We will be spending 4 days in Vienna this summer. Would appreciate recommendations on hotels in the Innere Stadt (city center). Also, any of beat ideas that anyone may care to share. I see all the usual major tourist places listed, but would love to hear some unique things to do or recommendations on great places to dine.
Thanks

Hi; This hotel is just behind the 'Cathedral' and is in a lovely renovated old building. Richard www.kvu.at/

Pension Suzanne is in a great location.

Unique? Art Nouveau walks, architecture by Otto Wagner, going to the opera, Wien Museum, Haydn House...

You can click on my username and look for my Spring 2009 Vienna trip report.

The Kaiserin Elizabeth.

Thanks I'll check out these hotels.

hi caryn,

what's your budget? Vienna seems to come a bit more expensive than other places in austria, even Salzburg.which I found somewhat surprising.

this is where we stayed last summer - www.hotelaustria.com.
5 mins walk from Schwedenplatz [a very good transport hub], 5 mins in the opposite direction to the Stephansdom, quirt, large rooms with full bathroom, good breakfast, helpful staff. we paid €140 per night for room and breakfast in June.

for ideas of what to do, if you click on my screen name, you'll find a link to the vienna portion of my trip report.

have a great trip,

regards, ann

I second the recommendation for Hotel Austria with a couple of comments.

I would hope they've done some upgrading/redecorating of the bathrooms in the year since our stay. Everything worked for us, but the decor felt like a dorm. Beige tile, beige floor, beige walls, white towels.

If one of you likes to get up early and take a walk, check email in the lobby, get a coffee, etc., ask for two room keys, because if one person leaves and locks the door (only possible with the key), that locks the other person inside. Dangerous in an emergency.

We had a good dinner at the historical Griechenbeisl across the street from the start of the short alley that leads to the hotel's entrance. On another night, the hotel staff recommended Eff 16 which was also good. Its contemporary decor and menu were a nice contrast to Griechenbeisl.

hi jean

well, I'll grant you that the decor was not terribly modern but our room was fine - cool [we were there in what passed for summer] and clean. and the bathroom had the added advantage of having a drying rack over the bath.

we couldn't eat at the griechenbeisel because it was full but we tried the pub next door instead, and were amused when the food came in from outside - yes, from the griechenbeisel. we never found [or heard about] Eff 16.

Back at you ann... I only mentioned the bathroom decor because it seemed an anomoly in an otherwise nicely appointed hotel. I loved that drying rack over the bath! I wish every hotel had one. I'd definitely stay at this hotel again.

Who knows about Eff16. Maybe it didn't make it. It had a very contemporary look and approach to Viennese cuisine that might not have appealed to enough people. It was also hard to find. You wouldn't have stumbled upon it.

Back at you ann... I only mentioned the bathroom decor because it seemed an anomoly in an otherwise nicely appointed hotel. I loved that drying rack over the bath! I wish every hotel had one. I'd definitely stay at this hotel again.>>

lol, Jean. I don't think I've ever taken against a hotel because of the decor in the bathroom. [and I know that you say you'd stay there again, but it must have worried you for you to have mentioned it!] it wasn't particularly modern, but it was clean and everything worked which are my two criteria when it comes to bathrooms.

did you get to enjoy wine-tasting on the terrace? out of our 4 nights, it was raining on 3 of them and on the 4th we were out having a wine-tasting of our own at the Heuriger.

ann, bathroom decor never worries me, but it sometimes disappoints. Our room had a nice Austrian feel to the decor, but the windowless bathroom reminded me of my college dorm. I see from the hotel's website that some bathrooms have a shower curtain that adds a colorful note to the room.

No wine tasting. I don't know whether we just missed it or whether it wasn't offered in late October. Temps were a bit nippy during our stay.

CC,

Of the many places to choose when in Vienna here are three you may enjoy. The Hotel Sacher is great for coffe and a piece of the famous cake. If you can afford it that is also the place to stay. For your next cake and coffee Demel is a must. Finally if you are looking for some traditional Vienna food try Tresznjewski sandwich shop.

Have a good time.

Greg

we stayed at a pension called pension nossek in the graben
a pedestrian area
really nice

we did a day trip to the woodlands out past grinzig
by train and bus
gorgeous views of vienna from there and a lovely walk back down the hills

Thanks to everyone for being so helpful with ideas. I had to laugh at the bathroom banter. Can't wait to visit.
Caryn

Hi, CC. If you like to use Priceline, we stayed at the Marriott, right across the street from the Stadtpark for $105(US) a night. Go on www.biddingfortravel.com for information on how to bid. We also really enjoyed the Strauss concert in the Kursalon, which is in the Stadtpark. It's a "tourist" concert but very high quality and lasted almost 2 hours, unlike some. We booked it online. I'm sure you'll enjoy Vienna...it's a beautiful city.

CampingCaryn, my husband is the cause of my bathroom decor fetish. He hadn't been to Europe before we met, and on our first trip (on a miniscule budget) I put us in a small hotel in a very old building in Paris. Planning for every trip since then for more than 30 years has started with his edict of "no itsy-bitsy, prison bathrooms!" He's the one who created a new category for the bathroom at the Hotel Austria in Vienna. "Dorm bathroom."

That's a great story. Glad it had continued for so long. My husband also wants western comforts. I appreciate the info. Any must see attractions that we shouldn't miss?

Vienna is packed with interesting things to see. Peruse a guidebook or Fodor's city guide (under "Destinations" at the top of this page) and prioritize the sights that interest you most. Four days is nice, but you won't see everything. We spent an entire day at Schonbrunn.