When choosing which of the boutique hotels in Vienna to rest your weary bones in, it is of course sensible to do your research, because precisely what one considers ’boutique’ is a subjective matter. This post is therefore designed to help you to choose accommodation which matches your tastes and expectations. From art nouveau, art deco, to Falco, anybody who appreciates unique design, Austrian culture and art, and something a little different from the usual hotel chains will surely find something here. My list of places to stay in Vienna runs roughly in price order, from most expensive to least, so let’s dive in…
The Best Boutique Hotels in Vienna
Hotel Altstadt
the classy choice, very large art collection, 7th district.
They (Hotel Altstadt, of course) say that Hotel Altstadt is where ‘Warhol meets Prachensky’. This, however, may not be mere hyperbole, as this hotel was in fact originally opened as an art galley, just with accompanying rooms. Most of its vast collection of contemporary art is either on loan from museums or comes from privately owned collections. The hotel is so confident in its overall aesthetic that it offers guided tours for non-residents who come to see its diverse interpretation of Viennese style. In terms of room design, the hotel has worked with some of Vienna’s more renowned architects, designers and artists, as well as those from its up and coming generation. Each designer offers their own interpretation of Viennese hospitality or ‘gemutlichkeit’ in the hotel’s 62 individual rooms and suites. From a room that’s decked out in vibrant pink to one in inspired by Mozart’s music, each room is as individual as the guests it houses.
Breakfast at Hotel Altstadt is gratefully available until 11:00 on weekdays and 11:30 on weekends, allowing for a proper lie in. Afternoon tea is also a big deal here, with a range of teas, homemade cakes, as well as a sweet (candy) bar available for guests between 4-6pm every day in one of their salons. Between May-September the hotel’s rooftop terrace can also be enjoyed, while the hotel’s ‘Red Salon’ is home to its in-house bar. Hotel Altstadt is located in the trendy 7th district, in an area called Spittelberg (think narrow cobble-stoned streets, and cute low storey (1 or 2) houses). Spittelberg, by the way, is also home to one of Vienna’s more unique Christmas markets, popular with locals.
Das Tyrol Hotel Vienna
Viennese fin de siecle charm, if you like gold things, has a pillow menu, 6th district
If you’re looking for a boutique hotel in Vienna with a strong local influence, then Hotel Das Tyrol nails it. This place has an undeniably Viennese influenced design that will certainly make you feel all art nouveau. The rooms are spacious and for the most part tastefully decorated, with designer furnishings featuring plenty of gold leaf. There is luxurious bedding, including the aforementioned pillow menu – “ah yes, I’ll have the 95% goose down with a red wine jus, please”). The hotel’s wellness area and private spa is arguably its main highlight, with a sauna, steam bath, and fitness room, perfect for unwinding after a long day of exploring the city. The hotel owners believe that art ‘doesn’t belong in museums’ and is thus better displayed in their hotel. As such, you’ll find loads of contemporary artwork scattered liberally throughout the Small Luxury Hotel Das Tyrol, giving a further touch of flair and design to pair with its lavishly ornate furnishings. For some this may be a little too much, but for others Das Tyrol is a true feast for the senses, one which proudly pays homage to the mood of the Viennese secessionists of the early 20th century. Throw in a concierge service, a very cool hotel bar, and a great location close to the Naschmarkt between Vienna’s hip 6th and 4th districts, and the Small Luxury Hotel Das Tyrol ticks a lot of boxes for a lot of people.
Hotel Josefine Vienna
1920’s art deco, somewhat surreal, 6th district
The third boutique hotel in Vienna on our list is called Hotel Josefine Vienna and is located in Vienna’s 6th district, close to all the action. The hotel has typically high ceiling(ed) rooms with herringbone wooden floors, just as you’d expect from a classic Viennese ‘Altbau’ (old i.e pre 1953 building). In terms of unique features, there’s an honesty bar where you can help yourself to an aperitif, before stepping into its Phonotheque, located next door, where a selection of 3000 classic vinyl records await your selection. The great Gatsby vibes continue as you enter into the basement of the hotel to its famous Barfly’s Club, one of Vienna’s most beloved hangouts. Green marble all over the walls and the sweet smell of American decadence and sophistication abounds here. Expect to lounge in a plush crimson or emerald green velvet upholstered chair, as you sip from a cocktail, long drink, or tumbler. With a little Sinatra playing in the background, you may even overhear a local poet, artist or actor reciting their work. This American bar is a local institution and was one of the early pioneers of this genre in Vienna. The Josefine is a place where the surreal blends with the real. The homemade á là carte breakfast is served daily from 07:00 – 11:00 and on Friday – Sunday from 07:00 – 14:00. After all, it wouldn’t be decadent if there wasn’t a late breakfast.
Hotel Josefine is pretty much like stepping into a time Machine that transports you right back to the roaring 20s. While perhaps lacking in quite as much hanging wall art as some of the other options on this list, we think that her art deco inspired fittings and a liberal dose of surrealism, easily qualifies Josie into the top 5 boutique hotels in Vienna.
Artist Boutique Hotel
quirky, celebrates Austrian cultural icons, 8th district
If you’re an art and culture lover, and you fall on the quirky side of normal (yuk…normal), then there’s a pretty good chance that you’re going to like the Artist Boutique Hotel. They say they have created a ‘world full of art, fantasy and daydreams’. Quite the claim for an establishment whose previous incarnation was as the somewhat industrially named ‘Hotel Alpha’, and whose primary objective is merely to separate its guests from consciousness for 8 hours each night. Yet, for the creative souls among you, Artist Boutique Hotel will likely be appreciated for its rather unique approach to hospitality. Located in Vienna’s 8th district, as you walk into the lobby, you’re immediately greeted by portraits depicting a who’s who of Austrian cultural big hitters. Each one of the hotel rooms is dedicated to these personalities, from Falco to Freud and everyone in between, and of course, there’s room for you in amongst all this. Breakfast is served as standard until 13:00, which will make Artist Boutique Hotel the favourite of all the late dozers. They also offer free afternoon pastries and coffee for guests. From 4pm the hotel’s cozy Artist Bar invites you to sit by the fire in an oversized velvety couch, listen to (or play) the piano, and indulge in conversation with a fellow traveler, a local artist or even the good old bartender. Cocktails are made on site and provide the ideal accompaniment with which to soak up and appreciate Austria’s cultural legacy.
Hollmann Beletage Hotel
for breakfast lovers & Wes Anderson movie fans, 1st district
Any hotel claiming to be ‘arguably the most charming 4* boutique hotel in the heart of Vienna’ and one that proclaims ‘the entire Hollmann breakfast is now 100% certified organic (with only very few exceptions)’ clearly has a good angle on parody and that is always appreciated here at TTT. For this is a hotel chock full of life and character, that will appeal to those who appreciate things being done a little differently. The eccentric style and personality of its owner, Robert Hollman, a man clearly in love with Vienna, gives this hotel an authenticity that cannot be imitated.
Stylistically, the Hollman Beletage (cliche alert, you’ve been warned!) blends old-world charm and modern elegance and its rooms are designed to make you feel like a well-to-do local with their grand chandeliers, antique furnishings and herringbone wooden floors. However, this quirky hotel is all about the little details, with unique touches like a small library stocked with books and board games, an in-house cinema serving free popcorn to guests, its wellness area with both a sauna and a steam bath, the hotel bar with self-serve pre-made cocktails and complimentary whiskey for house guests, and the outdoor guest garden (gardens are rare in Vienna, so treasure it). There’s a lot to like about this hotel, a hell of a lot.
But what really sets this hotel apart is its famous breakfast, which rotates every three days so there’s no chance of you being stuck with the typical muesli dispensers, stale pastries and rubbery eggs that you get from most other soul destroying hotels in the matrix. Breakfast here at the Hollman Beletage is really rather special. Aside from being served delicacies like frittata, and alpine cheeses from their other hotel locations in Trieste and the Austrian Alps, the hotel’s ‘breakfast chef’ will also cook up an egg dish of the day for you, unless of course you choose to go a little more off-piste and want something else. And for those of you with lighter appetites in the morning, they also provide a free afternoon ‘Altwiener Leberkase Snack Station’ – which, for you Vienna virgins, is basically organic meatloaf stuffed inside the archetypal Viennese bread roll i.e a Kaisersemmel. This sandwich is a culinary institution here, one that is undergoing somewhat of a renaissance in recent times, so let us reassure you, whenever you are offered a free Lebekase Semmel, take it. All things considered, I reckon that if Bill Murray came to Vienna, this would probably be where he’d stay.
Superbude
cheapest option on this list, makes you feel old, 2nd district
The final option on our list of Boutique Hotels in Vienna may be stretching the remit somewhat, but we had to include it. Superbude is a relatively new addition to the Viennese hotel scene, having opened its doors in 2021 in the height of the pandemic. Part hotel, part hostel, the rooms here are fresh and different, and carry with them several unique design concepts that we like a lot! Many of its rooms and suites offer options for groups of friends or families traveling together, with either bunk beds or beds lined up in a row, perfect for just crashing on after a heavy night out. Superbude is also the cheapest hotel on this list by some distance, which inherently makes it more accessible to younger travelers than most other boutique hotels in Vienna. Superbude have taken great care to cultivate a strong connection to Viennese culture having designed many of their 178 rooms in collaboration with local luminaries, including the FM4 radio station, and the Falter news magazine with its reading rooms. Some of their other themed rooms include a bird’s nest, an ‘Austropop’ studio with a collection of Austrian vinyl (think “Amadeus, Amedeus, A-ma-deus…), a Game City Studio which includes a Nintendo switch + games, and a Cinema studio complete with a projector and a collection of classic Austrian movies (we assume they must be referring to the Schwarzenegger back catalogue here). For aspiring artists, they even offer an ‘Artist in Residence’ program, as they have decked out one of their larger rooms to also serve as a fully functioning artist’s workshop. Guests can stay for up to 6 weeks and at the end the management are keen to exhibit the produced work within the hotel itself.
On the hotel rooftop you’ll find Neni am Prater, a Viennese institution serving middle eastern food from Israel. This is where the breakfast buffet is to be attacked, if, of course, you decide to go for that option when booking. There’s also a bar up here and both have really cool views over the Prater theme park and across wider Vienna – some of the best views to be found of the city skyline in fact. On the ground floor there’s also Cafe Brenner, which serves as the hotel’s hub and meeting point.
Unique and Quirky Hotels in Vienna: FAQ
Is Vienna walkable?
You may have noticed that only one of the boutique hotels in Vienna I’ve listed is located in the 1st district. However, this needn’t worry anyone, as all are still centrally located thanks to how compact the city is. You can walk to all of the main tourist sites comfortably from all of these hotels (apart from Schönbrunn Palace), and in our experience, not staying in one of the Innere Stadt Vienna hotels usually makes everything better value and more authentically Viennese – not just hotels, but nearby restaurants and shops too.
Which district should I stay in while I'm in Vienna?
Here’s a brief rundown of Vienna’s inner districts (i.e 1-9): 1st: old money, expensive, touristy, particularly rude waiters, actually pretty quiet away from the main tourist spots; 2nd: the other side of the canal, boho, good for Prater and the Danubes; 3rd: embassy district, quite residential, good for Belevedere and Wien Mitte train station; 4th: good for Karlsplatz and the Hauptbahnhof, ultra hip, good Asian food; 5th: a bit out of the way, better value but not much to see here; 6th: ultra hip yet also popular with young Viennese families, good for Haus des Meeres and shopping on Mariahilferstrasse, LGBTQ+ friendly; 7th: ultra hip with loads of hole in the wall bars, good for museumsquartier and Christmas markets; 8th: old money, small and compact, postcard Vienna; 9th: university and medical district, young, vibrant, closer to the Viennese vineyards up in the 19th.
Boutique Hotels in Vienna: Outro
So, there you have it, my run down of cool hotels in Vienna. There is certainly no shortage of independent and unique establishments to lay one’s head down in, so I hope that at least one of these options has inspired you to get ahead with your hotel booking in Vienna. If you liked this, then you’ll be glad to hear that my line in silly Vienna-related posts continues with a guide to which of Vienna’s art museums and galleries one should visit, if one was forced. Personally, I’d prioritize anything that exhibited all the terrible knock offs and copies from around the world – much like this revisionist Mona Lisa. Let’s call her ‘Mona Lara’. I’d pay for that.
Leave a reply