17 Best Hotels in Vienna, Austria

Franz Lehár, Marlene Dietrich, the Infanta Isabel of Spain, and Mick Jagger are just a few of the celebrities who have stayed at this old dowager (from 1866). The lobby is small but grand, and the high-ceiling guest rooms, differing only in size, are uniformly decorated with pale-yellow-striped wallpaper, deep-blue carpets, and faux Empire furniture. Unless you want the excitement of a direct view onto the lively pedestrian Kärntnerstrasse, ask for one of the quieter rooms on the Neuer Markt side.

You can stay in this guesthouse of a monastery, in the heart of Vienna, without following the dictum ora et labora (pray and work), though you will get to see how the monks live by the credo. This will be one of the most tranquil stays you've ever had. The rooms are simply furnished and without frills, and without TV or strong Wi-Fi (due to the thick walls of the building). Who needs TV when you can go chant with the fratres (brothers) in the chapel? The location set on a picturesque square is just a minute from Café Central if you think you're missing out on some of the fun.

Inside the glass-and-stone Haas House, which reflects St. Stephen's Cathedral in its facade, you'll discover this unique boutique hotel. A fantastic view of Austria's most famous house of prayer is just one of its attributes. Founder Attila Dogudan's Turkish heritage comes to light in the guest rooms, where kilims serve as bedspreads and silver trays as tabletops. The hotel's restaurant is on the top floor offering beautiful views of the cathedral alongside Asian and Viennese cuisine.

With one of the great locations on the Ringstrasse, just across from the Musikverein and a minute on foot from the Staatsoper, the Grand oozes old-world splendor. The interior has a palatial feel, thanks to its exquisite fabrics and rare antiques, and the rooms are elegant, with dark-wood walls and pastel accents. Three restaurants—Le Ciel by Toni Mörwald, Unkai, and the Grand Brasserie—offer Viennese, Japanese, and European culinary delights, and an additional boon here is the adjoining Ringstrassen-Galerien shopping mall connected to the hotel by a glass bridge.

You aren't likely to find a better location than this serene hotel, which sits directly across from the front entrance of St. Stephen's Cathedral. This is the best spot in Vienna from which to admire the church's steeples, and the array of people hurrying through the square. Parquet flooring, light-oak furniture paired with dark-brown leather, light-color walls, and triple-glazed windows make this a hotel with flair.

One of the landmarks of the Ringstrasse, this hotel has exemplified the grandeur of imperial Vienna ever since it was built. Adjacent to the Musikverein concert hall, the emphasis here is on Old Vienna elegance and privacy, which accounts for a guest book littered with names like José Carreras and Bruce Springsteen. The two main lobbies look as opulent as ballrooms. Guest rooms are furnished with sparkling chandeliers, gorgeous swagged fabrics, and original 19th-century paintings. Suites come with a personal butler. If you're keen to be treated like royalty, this is the place to stay. There's a piano lounge in hotel, perfect for a relaxed cocktail in elegant surrounds.

One of Europe's legends, originally founded by Franz Sacher, chef to Prince Metternich—for whom the famous chocolate cake was invented—this hotel dates from 1876 but has delightfully retained its old-world atmosphere while also providing luxurious, modern-day comfort. Little wonder the Sacher is often booked solid by its Stammgast regulars, who love the fact that this mythically grand "palace" is still a family-run hotel. Thanks to the benevolent rule of grande-dame owner Mme. Elisabeth Gürtler, the friendly staff makes guests feel as if they are in a perfectly managed private home. The public salons are so opulent you might wish to view them with a monocle, especially the restaurant Anna Sacher, resplendent in emerald-green plush, gilt-leaf Old Master paintings, and priceless Lobmeyr chandeliers. Beforehand, enjoy a glass of champagne in the Blaue bar, a vision in Harry Winstonesque sapphire. But if you want casual instead of dazzle, head to the Café Sacher, where everyone proudly orders a slice of Sachertorte. Upstairs, guest rooms are winning combinations of 19th-century antiques and traditional-style furniture, all cosetted in chic pattern-on-pattern fabrics and chilled by the most silent air-conditioning in Europe.

Recently merged into one hotel, the Topazz and Lamee hotels offer spectacular architecture, central locations, a focus on sustainability and innovation, and supreme style and comfort. The Lamée, named after Hedy Lamarr, offers a playful wink to actors' dressing rooms of her era: pink crushed-velvet sofas and chairs, and muted gold-toned bedding and drapes. Another design reference is the iconic Orient Express train—a small seating area at the entrance to each room recalls train compartments, with high-gloss Makassar wood paneling and portal windows. The Topazz across the street is like a nine-story cylindrical silver vase gemmed with big oval amber stones. The interiors are slick and subdued, with monochromatic hues and geometric prints, and a chic basement-level lounge. The Lamee's rooftop terrace bar provides stunning views of the Innere Stadt and the location, just around the corner from St. Stephen's Cathedral, can't be beat.  

In a 16th-century house in the shadow of St. Stephen's Cathedral, this dormered hotel began catering to court nobility in 1746 and today lets you choose between "classicism" and "designer" rooms. If you'd like a classic atmosphere, you'll enjoy wood-paneled rooms furnished with country antiques, walk-in closets, and double sinks in the sparkling bathroom. If a designer vibe appeals to you, choose the a bright and spacious contemporary rooms. The suites have two floors, and two have balconies with rooftop views of Old Vienna.

The supercool "art and tech" lobby here, adorned with Mies van der Rohe–style sofas and ottomans and nouvelle fluorescent-light panels, is a fine introduction to a stylish and pampering stay in the heart of the city. Guest rooms have glass headboards, contemporary vases, and other cutting-edge items, and cloudlike mattresses, and roomy showers (with three massaging jets) pour on the luxe. Some rooms also have clawfoot tubs. Outside, visual excitements continue, as the tranquil, soundproofed rooms offer views of the Hofburg, Burggarten, and Ring.

This Renaissance Revival–style structure, built in 1873 as an exhibition hall, was transformed 140 years later into a luxe hotel, which pays homage to the grand beginnings while also incorporating modern-day amenities. The 8,600-square-foot Ottoman-inspired spa houses three sauna rooms, a gym, a hydropool, and treatments using high-end Babor products. Die Küche restaurant serves Viennese classics in a relaxed atmosphere, while the Edvard, winner of a Michelin star the first year it opened, showcases international fare. The Lobby Lounge Bar features a Ladies and Gent’s tea and is a perfect place for a predinner cocktail. The hotel also has a cigar lounge, an architectural gem.

Much care was taken to preserve the integrity and historical significance of the elegant building that houses one of Vienna’s newer luxury hotels. The former headquarters of a leading bank, the building's authenticity and beauty are evident throughout: in the public areas, original cassette ceilings are offset by Werkstätte stained-glass windows, and the bank's vault is the centerpiece of the sumptuous spa. Interiors are draped in marble, mirrors, and mother-of-pearl, and brilliant Secession-inspired chandeliers ornament the dining areas. All the artwork adorning the walls was provided for the hotel by Vienna's esteemed Museum of Applied Arts. Rooms range from spacious to palatial, and look out either onto the city's oldest square, the quaint Am Hof, or the haut monde Bognergasse, center of the city's upscale shopping district, the Golden Quarter.

A family-run establishment on the upper floors of a 19th-century apartment building, the Nossek lies at the heart of Vienna's pedestrian and shopping area. Rooms have high ceilings and are eclectically but comfortably furnished; those on the street side have a view of the Graben. Mozart worked on The Abduction from the Seraglio while he lived at this location in the early 1780s, but the current building is from much later.

Behind the hotel's Art Nouveau facade, London interior designer Maria Vafiadis has paid tribute to Viennese Art Deco, and the result is überstylish yet comfortable. Smack in the middle of the lobby is an eye-catching glass-enclosed vault; the property used to be a bank and the big bucks were stashed here, but today it serves as a wine cellar. You can enjoy a glass of wine in the elegant marble-and-wood wine bar beside an enormous open fireplace. Rooms are full of streamlined, sedate furnishings. The location is unbeatable: step out of the hotel and you're in front of the famed Café Central, and just down the cobblestone street is the Hofburg Palace.

Following the trend toward smaller boutique properties, this luxury lodging takes its place alongside some of Vienna's opulent grand hotels. It is now part of the Relais & Châteaux association. The 1860 historic facade remains, as does the old-fashioned wrought-iron elevator, but otherwise it oozes sumptuous modernity. The walls of the bar and commons spaces have paintings by famous Austrian artists from the 1900s. The elegant entrance is discreet but welcoming, and the rooms have modern amenities. The spa and gym area on the top floor, with views overlooking the church of St. Charles is state-of-the-art, have a Finnish sauna and pool.

Smack behind the Albertina and the Staatsoper, this authentically Austrian boutique hotel is an absolutely delightful addition to the Vienna lodging scene, with fabulous views of the heart of the Innere Stadt. The interior design, by Sir Terence Conran, is at once sleek and warm, intimate and airy, and all touches, including the simple but stunning wide-planked unfinished hardwood floors, were created by Austrian craftsmen and -women; photographs adorning the walls of the rooms and corridors are real works by Austrian photographers. Broad windows provide fine views, and bay-window seating is a nice touch. Large soaking tubs are a plus, as is the complimentary minibar. The duplex suite comes with a private rooftop terrace. The café bakes its own pastries and roasts its own coffee and the brasserie serves international fare in a casual setting.

From a Ringstrasse Palace to a Ritz-Carlton, all the fineries you'd expect from the brand are here, including ceiling frescoes and open fireplaces in the poshest of its suites. The style is subdued modern and the bathrooms are fit for the emperors who once lived here, with large soaking tubs, wall-to-wall marble, and heated floors. The spa sports a 59-foot swimming pool, with music piped in underwater The hotel offers great drinking and dining options too: The Distrikt Steakhouse has a farm-to-table concept with sidewalk tables in summer, Pastamara serves Sicilian cuisine in a casual setting, D-bar has talented mixologists concocting works of art in a glass, and in summer the lively Atmosphere Rooftop Bar boasts city views.