileurope.com and the Rail Europe app.

Marriott’s The Luxury Collection has announced the opening of Koenigshof, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Munich. Situated in the heart of Munich’s historical “Stachus” Square, this property marks The Luxury Collection brand’s debut in Germany.

Located within the heart of Munich’s historic old town, a highly anticipated chapter in the city’s storied legacy is now unfolding with the grand opening of Rosewood Munich last week on 20 October 2023.

Mandarin Oriental, Munich hotel epitomises style. I went in through one of the pairs of glass doors off Neuturmstrasse, past a bin holding perfectly furled black umbrellas. I look over cream carpeting with gold squiggles to Ory bar, and up the spiral staircase, its wall bearing bigger gold squiggles. At the 6th floor I look along a wide, well-lit corridor flanked by mushroom walls (its taupe carpeting has teal squiggles).

A sense of place is increasingly important to luxury travellers today, and in the Bavarian capital, Munich, you have it all around you, 360 degrees, and day-in, day out, and night-time too. Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Kempinski, Munich, is under ten minutes’ walk north to the city’s famous English Garden. How many know about the unique Eisbach surfing there? A stretch of river about 30 metres across has continuous low water, but really rushing, rapids. Anyone can surf there, day or night, free. You and your board plunge in from one bank and undoubtedly fall off in about a minute, at which point someone has already plunged in from the opposite bank, and so on and so forth, 24/7. It is fabulous, apparently, to be taking part but it is absolutely riveting to watch.

There are other significant city-centre post offices that have been turned into hotels – Perth’s COMO The Treasury, for instance, and even Washington DC’s Trump. But Sofitel Bayerpost in Munich, Germany, uniquely offers an alpine chalet experience into the bargain.

Stately architecture, luxurious hotels, chic shopping boulevards and award-winning restaurants embody Munich life just as much as its beer garden flair, love of football, the fun-filled atmosphere on the banks of the Isar and all the spots for enjoying a coffee with good friends. So, what does true luxury mean in Munich? It means sitting back and immersing yourself in everything the city has to offer.

An 18th-century manor meticulously restored and revived over the past two years as a bespoke private residence is the latest addition to the Langham Hotels & Resorts’ stable in Europe.

Qatar Airways’ passengers will be able to access a handful of new destinations in German via a codeshare partnership that has been struck with with Deutsche Bahn.