bhrubin

I will be staying in Vienna in October 2017 with my mother, and I want us to choose the best fit for us for our luxury hotel stay. I've searched and cannot find another thread in this Luxury Hotel forum for comparisons between the luxury hotel options in Vienna.

I am debating now between the SPG Luxury Collection Hotel Imperial (where we currently are booked, as I'm SPG Plat100), the Park Hyatt, the Ritz-Carlton, and the SPG Luxury Collection Hotel Bristol.

Does anyone have comparison/contrast information for these 4 hotels..or any other luxury hotels in Vienna? We are looking for 5 star accommodation, tremendous service, authentic Viennese flair, great dining, and--because it's me--very good air conditioning!

(We currently are booked at the Hotel Imperial. My only worry about the Hotel Imperial is its air con quality.)

Any feedback from experienced Vienna luxury hotel guests will be much appreciated!

FlyingDoctorwu

I master debated about these options for a while for my trip to Vienna.

Initially I had booked the Imperial, then the Bristol, and even the RC but I finally settled on the PH. I was able to use a DSU to upgrade to a suite there.

Location wise it's actually inside the ring; whether that's good for you or not is up to you.. the SPG hotels are right next to the Opera House so that's soemthing to think about if that appeals to you.

Hard product wise, I do think the PH is probably the best option in town. Definitely the best bathrooms of the lot. I'm not sure about AC because we were there in October but the windows do open and we used that to cool the room down. The renovation is quite quite nice I must say.. I much prefer the decor of the RC/PH to the SPG properties... more of a modern flair than aristocratic....

If you're traveling with your mom, I think the RC has 2 bedroom suites...

In terms of service I found the PH disappointing. The concierge was a lacking, the housekeeping sub par. We were promised a welcome amenity that never really showed up. I'm not sure if the RC is of a higher level; perhaps the Club Level is.

F and B there is ok; I found the food overall in Vienna to be nothing really exciting.

In summary I don't think that there's a clear cut winner in Vienna. If I returned I'ld maybe try the RC as service issues at the PH was a big downer...

FDW

bhrubin

Thanks! I absolutely think you're right that there's no clear winner.

You outlined my thinking exactly. Service is the biggest reason I'm loathe to try the PH, despite its more appealing hard product. I won't have Diamond status (or Globalist!!!) next year, either.

cruisr

I adored everything about the Bristol. I had one of the jr suites (I think they call them that) up on the top floor and I could open the door onto the outside and step out on to the French Balcony for a bit of a looky. The room had very good AC and I was there in summer 2015 when it was blazing hot. The hotel is old world looking and the staff could not be more helpful. Always addressing me by name, asking if I needed anything, was everything ok, etc. Loved the bar area as it has a typical Viennese feel to it. Breakfast was wonderful and very ample. Besides a drink at the bar and brekky I did not dine at the hotel. There are man restos in walking distance. Also, one of the main subway interchanges is right outside the door. Super convenient.

epitopeX

Two other non-chain luxury options worth serious considering as well: Palais Coburg and Hotel Sacher Wien.

Hotel Sacher Wien is as iconic as Imperial in terms of historical impact and rich culture associated with hotel itself. Palais Coburg was a former residence of Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg -- much more intimate given the number of suites. Palais Coburg was also the venue for the Iran nuclear deal in 2015.

jp-mco

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.

aa213bb

It's been a few years, but we very much enjoyed the Imperial. That being said, it was February so no need for air con (and I'm quite hot natured)

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

Pausanias

I was in Vienna in June last year and thought I might do the touristy thing and have a slice of cake at the Sacher. Well, the hotel was teeming/seething/infested by like-minded people, most of whom seemed to be from China and Japan. I'm sure the hotel itself is lovely but I couldn't possibly stay somewhere attended by that sort of frenzied tourism. We ended up at one of Vienna's fabled coffee houses which was similarly teeming etc. I think out of season is the answer here, as it is in every major European city these days and out of season now means Jan-Feb.

JohnRain

That's a valid point although the tourist frenzy is usually limited to the Sacher Café (at least when I stayed there) and doesn't extend to the hotel in general. Also, June is high season whereas October (when the op will be there) is much more quiet.

MikeFromTokyo

I have always loved the Sacher, ever since I first stayed in my youth.

If I were to choose from the above options, I would pick the Ritz-Carlton. I haven't stayed yet, so can't comment on the property.

With SPG Plat 100 (and therefore also Ritz-Catlton platinum) and Hyatt Diamond, however, it seems the OP will get better value at the properties he mentions. So, the Sacher, while excellent, might unfortunately be a tough sell.

JohnRain

I haven't stayed at the RC either, but judging from the photos I wouldn't go there as it looks good but the rooms are a bit cookie-cutter (albeit on a high level). The op is looking for authentic Viennese flair and great (local) dining, both of which most probably aren't available at this property as it opened only 4 years ago, has the look & feel of an upscale business hotel (as opposed to the charm of a historic hotel) and its main restaurant is a steakhouse. I usually like RC properties and I'm sure it's a good hotel, but authentic Viennese it most probably is not. If points and elite recognition are important, I'd definitely choose the Imperial over the RC.

I'll probably stay at the RC out of curiosity the next time I'm in Vienna, but I think that for someone looking for a typical Viennese experience there are better options (Sacher, Imperial).

FlyingDoctorwu

Wow. We were there about 6-8 months after they had opened... I had hoped what we experienced was still growing pains but it sounds like they really haven't reached the luxury; if even the near luxury level...

such a shame... it's a pretty building, great job on the renovation. Forgot the mention- the pool is quite nice as well...

FDW

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!)
.

JohnRain

Spot on.