Altstadt Hotel Vienna

When we first walked into the Altstadt in Vienna, I wasn't sure if I would like it. It seemed kind of dingy and the elevator was incredebly slow. We were coming from another Altstadt hotel in another city which was really nice. The reception/front desk office, which is located on the second floor, was really small and very warm when we arrived. If you're arriving with a lot of luggage or a large party, best to leave the luggage outside and take turns checking in.

Once we had checked in, the concierge took us on a tour of the hotel's first (structure's second) floor. There are quite a few separate rooms designed to serve as dining rooms and one room that is considered the den/living room for guests. Large windows let in lots of natural light during the day in the living room. Guests seem to be quite comfortable here (I know our group was) and take advantage of the extras on offer here - newspapers, sofas, large, comfortable arm chairs, music, etc. Music is usually playing and requets can be made to play certain things. There is also a large flat screen and a piano. All rooms are used as dining rooms during breakfast. There is also a complimentary afternoon tea including cake. This hotel provides some really nice extras for guests.

After the tour, we opted to haul our luggage up to our room via the stairs instead of waiting for the painfully slow elevator. Luckily, we were assigned rooms on the second floor. I did not use the elevator once more during our stay.

I think the structure is quite old. I don't know the historical signifcance, but most building in Vienna have some history attached to them. It is very large and in addition to the hotel, tennants also call the building home. I'm not sure how many floors the hotel occupies.

You must use your room key to access the door leading to your floor and again to access your room. Entering the hallway of our floor, I immediately had a vision of The Shining. Seriously, it seemed like a scene from the book! Not scary, just eerie. It grows on you. Lots of reprinted, enlarged photographs of semi nude women adorn the walls. This in addition to the rich hues, wallpaper, and carpeting give the hotel the feel of an old bordello. It exudes sexuality.

Each room is unique. Our group stayed in three separate rooms. Each had its own colour scheme and while floor plans/layout were similar, they weren't cookie cutter. Lots of literature found in all of the rooms and plenty of art adorn the walls throughout the hotel. We all liked the fact that each room was uniquely individual.

The rooms are comfortable. Some are larger than others. The beds are nice. One wall had large floor to ceiling windows. The bathroom is large, too. The amenities provided are Provence brand. The bathroom also has heated floors, which was a really nice feature.

First impressions can mislead. We enjoyed our stay at this hotel. The rooms were comfortable. The staff was super friendly and accommodating. The breakfast was included and had lots of options.

As my good luck with hotels continued during my backpacking across Europe I yet again was pleasantly surprised by accommodation's in Vienna. This property is a relatively short walk from the downtown area, which in my opinion is without a doubt one of the most beautiful in all of Europe. The hotel is walkable from the train station, but it will take you the better part of 40 minutes so plan accordingly. The hotel is also undergoing some minor construction, but I can't say that I ever found myself affected by the noise. The hotel itself is an older property and with that I found it to be a very unique charm in comparison with some of the other places I crashed during my trip. I didn't really take advantage of any of the extras the hotel had to offer because the Circle area was a short walk away and it truly is breathtaking, even by Europe's standards. The staff was extra courteous during my stay and was always asking if there was anything they could do to make my experience better. Well, the answer was no and this is another property of which I would gladly call home during future travels to Vienna.

Also, there are a number of small restaurants on the walk into town as well as a few quaint pubs so at all costs avoid eating at any large chain.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,
Jason