If guests are looking for a luxury hotel in Vienna, they are spoiled with choice. PANGAEA magazine took a close look at five 5-star hotels and investigated the question of what it takes to be a real luxury hotel.
The Park Hyatt, the Imperial, the Sacher, the Ritz-Carlton and the Kempinski have one thing in common: they are all proud of their tradition and the famous guests who have stayed with them. They are among the top addresses for kings, politicians, acting stars and famous musicians. If one asks Stefanie Peter, Marketing Communications Manager Hyatt, what constitutes a luxury hotel for her, she answers: "A luxury hotel is a place that feels like a second home. A place where high-quality materials, noble interiors, high-quality food and beverages and excellent service result in an incomparable symbiosis."
All this would not be enough, says Stefanie Peter, if it were not for a team that fills the house with life. This also includes charming service with a love of detail. The general manager of the Palais Hansen Kempinski Vienna, Florian Wille, has a similar view: "Apart from the high standards of the international luxury hotel industry, which of course have to be met, for me personally a luxury hotel is a space that appeals to all the senses, that inspires, that people remember, talk about and want to return to."
THE SOUL OF THE HOTEL IS SHAPED BY THE STAFF
While the hardware of a hotel - especially in the luxury segment - is of course important and must be right, the software is also essential. According to the hotel director, a luxury hotel must have a soul and this is mainly shaped by the employees, their cordiality, service orientation and authenticity. The human element cannot be emphasized often enough in an industry like this.
ANECDOTES MAKE THE HOTEL HISTORIC AND UNIQUE
The Viennese charm of the staff, the traditions and high standards are what makes a player among the elite of luxury hotels. No manager of the hotels presented here would say they do not possess these qualities. So it comes down to small but perhaps essential details that can be decisive for guests to decide in favour of one hotel or the other. For some, it might be the specialties of the hotel restaurant or the sophisticated cocktails at the hotel bar, for others, it might be the service or the dining area.
These five 5-star hotels in Vienna all have wonderful buildings. The interiors could not be nobler either. The guests and the anecdotes they share with each other are exciting. They make the properties, already steeped in history, even more interesting and unique.
KENNEDY AND KHRUSHCHEV MEET IN VIENNA
The Hotel Imperial has an interesting collection of anecdotes. For example, it is told that Nikita Khrushchev, former prime minister of the Soviet Union, came to Vienna in 1961 for a meeting with John F. Kennedy during the Cold War, and stayed at the Imperial and preferred to dine in his suite. Or that the silent film star Charlie Chaplin is said to have said that he had never had such a beautiful room in any hotel in the world as he had in the Imperial.
APART FROM THAT, THE IMPERIAL HAS CREATED A UNIQUE SELLING POINT FOR ITSELF WITH ITS BUTLER SERVICE
Anecdotes of famous guests could probably also be told by the Hotel Sacher, were in fact secrecy is the top priority. Who needs to divulge secrets of their guests to get attention when one has a cake as a trademark and worldwide advertising medium?
It is no secret that celebrities such as opera star Anna Netrebko, Queen Elisabeth, Hollywood actress Sharon Stone or top model Naomi Campbell have also stayed at the Sacher.
A HACKNEY (HORSE-DRAWN) CARRIAGE IN FRONT OF THE DOOR FULFILS THE CLICHÉ OF VIENNA VISITORS
The Palais Hansen Kempinski also lures guests to its hotel with a dessert. Here, the famous apple strudel is served and heavily advertised in the description of the hotel. As a guest, you cannot help but notice how the staff strives to combine modern luxury with Viennese charm. A "Servus"is heard as soon as one enters, creating the desired atmosphere, and a “Fiaker” in front of the door also ensures that the cliché of Vienna visitors is fulfilled.
When the Park Hyatt Vienna wants its guests to bathe in gold, this describes the miraculous transformation of a bank building into a luxury hotel. The spa area, including the swimming pool, is housed in the former vault of the Länderbank. The fact that the Park Hyatt is located in the middle of Vienna's most exclusive shopping district, only a few steps away from the Graben and Tuchlauben, could be decisive for some ladies when booking.
OF ALL HOTELS, ONE HAS THE LONGEST INDOOR POOL IN VIENNA'S CITY CENTRE
The Ritz-Carlton doesn't let its guests bathe in gold, but it does have the longest indoor pool in Vienna's city centre, 18 metres long. Surpassing this, guests will probably be attracted to the former palace by the variety of culinary experiences that can be enjoyed in the Atmosphere Rooftop Bar on the 8th floor with its breathtaking view over Vienna.
Clearly, each of the five 5-star hotels has more to offer than "just" luxury. But that may not make the decision on which property to choose any easier.
COMMENT:
There are certainly one or two hotels in the world that offer even more luxury than those in Vienna. Rarely, however, can a property look back on such impressive history as the five luxury houses, whose walls could tell exciting anecdotes about numerous celebrities of world history. Guests are attracted by the architecture of the former palaces alone, the furnishings reminiscent of imperial splendour and the many culinary specialties of Viennese cuisine.
