Hotel Imperial

the hotel imperial is located downtown within walking distance of many of the sights of vienna. this historic luxury hotel gives the visitor the feeling of vienna during the time of the habsburgs. the hotel imperial is very expensive especially today with the weak dollar but if you want the atmosphere of old vienna this is an excellent place to stay. this property is owned by starwood hotels.

Directions: central vienna. near the opera. ubahn: karlsplatz.

Unique Quality: Situated along the Vienna Ring, this top class hotel is not for the average traveller. Here presidents, royalty and extremely rich businessmen stay during their visit to Vienna.

If you ask anyone in Vienna to name the best hotel in the city, you are more than likely to hear two names proferred; and although the Sacher certainly get a mention it'll be the Imperial that ultimately rules the roost. For it's position on the Ringstrasse is matched only by it's position in high society. If you're a Head of State, Chairman of the Board or Top of the Pops then the Imperial will be where you'll book a suite. For goodness sake, it's where the Austrian government billets it's visiting VIPs. Wagner composed here and Hitler even worked here for a while. Queen Elizabeth II, Nikolai Khrushchev and J F Kennedy have all graced the suites. Michael Jackson, Lady Gaga and Arnold Schwarzenegger have all breakfasted at this Grande Dame of hotels. Oh, and me too!

I was lucky enough to enjoy a six night stay at the Imperial and although it can be giddily expensive I came to the conclusion that it was almost certainly worth it. Would I stay here again? Absolutely! Could I afford to stay there again? Absolutely not! But would I recommend saving up to savour the experience even if it just for the odd night? Most certainly!

Why do people love it? Because it's grand, magnificent, snobbish, ostentatious. Why do some people hate it? Because it's grand, magnificent etc etc. Basically if you want old world charm on a grand scale and a doorman who will run towards you with an umbrella if it rains then this is for you. Low key and cosy..then probably not! Of course this does come at a price, and not a price all of us can afford! However if you are celebrating a Golden Anniversary or embarking upon a delightfully Dangerous Liason it will undoubtedly be worth the money. Then again, if you pop into their cafe for a coffee and a slice of the delightful Imperial torte, it does work out slightly cheaper!

Unique Quality: It sounds like an odd question, particularly when we are talking about one of the world's finest hotels, but would you enjoy staying at the Imperial? Almost certainly yes - but then again, possibly not. First and foremost I'd have to ask whether you see your hotel as an essential part of your holiday. If you just want a bed to sleep in and prefer to splash your funds on living life in the place you're visiting then probably not. I mean, why spend as much money on one night's stay in a 5* hotel that could get you a week in a 3* establishment or a fortnight in a hostel? However, if you get a thrill from taking up residence inside a historic building, if you get a buzz whenever the top-hatted doorman gently ushers you into the lobby, if you want to experience how the other half lives, then you'll love this hotel. If you like wandering around in track suit bottoms and get annoyed when people in shorts can't get into the bar you will probably feel uncomfortable. It's not a matter of money. It's a matter of restrained old world style. Quiet calm elegance over the brash and vulgar. Unless perhaps you're a famous pop star and can hide out in your suite...

If you love history you'll also love the Imperial. It has romance and intrigue in abundance. When I read that a few short years back a major spy master was discover dead in one of the suites I thought, yes, this is exactly where you'd expect such things to happen. The breakfast room encourages you to play mental games with other guests. Now is he a millionaire? Is she a model? Are they just tourists? Is she a politician? is he an oligarch? Or is everyone pretending to be someone they're not?

Directions: Everybody will know where it is and taxi drivers will be delighted to pick up any guest who can afford to stay there...
U-bahn Karlsplatz

If you visit the Emperor's apartments in the Hofburg and in Schoenbrunn and wish you could have such lodgings, the Imperial is the nearest thing money can buy.
The impressive stairs, the bright chandeliers made with Swarovski crystal (even the ones in bathroom!) will make you feel like royals.

Unique Quality: The Imperial is real luxury in every detail, not only in its furniture, for instance rooms have stereo CD players (Bang & Olufsen) the toiletries in the bathrooms are Bulgari's, and most important of all, the service is superb.
A historical bit: after WWII, when Vienna was divided, the Imperial was in the area controlled by Russians, and the Russian headquarter was in this hotel (if you want to know, the Americans were at the Bristol and the British at the Sacher). Some time ago a VT member from Vienna questioned this piece of information, so I checked my source, but when I was ready to answer ... his email had vanished from my in-box! Anyway, for him and for anybody who wishes to learn more, here is an article with some relevant information: www.famoushotels.org

Directions: Back-to-back with the Musikverein