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Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts unlocks destination secrets with Local Flair Getaways.

Authentic experiences provide unique insight and unforgettable memories.

Dubai UAE, 26th September 2012: Feel like cooking authentic Thai food with a local chef in Phuket? What about exploring UAE cultural highlights and traditions? Or perhaps playing a lute in Vietnam with a Hanoi musician or visiting a local vineyard in Jordan?

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts across Asia and the Middle East has introduced a new Local Flair Getaway concept that connects travellers with unique local experiences that are light years away from traditional tourist attractions.

“More and more travellers want to engage with a destination in a genuinely meaningful way,” said Andreas Mattmüller, chief operating officer for Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts Middle East and Asia. “They want to learn about local cultures, talk to local people and enjoy true local experiences rather than just visit the sights.”

The Local Flair experiences are as unforgettable as the destinations themselves. In Aqaba expert ornithologists reveal the secrets of the mass migration of rare birds across Jordan; in Lebanon wine connoisseurs track down the country’s rarest vineyards; in the UAE a vet reveals how Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital has managed to treat 42,000 birds and in Kuwait a historian unearths the ancient relics of lost civilisations on the island of Failaka.

Other experiences include cooking Arabic food with a chef in Dubai and Tala Bay, visiting a desert farm near Al Khobar in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and discovering the secret Saigon tunnels that played an important role in the Vietnam War.

Every Local Flair Getaway experience includes room nights, special services and features experiences that are as unique as they are varied from art, architecture and culture to cuisine, wildlife and history.

“Each experience is completely unique,” said Andreas Mattmüller. “But there is one thing that is common to each one – unforgettable memories come as standard.”

More information about all Local Flair experiences at: www.moevenpick-hotels.com/localflair

Note:

Prices for Local Flair experiences vary according to location. For example a one-day expert-guided tour of Lebanon’s vineyards includes a traditional Lebanese breakfast, lunch in an eco-lodge and tastings at four wineries and starts from US$110, while a Jordanian cooking class lasting an hour and focusing on traditional recipes, starts from JDs 30 (++). For those of a musical persuasion an hour of Ca Trù song in Hanoi is just US$20 for two people.

About Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts:

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, an international upscale hotel management company with over 16’000 staff members, is represented in 24 countries with 72 hotels and resorts currently in operation. More than 30 properties are planned or already under construction, including this year’s openings in Hurghada, Sharm El Sheikh and Soma Bay (Egypt), Ankara (Turkey), Chiang Mai and Koh Samui (Thailand), Palawan (Philippines), Dubai (UAE) and Paris (France).

Focusing on expansion in its core markets of Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts specialises in business and conference hotels, as well as holiday resorts, all reflecting a sense of place and respect for their local communities. Of Swiss heritage and headquartered in Zurich, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts is passionate about delivering premium service, culinary enjoyment and sustainable environments – all with a personal touch. 

The hotel company is owned by the Mövenpick Holding (66.7%) and the Kingdom Group (33.3%). For more information please visit www.moevenpick-hotels.com.