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-   -   Le Meridien Vienna, Austria [Master Thread] (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/marriott-marriott-bonvoy/643202-le-meridien-vienna-austria-master-thread.html)

pgalore Mar 5, 2005 2:46 pm

Le Meridien Vienna, Austria [Master Thread]
 
If you like the Whotels, check out this hotel. It looks very nice, and received positive reviews on TripAdvisor.com. Has high-speed internet access in each room as well, which I don't think the Starwood hotels have. Not to mention, it seems to be at least 100E less!

http://www.lemeridien.com/austria/vi...l_at1806.shtml

I'm going to Vienna in April, and am going to convince my travel companion to stay there with me. I'll let you know how it is if you're interested.

Of course, you couldn't earn or use *points, but if you want to stay in a nice hotel, I'd pick this one over the Bristol and Imperial (from appearance and reviews on tripadvisor)

It looks like they're running a promotion similar to Hyatt also (with Visa instead of Mastercard) http://www.lemeridien.com/visa/index.shtml

pgalore Apr 19, 2005 12:21 pm

As an entry level "Meridian Moments" member, I got upgraded to a top floor room in Le Meridien, with a beautiful view of the Burggarten, the Opera House, and the Imperial Palace.

Sehr schön!

Oh, did I mention that every room has flat panel LCD TVs?

There is one thing that this hotel doesn't have that Whotels tend to have...attitude!

Staff are sehr freundlich, and sprechen Englisch auch sehr gut!

Definitely worth staying here for the free high speed internetand free minibar alone (unheard of!), IMHO

Shareholder Apr 7, 2006 9:29 pm

As nobody else has posted, I shall report on my recent stay: a one-night award.

The hotel is located a block along the Ringstrasse in the opposite direction from the Opera to the Bristol and Imperial. It is adjacent to the museums district, so very convenient in this regard. And a quick walk into the centre of the old town.

Although having a classic exterior -- in the front and side -- the building has been thoroughly rebuilt on the inside and is Philipe Stark contemorary. Even cooler than any Ws I've stayed at, but actually not as cold as I find the majority of Ws. Staff was also friendly and not at all haughty. As a Gold I was told I was upgraded to an Executive Room, though it was an odd location, one of a pair of rooms in an outcrop overlooking the interior court. (When I checked in, I handed my Gold card to the clerk...she made a mild "oh" remark and said I was showing in their system as a Platinum. "Doh!" I thought in my best Homer Simpson blunder...had I not showed my SPG card I would have been upgraded to a huge suite and given all sorts of goodies...just like the good old days when I was a SPG Plat (well, not as many suites as I'd have hoped for).

However, the room offered their standard free minibar or juices, water and Austrain beer. There was a nice selection of petit-fors delivered midday while I was out, with a large bottle of specialty water and a welcome note. And two large green ables sitting in a bowl shaped like the palm of a hand!

As noted, the decor is uber modern, plasma TV on the wall, minimal light oak furniture, integral art and other designer items like their drinking glasses (sit on the table at an angle!) or coffee cups (brushed metal, but did not get hot from the contents). Unfortunately, the coffee on offer was run of the mill Euroean instant Nescafe! Very comfortable bed with lots of down pillows -- and a catalog of others that can be ordered for the stay. The bathroom is also ultra modern with separate tub and shower (one of those seamless open to the floor).

All this basically makes selecting a Starwood property in this city a most difficult one, though one can certainly find a hotel that reflects one's personality or sense of style, from the baroque Bristol, to the aristocratic Imperial, to the contemporary if not futuristic Meridien.

BTW did stop by the Imperial to buy a couple of their renowned cakes. (I actually prefere these to the Sacher Tort, having been spoiled by the samples I was gifted with on my stay there a couple of years ago as a Plat.) Since these are sold from their café, I asked if I might use my SPG card and get points for the purchase -- hey, these are not cheap cakes and the bill was as much as a night at a Four Points! -- and the maitre d' obliged.

WindFlyer Jun 1, 2006 1:58 pm

LM on Ringstraße
 
Having left the Bristol, I went up the street to LM, where my experiences were similar to those of Shareholder, above:


Originally Posted by Shareholder
...the building has been thoroughly rebuilt on the inside and is Philipe Stark contemorary. Even cooler than any Ws I've stayed at, but actually not as cold as I find the majority of Ws. Staff was also friendly and not at all haughty...

It looked to me as though two buildings were joined together, as there were some differences of level within the same floor... but back to his point: to me what made this hotel a lot better than most Ws was the staff—there was no attitude at LM, even as the hotel was über-cool and with art projects and installations at every turn (the rounded staircase was great!).

As a platinum, I was upgraded to corner suite on Ringstraße, though unfortunately only on the second floor (I was told that one on the fifth floor would not be available until ~5, as another plat would be checking out at four :D ). Had a welcome letter, sparkling water and petit-fors waiting for me, and for my amenity (on the recommendations of the staff), I chose a bottle of a very decent Grüner Veltliner. The room was beautiful, but it proved to have some problems.

First, the ethernet ports seem to be malfunctioning (the hotel's own tech support was able to locate a working port, but I could not get an IP address on my Mac, and the service provider's support was unable to solve the issue). Fortunately, I was getting a strong WiFi signal from the lobby/bars below, so the management readily comped me WiFi access to insure I would have the free internet access included in my rate ^.

In the evening I noticed that one of the bedside lights would go in and out at whim. Fiddling a little with it, I figured that the problem was in the wall attachment (it's a suspended light). And during the night, every so often a 'clunk' would come from HVAC system; not very loud, but loud enough to keep me up when half-awake. In the morning I noted these things, and I was promptly moved to another suite (not a corner one, but I found this one to be more comfortable, anyway). The staff's and management's handling of all of these things was absolutely fantastic. Well, I found the staff to be fantastic, cheery and engaging in all aspects—they cared and they showed it. Concierge service was very good too!

Maybe they've upped the offerings since Shareholder was there, but my rooms included (in addition to nescafe) ground coffee for the Coffee presses ^, which came in handy one morning; as did throughout the day the free minibar (replenished during turndown service ^).

My second room had plasma TVs in both the living room and the bedroom. I liked the layout of the bathroom better, too. The showers are a stand-alone column in a glass-enclosed room with two nozzles along its height in addition to the overhead one. The controls allow for complete control over which nozzles operate ;) . The bathtubs are modern recreations of the free-standing claw-footed bathtubs of old, but with über-chic fittings and contouring for comfort.

The hotel has a fully equiped gym with cardio- and weight-machines and free weights and trainer. There is also a pool and hot tub, though the pool is not very big (certainly not like the Munich LM's). The sauna and steam room facilities were very very good ^. Unfortunately, the gym/sauna hours are short. There is also a spa, but I can't tell you much about its offerings or treatments.

The LM is great addition to the *W portfolio in Vienna, and for me, it was a welcome and refreshing change after a disappointing stay at the Bristol.

janeway Jun 2, 2006 8:51 pm

Le Meridien Wien
 
Clean, comfortable, classy.

Friendly, smart staff as well.

But I bet the internet is no longer free now that it is part of *W.

It's not a "old-style" European hotel, but not an American clone either. It actually reminds me of "modern" Vienna in general. Unlike in some cities that seem to shun American culture, le Meridien has taken some American traits of hotels (ie: big soft comfy beds) and incorporated them without becoming a complete clone of an American hotel. If you don't believe this, ask yourself why the Westin Paris would not have the trademark Heavenly Bed.

Pinky Jan 4, 2007 9:28 am

Le Meridien Vienna from VIE airport
 
Does anyone know the best way to get there from the airport?

I know this thread has AMAZING directions to the Bristol:
http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthrea...hlight=bristol

I thought I'd ask in case anyone has similar info - as well as any advice for a short stay (I already found great info searching this site).

Thanks in advance.

Eagle_Eye Jan 4, 2007 11:25 am


Originally Posted by Pinky (Post 6949495)
Does anyone know the best way to get there from the airport?

I know this thread has AMAZING directions to the Bristol:
http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthrea...hlight=bristol

I thought I'd ask in case anyone has similar info - as well as any advice for a short stay (I already found great info searching this site).

Thanks in advance.

no problem, you can use the same direction as to the bristol. le meridien is nearby - ~ 250 meters away. take the same station, the bristol is on the right site of the kaernter ring before the opera house. the le meridien is on the left site of the kaerntner ring - round about 200 - 300 meters after/behind the (bristol and) the opera house.
enjoy your stay, the le meriedien is my absolute favorite hotel in vienna.^

xman712 Aug 22, 2007 7:42 pm

LM Vienna
 
I agree with all the other replies about the LM (I've stayed there 3-4 times). Fantastic hotel, super modern, great service. I'm an SPG Gold and had a complementary fridge with beer, water, and juice refilled everyday.

The location is great too - ~ 1 block from the Opera and the Kartnerstrasse (the main pedestrian street).

I am trying to recall, but I am almost positive that the internet (wired) is free too - so hard to find in Europe.

smat Aug 23, 2007 11:54 am

Yep, free mini bar, but it's really just a fridge that they put 2 bottles of water, 2 beers, and 2 juices in. They replenish each day. A very nice touch if you ask me!! I made use of the fridge by going to the Grocery Store and stocked up on yogurts, etc.

ktjan Aug 24, 2007 5:30 pm

These may be off-topic questions. Is the LM within a walking distance to a ticketing booth to buy a same-day discounted opera/concert ticket? Are there any convenient store nearby as well?

Eagle_Eye Aug 25, 2007 5:18 am


Originally Posted by ktjan (Post 8290196)
These may be off-topic questions. Is the LM within a walking distance to a ticketing booth to buy a same-day discounted opera/concert ticket? Are there any convenient store nearby as well?

yes & yes ^ both places are in a short walking distance.
the state opera house is opposite of the LM ~ 3 minutes
some stores are behind the LM and a bigger one around the corner ~ 3-5 minutes.

"Access to the delightful history of the city is only a step away. Le Méridien Vienna is set at the edge of the Ringstrasse, the hottest entertainment and shopping area in Vienna. Trams and the train station are mere minutes from the hotel. The legendary Vienna State Opera – one of the most divine opera houses in Europe and the venue of the annual New Year’s Gala – is in walking distance, as are the Imperial Hofburg Palace, Albertina, Secession, and the Museumsquartier."

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeri...ropertyID=1852

and a link to the opera house:

http://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/Cont...2/en/index.php

and be aware, it's not so easy to get tickets for the opera.

have fun>>jue

ktjan Aug 25, 2007 2:49 pm


Originally Posted by Eagle_Eye (Post 8291722)
yes & yes ^ both places are in a short walking distance.
the state opera house is opposite of the LM ~ 3 minutes
some stores are behind the LM and a bigger one around the corner ~ 3-5 minutes.

"Access to the delightful history of the city is only a step away. Le Méridien Vienna is set at the edge of the Ringstrasse, the hottest entertainment and shopping area in Vienna. Trams and the train station are mere minutes from the hotel. The legendary Vienna State Opera – one of the most divine opera houses in Europe and the venue of the annual New Year’s Gala – is in walking distance, as are the Imperial Hofburg Palace, Albertina, Secession, and the Museumsquartier."

http://www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeri...ropertyID=1852

and a link to the opera house:

http://www.wiener-staatsoper.at/Cont...2/en/index.php

and be aware, it's not so easy to get tickets for the opera.

have fun>>jue

Does the LM concierge help hotel guests buy opera tickets in advance? If not, is it much cheaper just go to the State Opera to get a discounted ticket the same day of the concert?

Flying Lawyer Aug 27, 2007 4:20 pm


Originally Posted by ktjan (Post 8293519)
Does the LM concierge help hotel guests buy opera tickets in advance? If not, is it much cheaper just go to the State Opera to get a discounted ticket the same day of the concert?

The LM concierge will certainly help you to buy opera tickets. I do not believe that you will be able to get discounted tickets for the day of the performance unless it is a piece of music nobody wants to see or it is absolutely off peak season. You might wish to check on www.staatsoper.at. You can buy tickets online.

seawolf Sep 26, 2007 10:56 pm

Does the Le Meridien have a car park? How much per night?

TRAVELSIG Sep 27, 2007 7:39 am


Originally Posted by seawolf (Post 8470436)
Does the Le Meridien have a car park? How much per night?

The hotel has both self and valet parking available. I have only used valet- IIRC it is the same price as the Bristol- 35 EUR per night with unlimited SLOW in/out privileges. You may want to check if it makes sense to have a car in Vienna- I only arrive with one when I drive from Italy- but if you are flying into Vienna a car probably does not make a lot of sense. Just something to think about...


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