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LIVING / STAY

V ienna is a city of palaces.

So the fact that The Ritz-­

Carlton, arguably the best-­

located and most luxurious

hotel in the city, is made up of four

of them shouldn’t come as too much

of a surprise. Only, this hotel is full of

surprises, mainly due to its wonderful

mélange of old and new, which is largely

at the root of its immense appeal.

The four historic palaces that were

eventually joined together date back to the

19th Century and the heyday of Viennese

architecture, incorporating stylistic

influences of Renaissance and Baroque.

Ahead of the hotel’s opening in 2012, the

German-­based design-­team were charged

with maintaining the charm and protected

features of the palaces, whilst creating

an elegant, contemporary hotel with

stylish interiors and all the mod cons so

demanded by the luxury traveller.

Standout features were inspired by

the hotel’s unique location on the iconic

Ringstrasse (Ring Boulevard), nestled

in the historic heart of the city, lined

by Austria’s most important buildings,

including the Vienna State Opera,

Imperial Palace and Parliament. The

city’s longstanding equine tradition (horse

Vienna, Schubertring

5-7, 1010

PRICE From $390 per

night

Ritzcarlton.com/Vienna

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The hotel is made up of four palaces that have been joined together

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carriages called ‘Fiaker’ still ride along the

Ring) is depicted by a series of strikingly

beautiful paintings as you enter the lobby.

The 202 guest rooms and suites mesh

noble fabrics, precious wood finishes and

Renaissance-­style windows with underfloor

heating, Asprey amenities and bathroom

doors displaying canvases of abstract art,

specially created by an anonymous local

artist. A further unseen treasure comes

courtesy of a hidden library in the 190

square metre Presidential Suite, with floor-­

to-­ceiling bookshelves bearing literary

works in different languages. Books include

subjects varying from art history, design

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and music, to autobiographies and a range

of novels by local authors. Specific requests

can even be made to the hotel’s ‘literary

specialist’ on reserving the suite.

And so to the roof, and the hotel’s show-­

stopping, hotspot of a bar, Atmosphere

Rooftop Lounge. Frequented by the well-­

heeled Viennese, clever blue lighting makes

the beautiful look even more so, almost (but

not quite) competing with sprawling views

of the city, stretching from St Stephan’s

Cathedral to Karlskirche. It’s open from late

spring when the weather starts to warm, and

towards the end of the year transforms into

Vienna’s highest market.

EAT

Crammed with more than 120 stalls, Naschmarkt is deservedly Vienna’s most legendary food market. It’s an international melting pot of tastes

and aromas, with the highlight being the Viennese classics, including the

ubiquitous and delicious apfelstrudel and wiener schnitzel. The real taste

of Vienna.

VISIT

Exploring Vienna’s wineries is part of the cultural experience and Mayer Am Pfarrplatz in Heiligenstadt has been producing some of the best since 1683. It was also the former

home of Beethoven, (he is believed to have written his famous Symphony

No 9 here), and boasts a great restaurant. Ideal for a long lunch.

SHOP

Augarten is the renowned 300-year-old porcelain manufacturer, museum and store, located in Vienna’s oldest Baroque garden. Sip from a teacup crafted in the 1800s, and peruse the impressive displays of products from traditional vases and chintzy figurines

to contemporary tableware and state-of-the-art speakers.

CULTURE

For art and architecture in one, head to the Belvedere, home to two

Baroque palaces that house the greatest collection of Austrian art, including Monet, van Gogh and Gustav Klint’s famous The Kiss. If

the weather permits, the perfectly manicured gardens are also more

than worth a wander.

PLACES OF INTEREST IN THE AREA

PALAIS GUTMANN

Affectionately referred to by the staff as the museum, Palais Gutmann is the part of the hotel that retains most of its original features, including a historical marble staircase, a handcrafted wooden fireplace and an impressive ceiling fresco.

SPA

Inspired by the rose garden of Vienna’s Empress Sisi, the hotel’s ESPA offers a relaxing Imperial Rose Ritual. The treatment uses rose geranium and sweet orange oils and includes a body scrub and hot stone massage.

The longest pool in Vienna at 18 metres, the highlight of a dip, or rather a dunk, is the underwater classical music from some of the Viennese greats, including Mozart and Beethoven. Symphonised swimming, anyone?

EXTRATOUCH

IN THE HOTEL

Dstrikt stands out from your average

hotel steakhouse by providing a unique

sense of place. And exceptional cheesecake.

Austrian beef is cooked on a charcoal

grill and finished with chestnut brown

salt from the Saltzburg mines. The wine

list is dominated by the best of Austria’s

homegrown grapes, whilst beers herald

from local microbreweries.

Again avoiding the realms of cliché,

Melounge manages to pull it out of the

proverbial bag with an a-­typical afternoon

tea. The highlights are hot Criollo chocolate,

produced from the highest quality (and

most expensive) cacao beans around, served

by Austria’s first chocolate sommelier, and

an ingenious jasmine-­infused Cosmopolitan,

poured from an old-­fashioned teapot with

‘steam’ originating from a bed of dry ice.

Like the contents of your teacup and

the city itself, The Ritz-­Carlton, Vienna is a

genuine treat, and a master at merging the

best of the old with the shiny and new.