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Pros and cons of Vienna's luxury hotel options--feedback requested

Pros and cons of Vienna's luxury hotel options--feedback requested

Old Dec 2, 2016, 10:31 am
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Originally Posted by JohnRain
Here's a summary of my own experience at a few 5 star hotels in Vienna, bhrubin. (I've stayed more than once at most of them). I can't comment on the aircon as we Europeans don't care much about it (and in Vienna you don't need it anyway most of the time, definitely not in October). Hopefully you'll find the following useful.

Imperial:
-5 star accommodation: Historic building and a typical Classic Luxury property.
-Service: very good.
-Authentic Viennese flair: Definitely.
-Dining: Restaurant Opus with 1 Michelin star is very enjoyable.
-Summary: Very Viennese. Classic, historical style throughout the hotel.

Park Hyatt:
-5 star accommodation: Design-oriented luxury hotel (typical PH). Beautiful classic building (former bank HQ).
-Service: very good (especially the concierge who snatched a last minute table at Silvio Nickol for me).
-Authentic Viennese flair: yes but a modern interpretation of it.
-Dining: The Bank Bar & Brasserie is one of the most visually stunning places in the city and serves great food.
-Summary: Great hotel but don't expect a historical Viennese style.

Bristol:
-5 star accommodation: yes but the hotel has an ugly entrance with cheap shops (and even a Fashion TV Caf in the same building) on the ground floor. To me this ruins it.
-Service: good.
-Authentic Viennese flair: yes but there are better options.
-Dining: nothing to write home about
-Summary: The rooms are quite nice and I wanted to like the place but in my book it's just not a real 5 star luxury property.

Palais Coburg:
-5 star accommodation: yes but a bit of a quirky mix between classic and contemporary.
-Service: very good.
-Authentic Viennese flair: yes but there are better options.
-Dining: Silvio Nickol is the best restaurant in the city.
-Summary: Nice hotel, but I'd rather eat there than stay there.

Sacher:
-5 star accommodation: wonderful historic building with the best location in the city (in the middle of everything).
-Service: great.
-Authentic Viennese flair: You can't get more Viennese than the Sacher.
-Dining: very good and authentic dining experience and of course there's the Sachertorte.
-Summary: Perfect balance between historical (Jugendstil) and contemporary (Pierre-Yves Rochon) style.

And the winner is...
-5 star accommodation: Sacher
-Service: Sacher
-Authentic Viennese flair: Sacher
-Dining: Palais Coburg

In a nutshell, stay at the Imperial or the Sacher, dine at Palais Coburg (Silvio Nickol), have a drink at the Park Hyatt (The Bank) and have a piece of Sachertorte at the Sacher (Caf Sacher)... and of course don't forget to eat a piece of Annatorte & Apfelstrudel at Demel
THANK YOU! This is exactly what I was looking for. You da best!

My feeling was that the Imperial is my best bet--barring air con issues--and this largely confirms that. Because I also can get two free award rooms at the Imperial on points is a major plus, not to mention the plus of my SPG Plat100 status getting me a serious Suite upgrade and concomitant cost/benefit advantage.

My only concern therefore is with the Imperial's air con, something that most others won't worry about at all for October but which still greatly concerns me--since my luck is to always visit a city with much warmer than expected weather! Obviously, this is my biggest personal idiosyncrasy for which I'm rightly notorious.

Still, my mother will love the Imperial's authentic Viennese style and history. I will love the Imperial's tremendous service and dining. And I will pray for a balcony or window that allows in cold air!

Originally Posted by jonjparr
We stayed at PH Vienna a few weeks ago and it was a disastrous experience. The service is woefully lacking. They forgot to bring the child seat for our transfer from the airport. A less than good first impression. Then, throughout the stay housekeeping was inconsistent and erratic. The first day toilet paper was forgotten and it took 4.5hrs, 4 phone calls, 1 email and a trip to the front desk to get it sorted. Staggeringly bad service. Housekeeping came whenever they felt like it not when we asked so turndown on a number of occasions clashed with our daughter's bedtime. It all just smacked of a poorly run hotel. I lay the blame for this firmly on the shoulders of the GM.

Great hard product let down by a very inconsistent soft product. There must be far better hotels in Vienna to choose from.
YIKES. This is the story I've heard far too many times about the Park Hyatt from so many obviously experienced luxury travelers, both here on FT and also through confirmed private messages on TripAdvisor. While it is obvious from the above comparison by JohnRain that it's possible to have good service at the PH, more likely than not one can expect uneven to poor service across the board. Even now after over a year of being open. Tragic, if you ask me.
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Old Dec 2, 2016, 10:41 am
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Nobody mentioned Sans Souci - really nice staff here and comfortable, despite a few eccentric design touches - http://www.sanssouci-wien.com/en/index.html
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Old Dec 2, 2016, 10:41 am
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Originally Posted by bhrubin
THANK YOU! This is exactly what I was looking for. You da best!

My feeling was that the Imperial is my best bet--barring air con issues--and this largely confirms that. Because I also can get two free award rooms at the Imperial on points is a major plus, not to mention the plus of my SPG Plat100 status getting me a serious Suite upgrade and concomitant cost/benefit advantage.

My only concern therefore is with the Imperial's air con, something that most others won't worry about at all for October but which still greatly concerns me--since my luck is to always visit a city with much warmer than expected weather! Obviously, this is my biggest personal idiosyncrasy for which I'm rightly notorious.

Still, my mother will love the Imperial's authentic Viennese style and history. I will love the Imperial's tremendous service and dining. And I will pray for a balcony or window that allows in cold air!
I was in Vienna in October (in a 4 star property) and whilst I typically prefer an open window to air con (and the temperatures would certainly have made it a perfectly comfortable option) my hotel room overlooked a busy street, which made it quite loud overnight. My advice would be to ask the hotel if they have a room that overlooks a quieter street (I am afraid I don't know the Imperial well enough to know if that is possible).

One slightly funky thing about some European properties (and I have no idea if the Imperial is one of them I am afraid) is that their heat / air may be centralized and it is either on or off for the season (in the same way some apartment blocks operate) Whilst in theory you can control the temperature in your room this only works if the heat / AC is on centrally. I stayed in Vienna twice last October - on my first stay, the AC was on and it was very comfortable. On the second trip a week later, the AC was off and the heat was on, meaning I couldn't cool down my room (other than opening the window, hence why I know the street was loud!)
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Old Dec 2, 2016, 10:45 am
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I've stayed in both the Bristol and the Imperial; these were summer visits and I don't remember any AC problems, but despite being American, I don't like chilly rooms in warm weather. I've also walked through the PH and Sacher.

To me, the Bristol is a four star version of the Imperial. Both have been renovated recently and the Bristol's location on the ring is a bit better, especially if your room has an opera house view. I was not very impressed with service at the Bristol. When I stayed here a year and a half ago, smoking (including cigars) was permitted in the bar. Its thick smoke was noticeable to me in the lobby and I feared that my clothes and hair would reek if I were to walk within ten feet of the entrance to the bar.

The Sacher is a couple blocks inside the ring from the Bristol. It looks faded and it seems always to be mobbed with tour groups. Even the restaurant and cafe menu displays on the street seem oriented toward wanting lots of cheap tourists. For these reasons, I would never consider it a luxury hotel despite it's iconic history. BTW, at one time the Imperial claimed ownership of the Sacher torte, but now they seem to offer an Imperial cake/torte which you can also purchase at the Bristol IIRC, at least to take home.

The PH looks ravishing and is located on an amazingly quiet and beautiful square.

Personally, I'd take the PH if you can confirm a DSU and otherwise go for the Imperial as a Plat100.

I can't picture Palais Coburg. Is it located in the park near the shopping mall with the express train to the airport, IIRC also with a casino? Or is it perhaps away from the center of Vienna?

In fairness, I should add that the Sacher Hotel Salzburg looks much better than the original in Vienna.

Last edited by MSPeconomist; Dec 2, 2016 at 10:50 am
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Old Dec 4, 2016, 12:05 pm
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Palais Coburg (LHW) you find directly behind the Marriott, which is located at Parkring opposite Stadtpark / City Park (where you can find restaurant Steirereck and Kursalon). The location is good as you can reach in 7-8 mins by walking via Weihburggasse (at the side of both hotels - I stayed at the Marriott) Krntner Strasse pedestrian area near Stephansdom.

Sacher Cafe is targeted by tourists, same as partly Sacher Eck. Restaurant Rote Bar which I visit often (main entrance and then right, view to Opera) and Restaurant Anna Sacher (in the rear of the hotel after Blaue Bar) are serving excellent Viennese cuisine to hotel and opera guests and locals. For me and most of my German compatriots Sacher is THE luxury hotel in Vienna, beside Imperial of course. The rooms are nicely renovated and up to date.

I would admit that Park Hyatt is probably the best international luxury hotel in Vienna if one doesnt care about icons, history and old Viennese atmosphere. Dining at the restaurant "The Bank" is a must. Excellent food, service and incredible atmosphere in the renovated awesome former bank hall.
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Old Dec 4, 2016, 2:09 pm
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Originally Posted by emma69
If you are a guest at the hotel (or, in my case, visiting someone staying there) you can have a slice of the torte in the bar area so you don't have to brave the hectic cafe! My friend said that the chaos was limited to there, which is why we had a quiet drink and a cake in the bar area, which was lovely. I also ended up in Demel a few times (their hot chocolate is sinful, and the variety of cakes far too vast to visit just once - and I prefer their Sacher to the Hotel Sacher's version!)
.
There is often a line at the Demel but they are fairly good about keeping it moving. Note that there is often a separate and frequently shorter line up the staircase you will see on your left as you enter the front door. Noticing this saved us a decent amount of time, and they repeat the pastry display upstairs as well, where it takes up an entire small room.

Last edited by RichardInSF; Dec 5, 2016 at 6:18 pm
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Old Dec 4, 2016, 3:32 pm
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I would like to agree with all who have recommended the Sachertorte at Demel over Sacher. (This can be a contentious subject.)

The thing is, no Sachertorte is really all that good, from the cake perspective (and I would emphasize this even more if your frame of reference is an American layer cake.) There is a reason Viennese (and Hungarian!) cakes are served with Schlag, i.e. whipped cream. As a very, very wise friend once quipped, Sachertortes taste like day-old Ding Dongs. To get that reference, you need a familiarity with the lower end of prepackaged American baked goods, but aside from the rather substantial difference in chocolate quality, it's a pretty spot on description. The thing the Demel Sachertorte has over the Sacher Sachertorte is that the Demel version is a bit moister.

I lived in Vienna, and one of my indulgences when I worked nearby was grabbing the bite-sized (probably two or three bits, really, just a small square) Sachertorte at Demel to accompany a light lunch at Trzesniewski ("unprounceably/unspeakably good"). I could get the tiniest 'splash' (0.1L?) of wine with some bread and pate. It always made for a lovely lunch, and is quite Viennese.

Also, Sachertortes make for good presents, as they come beautifully packaged in a wood box. But you don't need to necessarily spring for the Sacher/Demel version for the same effect (particularly if you are giving these to co-workers or family who know nothing of Vienna), as there are plenty of places that sell perfectly respectable (read, still dry) cakes packaged in the box. And since the cake is already pretty dry to begin with, buying a few, putting them in your checked luggage, and distributing them some time later does not markedly effect the quality.
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Old Dec 4, 2016, 4:00 pm
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While I appreciate that there are intricacies involved with finding the best Viennese torte, I'm not sure that is appropriate for this luxury hotel discussion. Nor, must I confess, do I care as much as others!

Please feel free to continue such discussions in the Diningbuzz threads.
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Old Dec 5, 2016, 2:41 am
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Originally Posted by submonte
I would admit that Park Hyatt is probably the best international luxury hotel in Vienna if one doesnt care about icons, history and old Viennese atmosphere. Dining at the restaurant "The Bank" is a must. Excellent food, service and incredible atmosphere in the renovated awesome former bank hall.
Nevermind icons you're going to have to not care about good service if you stay at the Park Hyatt Vienna either.
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Old Dec 5, 2016, 1:31 pm
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I prefer the Imperial to the Ritz
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Old Dec 5, 2016, 5:54 pm
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Originally Posted by GetSetJetSet
I prefer the Imperial to the Ritz
Care to elaborate on your reasons? I suspect I'll like the Imperial (and upgrade likelihood) more than the RC based on service reviews...but any more feedback helps. Thanks!
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Old Dec 5, 2016, 6:20 pm
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Originally Posted by bhrubin
While I appreciate that there are intricacies involved with finding the best Viennese torte, I'm not sure that is appropriate for this luxury hotel discussion. Nor, must I confess, do I care as much as others!

Please feel free to continue such discussions in the Diningbuzz threads.
Good point, which I should have made as mod instead of getting involved in the discussion!

Thanks,
RichardInSF, moderator, luxury hotels
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Old Dec 5, 2016, 6:29 pm
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Originally Posted by RichardInSF
Good point, which I should have made as mod instead of getting involved in the discussion!

Thanks,
RichardInSF, moderator, luxury hotels
Haha, you're forgiven. We are all human...and in his thread, very passionate.
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Old Dec 5, 2016, 7:17 pm
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She wants her cake and eat it. [Brexit speak for we like everything, especially threads which go on detours.]
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Old Dec 9, 2016, 11:24 pm
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I can heartily recommend the Hotel Bristol. I had a wonderful stay there a couple of months ago. It isn't far from the Hotel Imperial. Although I haven't stayed at the Hotel Imperial, I visited the lobby there, and it appears impressive.
Back to the Hotel Bristol...As an SPG Plat (for which the OP qualifies), the Hotel Bristol takes good care of guests. The rooms are nice. The location is great. The decor in common areas, such as the breakfast/dining area, is really nice, in an art deco way. I can't say if the Hotel Bristol is better than some of the other luxury hotels available (Sacher, Hotel Imperial, Park Hyatt, etc.), however I liked it enough that it would be my first choice if staying in Vienna again. The Hotel Bristol is one of my favorite hotels in SPG's portfolio, yet might still come in 2nd place to Vienna's Imperial, in some people's estimation. The room pricing is also somewhat reasonable compared to other good hotels in Vienna.
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