The Starkbierfest 2010 is well underway in the southern city of Munich, Germany. This is the first beer festival of the season and involves the typical litre-sized beer mugs here being filled up with a strong, ale-like brew – enough to get the heartiest of lederhosen-clad stomachs churning. The festival coincides with the fasting season of Lent – and is said to have been started by monks combining all ingredients to make a satisfying “meal”. And one litre of the strong stuff contains 680 calories! Until 27th March, the Nockherberg beer hall will be filled to the rafters with jovial locals and big bands. All over the city, various breweries conjour up special beers with between 8 and 12% alcohol for the occasion – here is our essential pick of stylish Munich hotels to crawl back to!

Stylish, intimate boutique hotel Hotel La Maison is tucked away in the bourgeois Altschwabing district near Münchner Freiheit. The area is peppered with cafes and independent boutiques, and not far from the University, opera and city centre. The warm, sensual colours and divine cuisine guarantee a relaxing stay.

Bang in the city centre, the delicious Viktualienmarkt, beautiful Frauenkirche and designer shopping are just minutes away from Schiller 5 Hotel + Boardinghouse. Make this your home away from home – the sleek, spacious rooms each has a useful kitchenette!

Lovers of luxury will find the exclusive modern comforts and spa and restaurant offerings of Le Méridien Munich this central city hotel a dream. Though the Hofbräuhaus, cool Sendlinger Tor area and the lively Glockenbachviertel nightlife are within walking distance, this is a true city hotel oasis where one deserves to indulge.

The Escapio bloggers left the Bloggers Summit at ITB 2010 feeling refreshingly inspired, after invigorating exchanges and controversial discussions with participating online tourism experts. The international make up of the PhoCusWright Blogger Summit attendees was impressive, as there are few comparable events with so many representatives from different countries. It was of course great fun catching up with familiar faces and networking with exciting new contacts at the cocktail reception organised by news portal tnooz .

The conference’s burning issue was social media, which now plays an explosively significant role in online tourism. The two afternoon workshops were also focused on this theme (Uwe Frers, founder and Managing Director of Escapio was on the podium – see blogpost). Noone in the travel industry should underestimate the potential of interacting with customers via Twitter, blogs or Facebook, where a demanding target audience can be reached, though quick reaction times are often necessary. On the other hand, it is becoming increasingly clear that social media is simply an extra marketing tool which shouldnt be overrated – ultimately success comes down to the quality of a product, and PR-related social media can only reap the benefits if the face of the brand truly reflects the content.

The tourist industry’s next challenge will be mobility. 2010 is the year of iPhone Apps, and the same technology will soon be integrated into car navigation systems. If you fancy surprising your lover with a romantic weekend break in a great luxury hotel, you’ll soon be able to do this on the move. Fewer and fewer people are subscribing to daily newspapers, and for jet-setters like PhocusWright President Philip Wolf, delivered newspapers make their way directly to the trash 150 days a year. Web 2.ß has become so independent that it’s no longer a question of if you’re online – rather where, and how smart your communication gadget is.

It wont just be the usual frequent flyers getting about this year – 2010 is looking promising for the whole tourist industry. Things are looking up after the worst of the financial crisis, at least this was the impression at the busy ITB Berlin 2010. On top of your usual summer holiday, Escapio is constantly putting together exclusive offers with the best hotels – so you can enjoy a few more indulgent days all year round. Just check out our website!