2 Best Hotels in District 1/Innere Stadt, Vienna

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.

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.