Which Are the Best Luxury Hotels to Book in Vienna?

The rooms at Guesthouse Vienna are elegantly designed to feel like private apartments with a luxurious twist. A home away from home, the interior provides maximum comfort and an excellent audio-visual experience. There’s a Bang & Olufsen TV and sound set in each room, an organic body-pampering selection of Lederhaas products and all-day à la carte breakfast. Even your dog can join you free of charge, where a bed and snacks will be waiting upon your arrival.

Vienna’s rich history and charm is reflected in this hotel. One of the city’s most famous addresses since its opening in 1892, it’s a wonderful mix of baroque decor and cutting-edge technology. Eat at the iconic Bristol Lounge restaurant, where you can tuck into beef tartare and the famous Wiener schnitzel with parsley potatoes. Alternatively, visit the American Bar – the first in Vienna – that’s been a hotspot with celebrities and dignitaries for over 125 years.

At Hotel Topazz, the building’s exterior and interior are made using environmentally friendly materials. You’ll be immediately drawn to the striking facade with its oval-shaped windows that also serve as chaises longues. Known as the first green hotel in the city, rooms are inspired by Viennese artists with laminated headboards and vivid murals. Enjoy a complimentary glass of vegan wine from the minibar. The hotel is right across from St. Stephen’s Cathedral and a four-minute walk to the nearest metro station.

In 1894, composer Johann Strauss performed his 50-year jubilee in the Grand Hotel. Today, the five-star hotel still draws revered guests from around the world. Located on the Ringstrasse in the heart of Vienna and surrounded by cultural attractions such as the Vienna State Opera, the Grand features 205 rooms and suites, 15 of which have terraces, perfect for enjoying an al fresco coffee or evening drink. Rooms are plushly decorated, with draped curtains, richly patterned carpets, grand wooden furniture and corniced ceilings. Honoured with three toques from French restaurant guide Gault Millau, try the innovative cuisine at Michelin-starred restaurant Le Ciel by Toni Mörwald. There’s also an on-site Japanese restaurant and a separate sushi bar, as well as the Grand Brasserie, meaning guests are spoilt for food choices. At breakfast, try the hotel’s honey, which is produced by over 70,000 bees in the hotel’s rooftop hives.

The Imperial was built in the 1860s for Duke Philipp of Württemberg, and was designed as a palace in the Italian Neo-Renaissance style. Located on Vienna’s Ringstrasse, it was soon transformed into a hotel for the 1873 Vienna World’s Fair. On the first floor, a painting of Emperor Francis Joseph I, together with his wife, Empress Elisabeth, fondly known as ‘Sisi’, hangs as a reminder of Vienna’s glorious imperial era. The tastefully furnished 76 rooms and 62 suites continue this theme, mixing the timeless grace of 19th-century Vienna (think antique furniture, rich fabrics and elegant chandeliers) with modern facilities and amenities, such as a rooftop gym with a sauna. It’s a truly spectacular place to stay, the hotel prides itself on offering butler service to guests in every suite.

In the early 1800s, kitchen apprentice Franz Sacher created what is now known as Vienna’s most famous cake, the sachertorte. Some 44 years later, in 1876, Franz’s son Eduard opened the now-legendary Hotel Sacher. With 150 guest rooms, the Sacher is one of the few family-run luxury hotels in the world. The elegant art nouveau building is filled with precious antiques, such as a richly decorated tabernacle secretary’s cupboard in the lobby and a gold-framed mirror in the Idomeneo Suite. There are plenty of spectacular places to eat and drink within the hotel, too, including the green-velvet-walled Grüne Bar, the crimson-carpeted Rote Bar and the midnight-blue Blaue Bar. There’s a babysitting service, and dog sitters and walkers are also available on request.

It was in 1845 that Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha commissioned the Palais Coburg, which was designed in the neoclassical style, with cream columns lining the terraces that surround each floor, arched windows and a sweeping external staircase. Today, the noble residence offers 34 suites located right in the heart of Vienna. The two-level Victoria Suite boasts a large terrace with a garden view and an original Biedermeier writing table, while the other suites are equally smartly decorated. There’s a gourmet restaurant, but it’s the wine that’s particularly notable here: the six wine cellars house some 60,000 bottles spanning four centuries. The oldest Dom Pérignon in the Champagne Cellar is from 1962, and the Yquem Cellar stores at least one bottle of each vintage of Château d’Yquem (a prestigious vineyard from the Gironde region in France), starting with 1893.

Previously the Sofitel Vienna, this five-star hotel on the banks of the river Danube was rebranded as the SO/ Vienna, and now boasts 182 rooms and suites, a sleek spa and stylish gym. The building was originally designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, who created a striking, glass-fronted building with a large freestanding vertical garden in the interior courtyard featuring 20,000 different plants. For the best views of the city, head to the Loft restaurant with 360° panoramic vistas. At the end of the day, make your way to the spa with its hot tub, steam room and alluring treatment menu.

The Hotel Sans Souci is the ideal place for art lovers to stay in Vienna. World-renowned designer Philippe Starck’s creative team designed each of the hotel’s rooms individually, and the result is truly stunning, with a range of rooms in different styles. Inside, you’ll also find an impressive collection of modern art, with original paintings by Roy Lichtenstein, Allen Jones and Steve Kaufman. For the ultimate relaxation, there’s also a spa with a sauna and pool, as well as a fitness centre. The 65 rooms and suites are located in the Bohemian quarter of Spittelberg, in Vienna’s seventh district. To learn more about Vienna’s art scene, the 45-minute Vienna Street Art Tour starts just a few minutes on foot from the Hotel Sans Souci and takes attendees to some of the most impressive creations of the Viennese street-art scene.

With a decadent palette of dark green, greys and blues, and eye-catching accessories from famous Viennese glassware company J & L Lobmeyr, the Grand Ferdinand’s signature style is creative, yet utterly slick. Situated in downtown Vienna, the hotel is near to must-visit attractions such as the Vienna State Opera and the MuseumsQuartier. The Grande Suite takes the hotel’s extraordinary design to the next level, with its exotic palm trees, glamorous round sofa banquette and freestanding bathtub, as well as private access to a rooftop pool overlooking Vienna.

This 30-room, four-star boutique hotel is located on one of the most popular shopping streets in Vienna, Mariahilfer Straße, and close to Kärntner Straße, Vienna’s luxury shopping area. After a long day exploring Vienna’s best boutiques and international fashion stores, relax in the exquisite wellness area of Hotel Das Tyrol, which has a sauna and steam bath. Decorated with gold Bisazza tiles, the spa features two huge saltwater aquariums full of dazzlingly coloured fish. You can rest on comfortable loungers and marvel at this calming sight before heading to the light therapy shower, Finnish sauna or steam room. The rooms themselves are equally relaxing, with soft lighting and furnishings in muted colours.

A restored 19th-century townhouse, the House of Time has been sumptuously designed. Situated in multicultural Leopoldstadt, Vienna’s 2nd district, it’s close to the open-air market Karmelitermarkt and within walking distance of the Inner City. The hotel’s suites are individually designed with different themes. For example, the Love Boat in Saigon suite has a private cinema and a roof terrace, as well as fittings from across Asia including a Japanese dining table. The House of Music suite features artwork by renowned artists, a cello and a Philippe Starck-designed bathtub. Extra-large beds with a three-degree slant and red underfloor lighting are among the special features intended to guarantee a good night’s sleep.