Concierge Confidential: your Essential Guide to Summer

Rocco Forte Hotels

Have you noticed the pin worn by our concierges on their lapel? The golden keys are more than mere decoration. They’re a symbol that our concierges hold the keys to their local destinations and can recommend the best seats, hottest tickets and must-visit restaurants at any time of day or night.

Read on to discover the exciting events they’ve singled out for you in Europe this summer.

Concierge connections in London

Looking for hot tips at Royal Ascot? Or the best seats at Wimbledon? Lee Boulton, Head Concierge at Brown’s Hotel, has all the right connections.

In anticipation of King Charles III’s coronation in May, Lee and the whole team at Brown’s can suggest memorable ways to celebrate the historic occasion, including a special Boodles afternoon tea, created in partnership with the jewellers with a royal connection.

Come July, it’s time for world-class tennis and a colourful flower festival at King Henry VIII’s former home. To feel like a Mayfair local, join in the party at Summer in the Square in Grosvenor Square – a family-friendly village fete that Lee looks forward to each year.

 

Poetry & child’s play in Berlin

Berlin’s Carnival of Cultures (26th to 29th May) kicks off the city’s summer fun with food stalls and a parade on Hermannplatz in the German capital. 

Hotel de Rome’s Concierge, Steff Bäslack, also recommends the Special Olympics World Games Berlin 2023 (17th to 25th June), where athletes with disabilities compete in the Olympic Stadium.

Berlin comes alive with music in the summer thanks to Fete de la Musique (21st June) and Neukölln’s 48 Stunden Neukölln (23rd to 25th June) – a playful celebration of music, art, poetry and architecture. On the theme of play, kids and creatives will love the disco room and bright backdrops at Studio of Wonders, snap away and fill your phone with fun photos.

Make the most of the sun with open air music at the Kreuzberg Jazz Festival (30th June to 2nd July) or the State Opera’s free concert in Bebelplatz, on 9th July, floating over the rooftop of Hotel de Rome

Music & stargazing in Munich

It’s all happening in the German city of Munich this summer, according to The Charles Hotel’s Concierge. A member of Germany’s elite Hotel Concierge organisation, Les Clefs d'Or, since 2014, Lena Speckmeyer has been aiding guests as our Head Concierge for two years.

She is looking forward to the annual Tollwood festival (16th June to 16th July) in the Olympic Park, a lively mix of music, theatre and handmade crafts. In the same month comes Kocherlball (16th July), a morning dance festival where thousands of people gather around the Chinese pagoda in the Englischer Garten Park.

Look to the skies on a stargazing trip that Lena will be happy to organise for you and you may be lucky enough to see shooting stars (17th July to 24th August). Travelling with family? Explore the world of Disney 100 at an exhibition (until 3rd September) of 250 rare artworks, costumes and props.

Jazz & joyful parades in Brussels

Arrive in Brussels in early summer and you’ll be in time to hear 100 jazz, funk and blues concerts played around the Belgian city. Brussels Jazz Marathon (27th to 28th May) sees funky tunes soaring over the Grand Place, just moments from Hotel Amigo.

The Grand Place comes alive in late June too, says Head Concierge Haluk Sahin, the second of three generations working at Hotel Amigo. Look out for Ommegang (28th to 30th June), a parade of 1,400 horses, puppets and folk groups flying flags in memory of Charles V’s arrival to Brussels in 1549.

If you’re planning a trip in August, listen to jazz, rock and classical music during the city-wide Brussels Summer Festival (17th to 20th August). Parents can find plenty of entertainment for their kids with trips to Brussels Comics Museum, Train World Museum and a stroll around the city’s murals. 

 

Serving aces & opera in Rome

Rome is blessed with an embarrassment of riches when it comes to art and culture but this summer you can also catch a major sporting match and find opera among the ruins. Hotel de Russie’s well-connected Concierge, Salvatore Maraschio, with over 20 years of experience, can source tickets to an International BLN tennis tournament (8th to 21st May) at Foro Italico. 

Visit Rome in June and you can hear the soaring notes of the annual opera concerts at the spectacular Roman ruins of the Baths of Caracalla – Andrea Bocelli has been confirmed for 10th June. Cultural aficionados can learn more about the creation of the Roman Empire in Palazzo Caffarelli’s The Rome of the Republic. The Story of Archaeology (until 24th September). 

To uncover hidden Rome, Salvatore recommends exploring the lakes beneath the temple of Claudius or the Jewish catacombs of Vigna Randanini – both of which offer an escape on a hot summer’s day.

For more fun ideas and travel inspiration this summer, read about Europe’s best exhibitions for 2023


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