Bristol

Bristol Review

Just across the river from the Altstadt, this pale-yellow palace has hosted Emperor Franz Josef I, Sigmund Freud, and the cast of The Sound of Music. The sunny lobby showcases a huge ancient tapestry along one wall and works by the Salzburg-born painter Hans Makart, and the piano bar contains framed black-and-white photos of prominent guests (including Max, the Captain, and Liesl from the film cast). No two rooms are alike, but all have impressive fabrics, chandeliers, and marble baths (some have inner doors with their original etched glass). A few rooms are done in a whimsical Napoleonic style with tented ceilings. The classy rooftop suite, known simply as "The View," has arguably the most stupendous views in the entire city.