Vienna travel guide
Hotels
The Viennese do five-star stays in a grand manner that few cities can compete with – but time-tested swank isn’t all that the Austrian capital has to offer. A clutch of sprightly independents has opened in recent years to challenge the more traditional options, thus creating a diversity of dwellings that belie the city’s diminutive size.
Magdas Hotel Vienna City, Landstrasse
When charitable organisation Caritas opened the first Magdas hotel in a former retirement home at Vienna’s Prater park in 2015, it was an instant hit. There was nothing not to like about it (the name itself is a clever portmanteau meaning “I like that”): it employed people from refugee backgrounds and its tasteful design combined upcycled furniture with art by Viennese students. This second offering on the city’s Ungarngasse was inaugurated in 2023 and follows the same principles. The building, which is a former priest dormitory, is heated by geothermal energy and has 85 rooms, all beautifully redesigned by Vienna-based architecture firm BWM.
magdas-hotel.at
Rosewood Vienna, Innere Stadt
Just a few steps away from one of the Austrian capital’s busiest shopping areas, Rosewood Vienna is unexpectedly calm and fuss-free. The feeling is enhanced by its intricate layout, the result of its 99 rooms and suites being spread across four interconnected historic buildings. There are tasteful furnishings by celebrated Austrian textile manufacturer Backhausen throughout, as well as contemporary art by local and international talent. The hotel’s Neue Hoheit brasserie on the top floor is open to non-staying guests and serves Austrian classics, such as schnitzel, goulash, boiled-beef tafelspitz and fish from Austrian farmers. rosewoodhotels.com
Urbanauts
Architects and friends Christian Knapp, Jonathan Lutter and Theresia Kohlmayr are the founders behind Urbanauts, a new kind of accommodation for those tired of conventional hotels or chains. Here, empty shops in Vienna’s historic inner-city districts ave converted into the hotel’s rooms and suites. There is no lobby or hotel bar; instead, Urbanauts co-operates with local restaurants and shops to create a fully immersive local experience.
urbanauts.eu
