Castles, palaces and designer residences: With Sightsleeping®, BAVARIA TOURISM has created a special hotel brand for sophisticated aesthetes. New applications to become part of the collection are assessed by a jury of art experts, designers, journalists and tourism specialists. Under the motto “Sleeping with an eye for art”, the only candidates considered suitable are those where the sightseeing already begins in the hotel. At present, 40 selected establishments are permitted to use this quality seal of approval. Bavaria is using this initiative to herald a new era of experience tourism: It is the first destination quality brand for accommodation aimed at lovers of art and culture.

Sightseeing begins when you wake up

The Sightsleeping® Hotels offer guests with a love of art and culture a choice of special and inspirational retreats in Bavaria. The traditional dividing line between historic and contemporary hotel buildings no longer exists. Whether you opt for a castle, a palace or a hotel boasting a modern or contemporary design, the experience of the accommodation plays a key role. A lively atmosphere awaits guests in the Alpenhotel Wittelsbach in Ruhpolding in the south of the Chiemgau region: The combination of urban chic and rural informality works beautifully here, and the interior from Verona along with the Italian style of the building turn every visit into a real treat. Meanwhile, in the exclusive Biohotel Pausnhof in the Bavarian Forest, the rooms are

designed using high quality natural materials, an ethos which is also present in the organic cuisine. Guests can recharge their batteries in the sauna, brine bath or the natural swimming pool. Modern design in historical guise is the hallmark of Nuremberg’s “castle” youth hostel, which is noted for being one of the loveliest and most comfortable youth hostels in the world. It overlooks the Franconian city of Nuremberg from its lofty location in the Emperor’s Stables next to the castle. Thanks to its modern media technology, the youth hostel is also a great venue for large events. In contrast, a favourite destination for connoisseurs and individualists is the Freiberg Romantik Hotel in Oberstdorf in the Allgäu, which offers a varied cuisine, individually designed rooms, an outdoor pool and a spa. The Franconian Castle Dennenlohe, the Hotel Victoria in Nuremberg and the St. Georg Guesthouse in Weltenburg Abbey all impress in their different ways through their design and concept – a Sightsleeping experience that begins as soon as you wake up.

The unforgiving eye of the specialist jury

The high quality of the brand is guaranteed by the rigorous assessment of an expert jury. Crucial criteria to qualify for the brand include the prominence and aesthetic charm of an establishment. A further requirement is an attractive interior design, complete with paintings, prints, drawings or sculptures, which form part of an individual concept. The hotels often have their own cultural offerings, and stage literary readings, concerts or theatrical performances.

The Sightsleeping® jury meets once a year in autumn and decides whether or not to accept new candidates. “It is important that we select only those hotels that have a genuine chance of attracting culturally interested travellers – of which there are around eight million in Germany”, is how Dr. Martin Spantig, Managing Director of BAVARIA TOURISM, justifies the high quality criteria for the applicants.

All information about the Sightsleeping® residences and events in and around the hotels plus a download link for the Sightsleeping® catalogue can be found at: www.bavaria.by/sightsleeping.

Text und Bild: Bayern Tourismus Marketing GmbH