My husband and I will be in Vienna for four nights in early June and would like hotel suggestions. All of the five star hotels (i.e., the Imperial, Sacher Wein) have only suites availible for 700 euros and up! We can get a room at the InterContinental for 239 euros, Konigvon Ungaran for 209 or the Altstadt for 189. All rooms include breakfst. We want a central location with clean rooms and friendly service. Would you pick one of these or other suggestions?

We loved the Hotel Kaiserin Elisabeth. It's a great location, on a relatively quiet side street, around the corner from Stephansdom. It's an excellent Austrian boutique hotel. Lots of Fodorites recommended it to us a couple of years ago. It has a beautiful breakfast room with an extensive hot/cold buffet, and made-to-order eggs. Highly recommend it. We were given a slight discount when we booked directly via e-mail. (Sorry, I have forgotten the web address.)
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We've stayed at the Grand Hotel and it was very well located and even the regular rooms were very sumptuous.

I think my sister stayed at the InterContinental last year and said that it a very nice hotel.

Take a look at the Best Western Tigra. It is a four star with excellent large rooms and bath and a wonderful hot and cold buffet breakfast. The side street that it is on is nothing exceptional but is in a good and convenient location within the ring. The building in which the hotel is located is the building where Mozart stayed with his father for his first Vienna concert. The concert hall where he made his debut is around the corner.
WARNING - if you book the Tigra, specify that want a room in the hotel itself and that you will not accept a room in the annex.

Thank you for the responses! I am emailing the Kaiser Elisabeth for availiblity and prices. The Grand Hotel looks wonderful, but is very high at the time we will be going. I looked up the BW Tigra on Tripadvisor and it is listed as a 2 star. Basingstoke2 where did you get the information on the hotel? Has anyone stayed at either the Altstadt or Konigvon Ungaran? They sound similar to Kaiserin Elisabeth. What's the best of the three?

I have stayed at the Konig von Ungarn several times. It's one of my favorite hotels in all of Europe. Rooms are large, well decorated (some of them a bit "over the top". Nice bathrooms, good breakfast (served, not buffet), and one of the most friendly and helpful staffs anywhere. It is a great location. I honestly can't think of a single negative. I love that hotel. But it should be said I really do prefer small charming hotels to the huge chains or giant "luxury" hotels.

The TripAdvisor star ratings are not always accurate. For some time, the Kaiserin Elisabeth was also listed as a 2-star hotel on TA, even though it's a solid 4-star.
I've stayed in the KE several times (most recently in March 2006) and have always enjoyed it. However, not all room have AC. I suggest you request AC if possible...we were in Vienna for an early June trip and it was very warm and very muggy. It may not be that warm this year, but you never know.

The Grand is one of my favorite hotels in Vienna. What is your budget, FYI? Did you check the Ambassador? I am not a fan of the Interconti, esp. its standard rooms.

Cristinab - I got my information on the Best Western Tigra by staying there for three nights in 2005. I saw the two star rating on the Orbitz site and it may be their own rating based on the Tigra's lack of a restaurant, pool, or fitness center. It is a small hotel. There are plenty of restuarants nearby. The star rating posted on the hotel itself is as described as are the rooms and breakfast- both are high level. You may want to see the actual Tripadvisor reviews. Rates for June are about 150 Euros/double room on Travelocity.

BTilke The most I would want to spend is 350 euros. The Tigra is 180 euros, KVU is 205 euros for a double, the KE is 230 euros for a superior double and the Grand in a deluxe double is 320. All rates include taxes and breakfast. The Grand sounds...grand (I couldn't resist)! Since you have stayed at both the KE and Grand is it worth the extra $130/night? Also, I am getting my price directly from the smaller hotels and from The Leading Hotels of the World 1-800 number. Do you think I can do better for The Grand from a site like Orbitz or a travel agent? Very favorable reviews on Tripadvisor for all of the hotels suggested by Fodorites who have responded. Thanks for the input!

Well, I would pick the Grand but *only* if the difference in cost really wouldn't matter in any way. If it makes you wince in the slightest, stick with the KE or another choice (I would definitely pick the KE over the Interconti, though). FYI, the most I ever paid for the Grand was 220€ per night. Didn't include breakfast.
The Grand has that lovely lobby piano bar and a more sumptuous feel. It is a luxury hotel. If you truly want a splurge hotel, then go for it. If you'd rather stay someplace very comfortable but less glam, then spend the difference on meals or shopping or day trips or...

By the way, I was planning to stay by myself at the KE in March of this year (I go every March for a combined biz/leisure trip). Tonight, however, DH announced that he's coming along and the dog too and we're driving, so it looks like we'll be staying at the NH Wien on Mariahilferstrasse. The hotel isn't high on charm or style, but it's comfortable, takes pets, well located and has parking.

I stayed at Pension Pertschy in December and loved it. Very clean and such a nice location. I stayed in the cheapest single (though it was a "large single&quot but they probably have much nicer rooms that you could check out.

Tripadvisor's star ratings are not the official ones, but ones they make up. I wouldn't expect them to be that far off, but they can be. I know one hotel in the US (which, of course, doesn't really have any official star ratings) that I stayed at was rated as a 1* on their website, so I thought it would be a dump or a tent by a parking lot or something, and it had a bar/restaurant, elevator, nice rooms with coffeemaker, etc., and should have been at least a 3*. The same thing happened when I stayed at a hotel in NY that they rated as a 2* and the hotel should have been a 4*.

Don't use tripadvisor for anything but reading comments. They also get very touchy about anyone questioning their ratings, as they blocked one of my review posts on there and deleted it merely because I said in the post that the tripadvisor ratings were not accurate on that hotel.

I'm glad to see JoeTro's report on the Pension Pertschy, which he said he learned about from me. It really is the best place to stay in Wien. Without a doubt!

It might be called a "Pension", but it is more of a hotel, than many hotels. Plus you can't beat the location (right next to Graben, 100 meters to Stephensdom), the service (always gracious), and the price (you can't find a more reasonable price for what you get in any other hotel or pension in Wien).

I stay here about four times each year. I, like Joe, always reserve a "large single", but a couple years ago I took some friends and their wives to Wien, and they had very, very nice double rooms.

I'm going back in about ten days and can't wait!

Glad to read more good things about Pension Pertschy, we're staying there for 4 nights, end of March 2007. Any good & inexpensive eateries or restaurants suggestions? Thanks in advance.

I very much enjoyed eating at Cafe Central, as well as the MAK Cafe and Palmenhaus. I had lunch at all three of them and found very good and reasonably priced food.

Thanks again Castle for suggesting the Pertschy and especially the tip about the large single.

Castleblanca and JoeTro the Pension Pertschy is reviewed in Rick Steves 2006 book. He says it is "well-worn and a bit musty". I wouldn't care about the worn part, but musty could be bad. Did you find it musty? He also recommends the courtyard rooms being quieter. igpjazz let me know how your stay goes in March if possible. Any specific room numbers are great too althoguh we would need a double room. Christina thanks for the comments on TripAdvisor. BTilke you got a good rate at the Grand. Haven't ruled it out, I am still undecided. We are going on to Budapest and Prague and staying in top end hotels there so may try something smaller and less glitzy in Vienna. NeoPatrick do you have any specific room #s for the KVU?

Maybe a tad bit musty, but it didn't really bother me. That is a good point about the noise ... it was fairly noisy at night, but I go to bed pretty late anyway and am a heavy sleeper.

Like some of the others, I've stayed many times at the KVU. I don't remember room numbers and have never requested a specific room. All of the rooms I have visited are nice and the A/C keeps the hotel from feeling musty, which is probably the only negative for the Pertschy.

Hello, cristinab, from Ceske Budejovice. I'll be at the Pension Pertschy in Wien day after tomorrow (the 7th).

Two things about your post. 1) I, personally, have never found the Pension Pertschy to be "musty". Hey, it isn't the Imperial, but then again, one is not spending 500 Euros per night. 2) As to my own personal opinion about Rick Steeves and his show.... Let me put it this way: he should get down on bended knees every night and thank God, that he has been able to earn whatever he has earned, wrangle free trips around the world, put across on the general public all that he has espoused for so very many years, and get away with it. Do I make myself clear? He is the classic example of when a "little person gets a little bit of power". Let me count the errors I, personally, have found in his shows. Gee, where do I start? Well, let's start with the next episode. Here's a question: is there not a producer of his show or someone worldly checking his "information and facts"? Maybe he doesn't permit that. Maybe he is that "powerful". Now, maybe you understand where I stand on that man, his show, and his book.

Cristinab, I claim no monopoly on truth. I only have my own experiences to draw upon. And God knows I've been around this world more than once, and no one paid me. And never forget, God made chocolate and stawberries. If you don't like one, you will probably like the other.