The best hotels in Vienna
How we choose the best hotels in Vienna
Every hotel on this list has been selected independently by our editors and written by a Condé Nast Traveller journalist who knows the destination and has stayed at that property. When choosing hotels, our editors consider both luxury properties and boutique and lesser-known boltholes that offer an authentic and insider experience of a destination. We’re always looking for beautiful design, a great location and warm service – as well as serious sustainability credentials. We update this list regularly as new hotels open and existing ones evolve.
- Julius Hirtzbergerhotel
The Hoxton Vienna
Formerly the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, this building has been lovingly reinvented to give a nod to its 1950s origins through mid-century design details, marble-clad walls and a Wes Anderson feel. As with each of the Hoxton group’s other outposts, there's a refusal to fit the mould of how a hotel should present itself. There is no stiffness here, a seeming rejection of the classical opulence found on every corner of Vienna in favour of a more relaxed, cool and comfortable approach.
With nearly 200 rooms, sizes and amenities are categorised to range from ‘shoebox’ to ‘roomy’ and are stylish, comfortable and functional with no unnecessary frills. The space includes some Austrian influences, with cosy dark wood features that reminded me of being holed up in a mountain chalet. It’s an ideal base for a short weekend break where you’re spending most of your time gallivanting about the city or soaking up the atmosphere elsewhere in the hotel. For food and drink, the main event is the ground-floor bistro, Bouvier, with an all-day serving to take you from your a la carte breakfast through to lunch and supper. On the rooftop at Cayo Coco, there are a number of smaller and lighter dishes on offer, while the view is perfect for taking in the city’s major landmarks. Lucy Bruton
- Matthew Shawhotel
Hotel Imperial
At Hotel Imperial, get swept away in a fairytale whirl of 19th-century pomp and circumstance, the sort that could be soundtracked and choreographed by Baz Luhrmann, lit by chandeliers, with marble floors you want to slide across in your socks and a fleet of liveried footmen who will happily take those socks to be washed and pressed afterwards. It’s eminently approachable and just wants everyone to enjoy themselves. It’s all too lazy to reach for a Wes Anderson The Grand Budapest Hotel reference for this sort of hotel, but here the comparison is justified: Michael Moser, the hotel’s head concierge for 31 years, was the inspiration for Ralph Fiennes’ Monsieur Gustave in the film – and was even asked to appear in the film, but his duties prevented him. In the rooms, there are velvets and flock wallpapers and drapes assembled with the sort of maximalist aesthetic that would have Barbara Cartland reaching for her sunglasses. As for the food; the schnitzel is one of the best in town, so large you could drape it over your knees to keep warm in winter. Outside of the hotel, there’s a reason the Prince of Württemberg built his home here: the Imperial is right on the Ringstrasse, the Imperial-era boulevard that encircles the historic centre of Vienna – so all the main sights are walkable. This is a neoclassical grande dame right in the waltzing heart of Vienna – as grand as they come but not above letting its hair down. Rick Jordan
- Courtesy Rosewood Viennahotel
Rosewood Vienna
Right on Petersplatz and almost nudging the copper-green dome of St Peter’s Church, with horse and carriages clip-clopping past, this is a neoclassical ooomph of a building, reimagined and embellished, more than holding its own amid the rococo and Art Nouveau treasures of Vienna. Those statues peering down from surrounding buildings seem to nod their approval. A checkerboard passageway leads to a light-filled atrium with a molecular light installation and all the calm of one of Vienna’s historic courtyards. Off the first-floor check-in – more of a salon, really, with comfortable sofas to lie back on and confess to all your psychoanalyst – is a drawing room painted floor-to-ceiling with ferns and palm leaves and butterfly-bright tropical flowers so vivid that the occasional jewelled dragonfly may well skim the top of your kaffee und kuchen. Crowning the top of the building’s architectural trifle – and coming as quite a surprise after the hush of the rest of the rooms – is a bustling brasserie with angled windows onto the cityscape and an outdoor grotto planted with a how-on-earth-they-get-it-up-here pine tree. Steps lead up to the lookout bar, an elevated speakeasy with panoramic views that half of Vienna is queuing up for right now. Rick Jordan
Hotel Motto Vienna
Featured on our 2022 Hot List of the best new hotels in the world
Lovingly designed, fully homegrown, and very reasonably priced, Hotel Motto Vienna gives guests a vivid insight into contemporary Viennese life with a touch of 1920s Paris. Head past the fanciful, picture-book mural by Chez Dede of pink-suited bellhops and leopards in the lobby to the quiet guest rooms, filled with lush fabrics and Deco curves. The top-floor Chez Bernard, draped in cascading foliage, has become something of a hub for locals, from crepes and activated-charcoal lattes in the morning to gin cocktails and bistro classics at night. Up on the seventh floor, the small wellness space has a spa and a mixed sauna big enough for four. Rick Jordan
Park Hyatt Vienna
In a city where almost everything seems like a monument, the Park Hyatt, grand and magnificent, fits right in. That is not to say the smart hotel, flanked by churches and palaces on Vienna's central Am Hof square, does not stand out. If anything, its columned façade, where men in top hats are at the ready to open the doors, carry bags in or wish guests a good day, is the most eye-catching on this regal street. Inside is equally as magnificent. Rooms are fine: large and clean, although the colour scheme feels a little dated. But the public spaces are what makes us want to book this hotel for every trip. Off the entrance, a humidor and cigar bar channel Vienna's old-world glamour with its wood panelling, Scotch-heavy drinks trolley and comfortable club chairs.
The hotel bar is one of the hottest we have seen in years, with a back-lit liquor display that climbs higher than the potted trees that dot the space. But heads up for guests: having a room does not guarantee a seat. This place is so popular with Vienna's sharply dressed business set that pretty much every banquette is booked out on a Friday or Saturday night, though the bar staff will do anything they can to accommodate as much as possible. The Martinis made with Austrian Hidden Gem gin are so good you won't mind standing. Definitely order the Parmesan fries and aubergine flatbread. The serenely beautiful underground pool, with Roman-style carvings and underwater classical music, is the perfect place to work it all off in the morning. By Erin Florio