We are going to Austria next month and staying outside Salzburg for a week. We are thinking of going to Vienna overnight. Priceline now has hotels in Vienna and it has 4 areas to choose from. Since we will be going by train, would the downtown area be the best place to choose? Which area second?
What are the don't miss sites? Anything we shouldn't waste our time on? Restaurants? Hotels if we can't get something on Priceline? This is our first trip to Europe so any advice/insight is greatly appreciated.
Pat
diving4gold
Feb 19, 05, 11:34 am
I would also like to know which 5* Hotels Vienna you get when you bid on Priceline. Also what is the amount that is accepted? Any help would be greatly appreciated. :)
dhammer53
Feb 19, 05, 10:00 pm
Pat,
Stay as cose as you can to the City Center. So much of Wien (Vienna) is walkable.
For a fast look/see, the Rick Steves book (which we used) says to take the streetcar for a loop around the Kartner Strasse. Time is about 25 minutes. This will give you a feel for the city.
Check out The Opera, ST.Stephan Cathedral, Hofburg Palace just to name a few. Also, plenty to walk around in this area for a look see. Don't forget to have the original sacher torte at the Hotel Sacher near The Opera. This should keep you busy for one day.
Dan
wcj1
Feb 20, 05, 10:49 pm
As reported on the typical Priceline boards (or not):
City Center
5* Intercontinental (I don't think anyone has posted a winning bid for this, but it is what the 5* choice is.)
4* Sofitel (sometimes in the $60's, sometimes more), Le Meridien (usually $90+), and the Marriott (usually $100+).
West 4* is the Renaisannce, South 4* is the Renaisannce Penta.
Personally, I gave up on Priceline for our trip to Vienna next month and booked an NH hotel. There is the NH Wien and the Atterseehaus both on Mariahilfer Strasse, a main shopping street. Not downtown, but only a few U stops away. Both of the hotels feature 2-room suites (the Atterseehaus seems to be exclusively suites), often for ~92 Euros. So about the same price as Priceline, but a suite instead of a room and we are hoping there will be more activity around the hotels since they are on a main shopping street and we get to pick this location. (Last year in Brussels, we learned the downside of being on a quiet street not near anything.)
Hope this helps.
BillJ
Non-NonRev
Feb 21, 05, 2:35 pm
As reported on the typical Priceline boards (or not):
City Center
5* Intercontinental (I don't think anyone has posted a winning bid for this, but it is what the 5* choice is.)I have also wondered about this one. I've not stayed at the IC, but I've walked by it and looked inside, and it doesn't strike me as a 5* - but who really knows ;)
I know that BFT lists the IC, but absent a posted win, its really just the BFT's Administratrix's "conjecture", nicht war?
IF I to make my own guess, I might think that the Grand (formerly the ANA Grand) might be the mysterious 5* (or maybe even the Hotel im Palais Schwarzenberg, which was once part of IC, I think).
wcj1
Feb 21, 05, 7:38 pm
It is the Intercontinental.
As I posted elsewhere on here, you can figure out hotels by going through Priceline packages. The IC shows up as 5* in Vienna.
BillJ
diving4gold
Feb 21, 05, 10:29 pm
Thanks for your help. You are correct Intercontinental is their 5 star hotel. I just did a Google search and found the info. Now all I have to do is work out how much to bid.
wcj1
Feb 21, 05, 11:18 pm
I do not know the rates for your dates, but based on other package rates, I would start at $130 and do $5 increments. You have potentially 3 rebids at a shot. I would be surprised if it takes more than $150 and my math/experience is completely off if it takes $160.
BillJ
diving4gold
Feb 22, 05, 9:06 am
Thanks I will give it a try and see what rate I can get.
Gnopps
Feb 28, 05, 12:31 pm
Especially when going to german speaking countries, HRS (http://www.hrs.de) has been able to give me a good deal.
pdx42
Mar 1, 05, 1:41 pm
I did Priceline last April for Vienna and got in to the newly renovated Le Meridien - which was very nice. Plasma tv, cool bathroom - room was in the front of the hotel. The hotel is right on the Ringstrasse - which is where most people want to be - across from the Opera and close to the center of the city, shopping, museums, etc. The tram lines are directly outside.
pgalore
Mar 5, 05, 3:38 pm
The Meridian does look very nice, and it's cheaper as well!
Plus internet in the rooms, and many of the older hotels don't seem to offer that.
I'm hoping to convince my travel companion to stay there with me in April, will let you know how it is if I stay there. It received good reviews on Tripadvisor.com.