Booking.com shares five amazing destinations to visit ahead of the Oktoberfest celebrations
Calling all beer enthusiasts across the globe! Booking.com has listed five stunning locations around the world and where to stay to enjoy the fun-filled event. The joyous Oktoberfest festival is set to take place between September 17th – October 3rd, with some countries taking their celebrations through the October period. Oktoberfest enables guests to experience Bavarian culture filled with beer, local food, live music, and a wide range of activities. With 71%* of UK travellers wanting to try tasty new local cuisine on their travels, these Oktoberfest destinations are worth planning a trip around.
Munich, Germany
Hotel Metropol by Maier Privathotels, Travel Sustainable Badge Property
Munich, Germany is where Oktoberfest all began, hosting the sixteen-day festival right in the heart of the city. Over six million people attend this high-spirited event, consuming around seven million litres of beer throughout the event. Attendees can indulge in lots of pretzels, sausages, singing and dancing, with a stein of beer in hand. The Metropol Maier hotel is a short walk away from Theresienwiese, where the beer festival takes place every year. This hotel is family run with rooms and suites designed with love and breakfast provided. From the quality of the bed linen to the fragrant pretzels in the morning, and regional beer in the evening, this hotel will have you on cloud nine before, during, and after the event.
Cincinnati, Ohio –
21c Museum Hotel Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio is known for America’s largest Oktoberfest celebrations, held every year with just over half a million people attending. The festival is known as Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, which has taken place since 1974, bringing traditions such as the annual running of the wieners, where dachshunds dressed as hot dogs compete in races to decide who the fastest dachshund in the Midwest is. The event also holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for the largest chicken dance in 1994 and is still recognised for its extravagant Oktoberfest celebrations running from September 16th – September 18th on Second and Third Street, between Walnut and Elm Street, downtown. 21c Museum Hotel provides 156 spacious rooms filled with custom furnishings that give off a residential feel. With a gallery, a rooftop bar and a restaurant inside, this hotel is great for travellers that are looking to experience a luxurious stay ahead of the event.
Belfast, United Kingdom –
Grand Central Hotel Belfast, Travel Sustainable Badge Property
Custom House Square comes alive every year when Belfast’s Oktoberfest celebrations are in full swing. With an Oompah band playing every night followed by other live bands and artists, this festival is not one to be missed. Guests are encouraged to dress up, bringing the Bavarian traditions to life, with free entry for those that decide to participate. The day event is set to run September 30th – October 1st. The Grand Central Hotel is a fabulous place to stay for those seeking accommodation for the event. This travel sustainable property features an observatory bar and provides guests with a tasty full English/Irish breakfast, as well as offering an in-house restaurant serving a variety of local dishes. The event is a stone’s throw from the Grand Central Hotel, making this a great, affordable place to stay.
Vienna, Austria
Motel One Wien-Prater, Travel Sustainable Badge Property
Vienna is a perfect place to celebrate Oktoberfest. The festival holds a giant Ferris wheel, live music by folk groups, and hours of live music by other artists to give those attending an unforgettable experience. A selection of local beers will be available on the day as well as food such as wiener schnitzel and brettljause. The eighteen-day festival starts from September 26th to October 13th bringing culture and fun for all to enjoy. Motel One Wien-Prater is one of Booking.com’s sustainable travel badge properties situated near Prater’s amusement park. The hotel offers stylish rooms and provides a daily buffet breakfast in the One Lounge. This quirky, vibrant hotel is a great place to stay for those who are looking for a unique and wonderful stay whilst enjoying the Oktoberfest celebrations.
Santa Catarina, Brazil
Quality Hotel Blumenau, Travel Sustainable Property
The world’s second largest Oktoberfest is in South America, held in Santa Catarina drawing in 700,000 attendees. Brazil’s Oktoberfest offers music, dancing, and amazing live shows, providing travellers and locals alike with top of the range entertainment – and of course lots of beer! The picturesque Quality Hotel Blumenau is a short drive away from the festival, which runs from October 5th – October 23rd. Guests can enjoy and relax in the hotel’s outdoor pool or exercise fitness centre. The modern bright rooms are all fitted with ensuites, providing guests with complimentary buffet breakfast at the property's newly renovated restaurant. For those that are seeking a tranquil stay, then this travel sustainable property is an excellent option.
Methodology
Research commissioned by Booking.com and independently conducted among a sample of 48,413 respondents across 31 markets (2,000 from USA, 1,864 from Canada, 1,999 from Mexico, 2,003 from Colombia, 2,005 from Brazil, 2,002 from Argentina, 1,020 from Chile, 1,777 from Australia, 818 from New Zealand, 1,999 from Spain, 2,002 from Italy, 1,998 from France, 1,990 from UK, 2,005 from Germany, 2,003 from Netherlands, 985 from Denmark, 999 from Sweden, 910 from Croatia, 918 from Switzerland, 1,986 from Belgium, 998 from Russia, 953 from Israel, 1,999 from India, 1,990 from China, 901 from Hong Kong, 1,775 from Thailand, 1,001 from Singapore, 975 from Taiwan, 1,800 from Vietnam, 1,757 from South Korea, 1,001 from Japan). In order to participate in this survey, respondents had to be 18 years of age or older, had to have traveled at least once for business or leisure in the past 12 months, and planning to travel in 2022 and be either the primary decision maker or involved in the decision making of their travel. The survey was taken online and took place in January 2022.