With a high hospital density, Munich has become an attractive destination for patients travelling from the Middle East, said a top official.

“In 2011 alone, over 70 percent of our Middle Eastern guests were booking into our hotel for medical stay,” added Frank Heller, general manager for The Charles Hotel of Rocco Forte Hotels in Munich.

“The Charles is ideally positioned to grow alongside this evolving trend – situated in a prime location, we continue to collaborate with the best hospitals and surgeons in the city, offering Middle Eastern guests a ‘home away from home’ while they recuperate in a luxurious and comfortable retreat.”

“To cater to the specific needs of our Middle East guests, The Charles Hotel has an Arabic Chef on hand, rooms have a copy of the Koran and prayer mat, and there is an outdoor courtyard where guests can enjoy shisha.  Other exclusive services include our personal limousine service and in-house medical concierge,” Heller said.

Rocco Forte’s Villa Kennedy hotel, located in the cosmopolitan hub of Frankfurt, works closely with renowned specialist, Dr Ulrich Mondorf, an expert in many illnesses that are widespread and extremely common across the Middle East – diabetes, renal and coronary heart disease.

Offering tailor-made check-ups for Middle Eastern visitors, Dr Mondorf provides international patients with high-quality medical care in a comfortable outpatient environment – allowing guests to relax and recuperate in a five-star environment.

The hotel’s spa – The Villa Spa –provides various programmes and packages such as the Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD), a gentle massage that is intended to encourage the natural circulation of the lymp through the body.

Also benefiting from this trend is Hotel de Rome in Berlin. Located within walking distance of top hospitals, Rocco Forte's Hotel de Rome features146 large rooms, including the 120 sq m Bebel suite which has a full-length terrace overlooking Bebelplatz.

Year-on-year the medical tourism industry in Germany is witnessing a growth of 20-30 per cent, with experts predicting the trend to increase to a $100 billion dollar sector by the end of 2012, a statement said.

Residents from the UAE alone spend up to $2 billion in healthcare travel annually, it added. – TradeArabia News Service