Simple hotel; Great locationPosted: Sat, May 03 2008Location:
5Rooms:
3.5Service:
3.8Value:
5We (two couples) arrived at this hotel on Valentine's night and check-in was seamless, as we walked to the lift, the man on reception asked us to wait and came out of back room with two roses for us (the girls!), we were delighted! A nice touch!
The rooms are very basic but spotless; tea-making facilities, flat screen TV, room service, mini-bar, safe...
Before coming, we worried about the location but it was perfect. 5 minutes walk to the main nightlife area where there are some great bars and clubs (area called 'The Bermuda Triangle')!! Underground and trams are also nearby.
There is lots to see in Vienna and the centre (Stephensplatz) is only a short walk away.
We went to see many tourist attractions including. St Stephan's Cathedral and catacombs; Riding school (though no events until March/April) and lots of other beautiful buildings and palaces...
We went on the bus tour which starts alongside the State Opera House and that was very good.
We went to the Naschmarket and that was an eclectic mix of foods, spices etc.
Most things are within walking distance. We went to a big shopping centre (supposed to be the best in Vienna) but this was crap. The individual shops are very stylish and many are reasonably priced even though they look very upmarket. If you like interiors, Vienna is the place for you as there were lots of interiors shops.
With regard to restaurants, food is good but we found it hard to find restaurants that weren't Italian. They have lots of McDonalds there and Starbucks too. Went to a nice Italian that is downstairs off the street (can't remember name).
We had a lovely time and went for 3 days which we found a bit long, 2 days would be perfect to see everything.
We bought tickets from guys dressed up on the main square who were selling tickets for operas. The one we went to wasn't your typical opera setting, but a very nice hall in a very old building and there was over an hour's mix of opera, ballet and classical music. It was very enjoyable and we were glad we went.
There are many booking offices for day trips to places like Prague, Salzburg and Bratislava and these are about 3 hours on train/bus.
Enjoy Vienna!