A Heritage hotel in Vienna
About the hotel
Who: Hotel Bristol, a Luxury Collection Hotel
Where: Kärntner Ring 1, 1010 Wien, Austria
What: A city hotel located right next to the Viennese State Opera House.
Room Type: Classic Double Room
First Impressions
Before I start, I need to be completely honest with you. This is a completely biased review because Hotel Bristol Vienna is one of my favourite hotels in the world. There are no bad words here. This was the first Luxury Collection Hotel that we stayed at, and what started an obsession of mine to stay at every Luxury Collection Hotel. Walking into Hotel Bristol Vienna is like stepping back in history to a time – as soon as you enter you can tell that they value the heritage of the hotel.
The Look
The building is pure Viennese charm, grand enough to stand across the road from the Opera but cosy like a traditional Viennese coffee house. The style is very Art Deco and even though they’ve managed to keep the traditional features (like the elevator), everything is still very curated and cared for.
The Room
We stayed in one of their more basic (read: cheapest) rooms, but there was nothing basic about it. The decor made me feel like I was living in a museum, where even the rug and the vase were from a time revered.
The coolest thing about this room was that the window overlooked the alley that ran alongside the hotel, which has a Christmas Market that lines the street during the afternoon and evening. This is one of the most magical things you can experience during the festive time! There is also a spacious storage area at the front of the room to store your suitcases and hang your clothes which is so rare in a city hotel.
The Facilities
Like always, Sara Lou went to the hotel gym to have a look with zero intentions of actually doing any exercise. The views from the gym are spectacular. You get a full view of the Opera house while doing your morning run without even leaving the building. It almost convinced me to exercise. Almost.
The Food & Drink
There is a bar, Bristol Bar, which looks like it is straight out of NYC and would be the perfect place for a Manhattan. Then there is the Bristol Lounge, which has cosy coffee house vibes and is also where hotel breakfast is served. It also is a great spot to have a coffee after walking around the city.
The Location
Like I hinted at in the beginning of this review, the location is perfectly splendid. In the morning, we headed out to grab a quick snack from the Christmas Market below our balcony (the smell of roasted nuts, cinnamon, and pretzels had me drooling by 11am), and then headed over to explore the Opera House.
After a bit of shopping in the city, it was so easy to just pop back into the hotel to drop off all my fabulous finds before heading off to the next Christmas Market (note: Vienna has the best Christmas Markets imho!). Actually, here are all the reasons I love Vienna.
how to book Hotel Bristol, Vienna
My favourite way to book hotels is through Booking.com. Booking.com offers a price guarantee (even when not paying upfront and paying at the hotel), they match prices, and they also offer a wide range of rooms with benefits (like afternoon tea and breakfast). Click to see the availability for Hotel Bristol.
VERDICT
My Grade:
5/5
High point of my stay:
I’m obsessed with Le Chemin by Byredo, twinkling Christmas lights, and everything Art Deco, so this hotel was like something I had dreamed into reality.
Low point of my stay:
I had to leave.
Who would love to stay at Hotel Bristol Vienna?
I think Hotel Bristol Vienna would be suited to couples (especially DINK couples) who want a hotel that is central, cosy and intimate, and full of history. This hotel would suit someone who just wants to dive right into Viennese culture and wants to stay in a hotel that is an experience in itself.
Did this article speak to you?
I’d love to hear your thoughts! If you’re on Instagram, you can find me over here: @apicturesquelife so feel free to reach out or use #apicturesquelife and I’d be happy to connect!