We were lucky to spend a week in Vienna in August 2024 and we were able to try and tour various hotels in Vienna. Hotel Imperial, which is part of the Marriott Bonvoy Luxury Collection, kindly offered me a tour, and as we were staying at the Ritz-Carlton, a 5-minute walk away and two blocks up, I was thrilled to have an explore this historic hotel.
Location
Hotel Imperial, a Luxury Collection Hotel is located on the magnificent Ring Boulevard (Ringstrasse), a grand circular boulevard that encircles the historic inner city of Vienna, Austria.
Ring Boulevard is one of the world’s most famous and monumental streets, renowned for its opulent 19th-century architecture and significant cultural landmarks. The street forms a broad loop around Vienna’s Innere Stadt (Inner City), once surrounded by medieval city walls.
Hotel Imperial Vienna sits directly in front of the Musikverein Golden Hall, where Vienna’s famous New Year´s Concert takes place every year. It sits on the edge of the historic part of central Vienna, with all its old cobbled streets and shopping precincts. Just cross the Ring Boulevard, and you will find yourself in the center of the action. You can walk from one side of the historic heart of Vienna to the other in about half an hour, so nothing is too far from anything else.
Style & Character
Hotel Imperial Vienna, along with The Ritz-Carlton, which is a couple of blocks away, are both part of the Marriott brand but are completely different. Hotel Imperial feels boutique and ornate and drips with historic significance. The Ritz-Carlton feels modern, American, and huge but offers more facilities, including a basement pool. Hotel Imperial Vienna does not offer a pool but drips in so much history that you shouldn’t miss it, even if you just pop into its historic foyer.
I love the history of the Hotel Imperial. It was a palace built as a private residence of Duke Philipp of Württemberg, who sits grandly in a painting in the main foyer. The palace was built as a token of his love for his wife, who also grandly stares down at you from the other side of the foyer. These two iconic portraits are separated only by the millions of crystals that make up the sparkling chandeliers decorating the ornate ceiling of this part of the hotel.
The original parts of the palace are evident throughout and add magic to the place. Eventually, this couple decided that they didn’t like this palace after all, and it was transformed into the Hotel Imperial for the Vienna World’s Fair. It was ceremoniously opened on April 28, 1873, and during the first weeks, emperors, kings and queens, state chancellors, and famous personalities stayed in this monumental palace.
Service & Facilities
The most impressive communal areas of the iconic Hotel Imperial Vienna are the stunning foyer, the impressive bar behind, and the main restaurant with a vast cake counter and a wonderful terrace that overlooks the busy street and is the perfect place to while away a summer evening.
There is no pool here, although there is a small gym on the top floor and a sauna. If you want facilities, you could try the Ritz-Carlton up the road or the Park Hyatt, both of which have great pools. But if you want to experience the soul of Vienna, Hotel Imperial Vienna is hard to beat.
Rooms
Hotel Imperial Vienna has 79 rooms and 59 suites and feels boutique in size. I was a little fearful of the rooms at Hotel Imperial, which look fairly fussy from the photos on the hotel’s website. I was worried that they would be tired and dated. But I can happily share that they are beautifully kept and not even slightly dated.
Instead, they embrace the history and beauty of Vienna. Yes, the decor is fussy, but look at the rooftops of Vienna. This is a city of palaces and statuettes- the whole place is fussy!
So don’t be put off by the ornate rooms. They are full of character and immaculately maintained. They are exactly what you come to Vienna to see, and they embrace and reflect the city’s beauty.
These rooms have played host to many more modern stars, including Rod Stewart, Michael Jackson, and even the British Queen (although you can’t sleep in her bed as her bed was disposed of after she’d stayed).
Food & Drink
Beyond the foyer is the Imperial Bar, which is the perfect place to enjoy a cocktail or a glass of champagne, often accompanied by gentle piano or harp music. The room was originally a courtyard, and you can imagine horses and carriages pulling up into this refined setting. It’s now a hugely ornate and sophisticated bar area with a wonderful atmosphere and yet more sparkly chandeliers.
Cafe Imperial Coffee House and Restaurant is a Viennese institution. This is where society meets for a rendezvous, where people read newspapers, learn the latest news, drink coffee, or dine. Sigmund Freud, Gustav, Alma Mahler, and Stefan Zweig ordered their coffee and newspaper here. Even if you don’t fancy a full meal, you should pop by for a coffee and a slice of cake.
We had a delicious evening meal here in the balmy summer heat. The food was exquisite and worth going out of your way for. The strudel and chocolate cake were unbelievably delicious, but it was the setting that I loved most. The restaurant’s terrace looks out upon the magnificent Ring Boulevard (Ringstrasse), which is vibrant and full of activity. And yet, this cafe is set on a cobbled street that sits behind the main thoroughfare, so you are protected from the traffic by a quieter street and the trunks of the huge trees that line the avenue.
Conclusion
We were blown away by the incredible historical significance of this hotel and its stunning interior. It’s hard to capture how stunning this hotel is in photos, but I hope my photography helps to convince you of just how special this hotel is. When you’re next in Vienna, you must stop by, explore the historic foyer and bar beyond, and grab a slice of cake on the terrace.
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