You can lose days in Vienna sampling decadent cakes, listening to Mozart or getting dazzled by Klimt’s golden paintings. Beyond the cliches of the city though, delve deeper and you’ll find it oozes with stories, from its cosy coffee houses and hidden courtyards to quirky museums.
Best for iconic cakes: Hotel Sacher
Neighbourhood: 1st District
Even if you haven’t been to Vienna, you might have heard of Sachertorte. This rich dark chocolate and apricot cake is made from a secret recipe, and although imitations exist, you can try the real-deal at the Hotel Sacher. This hotel is the ultimate old-world experience, with its dark wood-panelled lobby and red-coated porters. Rooms range from traditionally luxurious, with high ceilings dripping with chandeliers, to modern pads overlooking the Staatsoper. Grab some famed cake at Cafe Sacher (guests can skip the queue), sip cocktails in the elegant Blaue Bar, or try the hotel’s culinary delights at the Grüne or Rote Bars.
Doubles from €325, room only
sacher.com
Best for palatial luxury: Hotel Imperial
Neighbourhood: 1st District
The Hotel Imperial languishes in the former palace built for the Prince of Württemberg. It was transformed into a hotel in the 1870s, yet it’s still opulent enough to include Queen Elizabeth II among its illustrious guests. Music lovers will benefit from its proximity to the famous Musikverein, whose entrance is just a dash across the road – some suites even overlook its rooftop – and the Staatsoper is also just a few minutes' stroll away. For an extra dose of luxury, guests can request their own butler. Try the Imperial Torte in the hotel’s historic cafe or dine at the in-house Michelin-starred restaurant, Onyx.
Doubles from €356, B&B
marriott.co.uk
Best for quirky art lovers: 25Hours Hotel beim MuseumsQuartier
Neighbourhood: 7th District
When the tagline is “We’re all mad here”, you know fun is to be had. This circus-themed hotel, with 183 rooms and 34 suites, backs right onto the famous MuseumsQuartier. Guests can step straight out of the carnival atmosphere, buzzing with pinball machines and a reception desk with the warning “Don’t feed the monkeys!”, and into the city’s most famous museums. If you need reviving after an art overload, you can retreat back to the hotel’s Mermaid’s Cave spa or head up to the rooftop Dachboden bar for a drink.
Doubles from €98, room only
25hours-hotels.com
Best for a cosy room with a view: The Guest House
Neighbourhood: 1st District
This contemporary boutique hotel comes with modern comforts, trendy design and a fantastic view – most of the hotel’s 39 rooms and suites overlook the Staatsoper and the Albertina museum. Deluxe rooms feature a little glass reading nook jutting out above the square, where you can recline with a book and a glass of wine (you get your choice of a free bottle of wine in the room) after a day of sightseeing. It's definitely worth booking a table for breakfast at the hotel’s Brasserie and Bakery, which has a reputation for its excellent baked goods.
Doubles with a view from €320, room only
theguesthouse.at
Best for living like a local: Graetzlhotel beim Belvedere
Neighbourhood: 4th District
Experience Vienna at street level, quite literally, at the Graetzlhotel Belvedere. These street suites are scattered around the neighbourhood and located in former tobacconists, newsagents and other once-functional shops in the area. There is a central office nearby where you can leave luggage and get any help you need. All apartments look onto the street at ground level (but the glass is one way, so people won’t be peeking in at you), giving guests an immersive Viennese experience.
Suites from €97, room only
graetzlhotel.com
Best for old Hollywood grandeur: Hotel Lamée
Neighbourhood: 1st District
It’s easy to feel like Marilyn Monroe for the night at the chic Hotel Lamée, with its dark wood furniture, electric pink and gold details and marble bathtubs. The hotel lies minutes away from the iconic St Stephen’s Cathedral. Outside, Vienna buzzes away, but inside it’s easy to feel like you’ve been transported back to 1930s Hollywood. In the summer, head up to the hotel’s rooftop terrace bar for great views over the city.
Doubles from €161, room only
hotellamee.com
Best for budget: Hotel Kugel
Neighbourhood: 7th District
Hotel Kugel is a family run hotel with budget-friendly prices. Set in the Neubau neighbourhood, the hotel is only a few minutes’ walk from the MuseumsQuartier, excellent restaurants, and trendy shops. The hotel is cosy with a feminine touch; each of its 25 en-suite rooms is individually designed but with a floral, homey aesthetic. Breakfast is included and features all local produce with a buffet spread of cheese, jams, honey, cold cuts and herbal teas.
Doubles from €113, B&B
hotelkugel.at
Best for design: Hollmann Beletage
Neighbourhood: 1st District
You enter the Hollmann Beletage Hotel from a tiny entrance hidden between two shops. Once you’re inside this boutique hotel of 25 rooms, it’s easy to lose yourself in the modern design details. Rooms have high ceilings and bold accents of colour that perk things up. Just because it’s small, it doesn’t mean you miss out on the features of a larger hotel. The Hollmann Beletage has its own in-house cinema playing the classic Vienna-based film noir The Third Man daily, a mini-spa, a living room packed with board games and books and a cosy secret garden.
Doubles from €169, B&B
hollmann-beletage.at
Best for the socially conscious: Magdas HOTEL
Neighbourhood: 2nd District
At magdas HOTEL, refugees welcome the guests. Employees at this boutique hotel set in a former retirement home come from 14 different nations; refugees work side-by-side with professionals from the hospitality industry. The hotel’s 88 rooms are individually designed and all the furniture is upcycled. There is a large social area both inside and outside in the garden, great for meeting other like-minded globetrotters. Try their honey, which comes from the bees that live on the roof.
Doubles from €78, room only
magdas-hotel.at
Best for modern Secessionist lovers: Hotel Topazz
Neighbourhood: 1st District
Some 100 years after Vienna’s Secession, the Hotel Topazz combines the best of the period’s unique style with modern comforts. Despite the contemporary design, the Hotel Topazz plays on accents from Secessionist artists like Koloman Moser. The rooms feature murals that pay tribute to artists of the Wiener Werkstätte and the oval windows turn the hotel into a jewel-studded cylinder vase from the outside. As the sister hotel of the Hotel Lamée, guests can also head up for drinks at the rooftop bar to wrap up the night.
Doubles from €161, room only
hoteltopazz.com
