FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Pros and cons of Vienna's luxury hotel options--feedback requested

Dec 2, 2016, 10:31 am

#16

bhrubin

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Join Date: Aug 2013

Location: Southern California, USA

Programs: Marriott Ambassador and LTT, UA Plat/LT Gold, AA Gold

Posts: 8,764

Quote:

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 Café 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 (Café 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!

Quote:

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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