Celebrate two hundred years of the Oktoberfest in Munich with The Charles Hotel

Step out and join the fun in a made-to-measure dirndl, courtesy of
The Rocco Forte Collection’s Charles Hotel

Ale-supping, live music, party spirit, fairgrounds, dirndls and lederhose… it could only be the great Munich Oktoberfest – September 17 to October 4 - specially extended by two days in its 200th year. To celebrate this colourful event, The Charles Hotel is getting its lady guests to go out properly dressed, Bavarian style.

The hotel has organised a three-day package in which guests can have a dirndl – a traditional Bavarian dress with a very low neckline, worn with a white blouse underneath and occasionally with lace-up fastenings – made by Schatzi Dirndl, otherwise known as Katharina Lukacs, well-known designer of traditional Bavarian costumes for women. Having trained at the Esmod international fashion school, Katharina Lukacs now infuses classic national costume with luminous colour, playful embroidery and Swarovski jewels, resulting in top quality, detailed, handmade pieces. A private car will take guests for measuring and fitting appointments, and the package includes a drink on arrival and a special Bavarian gift in the room. Wearing an authentic dirndl – just as the men wear lederhose – is the perfect way for both locals and tourists to step out on the town during Oktoberfest.

The Oktoberfest itself is a cross-cultural, multi-generational gathering with a history that dates back to October 1810 when a horse race was organised to celebrate the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig (later King Ludwig I) and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen (after whom the Theresienwiese festival grounds are named). The race became the cornerstone of the Oktoberfest for many years, and will be resurrected this year for the 200th festival. Some six million people are expected to attend, and they will enjoy colourful traditional costumes, fairground fun rides, huge beer tents constructed on the Theresienwiese which hold up to 10,000 visitors, and the good-natured bonhomie that goes with the event.

The Charles Hotel, perfectly situated in the centre of Munich in the Old Botanical Gardens, close to the Konigsplatz, the old town and the superb shopping area, is one of the finest hotels in this cosmopolitan city. The design was overseen by Olga Polizzi, The Rocco Forte Collection’s Director of Design, and reflects its location with the use of original paintings by Munich’s celebrated 19th-century artist Franz von Lenbach.

The price of a three-day package to have a dirndl made start from €815 per night and includes private car transfers, tailoring at Schatzi Dirndl, a welcome drink and a traditional Bavarian gift in the room or suite (minimum two night stay).

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For more information and/or images, please contact:
Ilse van Steen
The Rocco Forte Collection
Tel: 020 7766 3137
Email: ivansteen@roccofortecollection.com

Notes to Editors: The Rocco Forte Collection
The Rocco Forte Collection was established in 1996 as a group of luxury hotels in Europe. The hotels have individual styles, each reflecting its nationality and location, but all share The Rocco Forte Collection’s trademark attention to detail, high quality and immaculate service.

The Rocco Forte Collection comprises: Hotel de Russie, Rome; Hotel Savoy, Florence; The Balmoral, Edinburgh; The Lowry Hotel, Manchester; Hotel Astoria, St Petersburg; Hotel Amigo, Brussels; Brown’s Hotel, London; Villa Kennedy, Frankfurt; Hotel de Rome, Berlin; The Charles Hotel, Munich: The Augustine, Prague; Verdura Golf & Spa Resort, Sicily. Future openings: Marrakech 2010, Abu Dhabi 2010; Jeddah 2010; Cairo 2012.

www.roccofortecollection.com