The Many Ways Mövenpick is More than an Ice Cream Brand

Think you know Mövenpick? Adored globally for its fine foods, fine dining and unforgettable moments, Mövenpick’s launch in the Pacific proves it’s so much more than an ice cream brand.

When Ueli Prager founded the Mövenpick brand in 1948 with a restaurant in Zurich, Switzerland, he redefined the European dining scene and launched a new style of modern hospitality.

A true visionary of his time, Prager conceived Mövenpick on the simple premise of ‘doing ordinary things in an extraordinary way’, serving up culinary and hospitality excellence with every dish.   

Mövenpick’s first foray into wine dates back to 1962, with the opening of its inaugural ‘Mövenpick Wein’ cellar in Zurich.

The new food and beverage experience gave guests easy access to exclusive drops by selling fine wines by the glass for the very first time – and that fascination with finding the perfect drop continues to this day. From a smooth merlot to a refreshing riesling, Mövenpick’s in-hotel bars and restaurants are the ideal place to enjoy a drink and a spot of people watching.

Taste your way around Tasmania with the Chef’s Roadtrip and paired drinks at the Mövenpick Hotel Hobart’s Tesoro restaurant. Or experience a crisp New Zealand wine and signature fish pie at Mövenpick Hotel Auckland’s BODA restaurant and bar. So, you can appreciate every drop safe in the knowledge that Mövenpick’s wine experts sure know their grapes

In 1963, a year after the successful launch of Mövenpick Wein, the brand introduced its smooth specialty coffee as part of the Mövenpick Fine Foods business.

Skip forward 60 years and caffeine lovers can enjoy an aromatic blend at Mövenpick’s hotel breakfast buffets, or while savouring the morning at Mövenpick Café on Spencer – the on-site coffee shop of the Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne on Spencer.

Serving up iconic Melbourne roaster ST. ALi, customers receive a complimentary chocolate-coated almond from Melbourne’s finest chocolatiers – the Ministry of Chocolate – with their order.

Or try Custom Lane – the ‘urban café meets Euro-style deli’ at the Mövenpick Hotel Wellington – for the most decadent of roasts to complement your buttery pastry. Yum.

Born from the belief that everyone should enjoy a taste of the good life, Mövenpick’s rich, creamy ice cream is probably what the Mövenpick brand is most famous for.

Launching in 1968 and gaining popularity for its Swiss alpine spirit, quality natural ingredients and unforgettable flavours, Mövenpick ice creams and sorbets have been melting hearts all over the world for more than 50 years.

Ice cream continues to play a central role in the memorable moments and experiences offered at Mövenpick hotels, with specialty services like unlimited free ice cream for kids in Australia and New Zealand, 24/7 sundaes at Mövenpick hotels in New Zealand, and the signature parfait available at Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne on Spencer.

So, while it’s true that ice cream is one delicious scoop of the Mövenpick offering, it’s certainly not the whole dessert!

Mövenpick has produced yoghurt as part of its Fine Foods range since 1995, and the healthy dairy treat is still a big part of the brand’s offering today, with Mövenpick hotels serving up locally sourced yoghurt each morning at breakfast at its Australian and New Zealand hotels.

With a range of exotic flavours served daily, there’s something to suit everyone’s taste buds – whether enjoyed atop granola or fruit, or as a key smoothie ingredient.

In the early 2000s Mövenpick added Swiss chocolate to its fine-food repertoire, making its way into the hearts of chocoholics worldwide. Just as Mövenpick ice cream is always a part of the Mövenpick hotels experience, so too is chocolate.

If you’re a chocolate lover (and who isn’t?), you’ll rejoice at Mövenpick Chocolate Hour, held daily in Mövenpick hotel lobbies around the world. Here you’ll watch master chocolatier chefs engage in live chocolate making while you sample their complimentary cocoa delicacies.

But while chocolate is undeniably key to the Mövenpick brand story, Mövenpick is so much more than a food and drink brand…

In 1973, Mövenpick introduced a new style of modern hospitality, as Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts launched the world’s first lifestyle concept – a restaurant with hotel rooms attached.

Over the next 50 years, the brand unveiled more than 115 hotels across 33 countries in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia–Pacific.

For Mövenpick in the Pacific, 2021 was a big year, as the brand launched in Australia with Mövenpick Hotel Hobart and Mövenpick Hotel Melbourne on Spencer.

This was followed by New Zealand in 2022, with the opening of Mövenpick Hotel Auckland and Mövenpick Hotel Wellington.

Having selected Australia and New Zealand’s favourite foodie cities as a base, Mövenpick proudly serves mouth-watering culinary experiences and a slice of cosmopolitan culture with art, design and delicious views on the side.

So, there you have it – a true taste of the Mövenpick brand. Whether you’re hearing about Mövenpick for the very first time, or you’ve been a loyal customer for decades, the end learnings are the same: Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts is indeed part of the same brand family as Mövenpick ice cream.

Playing a key role in the history of fine-food culture has morphed Mövenpick into what it is today – a brand that champions a sense of fun and adventure without pretension, has culinary excellence and human connection at its heart… and extends way beyond a simple scoop of ice cream.