My home in Vienna for three nights in August 2013 was the lovely Hotel Kaiserhof (previously called Best Western Premier Kaiserhof Wien) -It was one of the nicest, and definitely the friendliest, hotel I have stayed in. Here’s my review.
Having never visited Vienna before I wasn’t sure where the best location to stay was and it was probably more good luck than good management that found me staying at the Hotel Kaiserhof. From the moment the taxi (EUR15 from Westbahnhof station) dropped my husband and I at the door, we felt instantly welcomed.
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We were warmly greeted by the multi-lingual reception staff who showed genuine interest in where our travels had taken us before reaching Vienna and assured us that should we need anything at all to make our stay more comfortable, “please, just ask”.
In fact, we found all the hotel staff, from reception and restaurant staff to cleaners, to all be extremely friendly.
The first thing I noticed on arrival at the hotel was its location in a quiet side street. Having put up with all-night discos and nightclubs next door to hotels in the past, it was reassuring to know that our slumber wouldn’t be interrupted by the doof-doof of disco music here.
Although it is situated in a quiet street, the Hotel Kaiserhof (click here to check prices)is close to the heart of Vienna – a leisurely 15 minute walk will have you at Kartnerstrasse, the main pedestrianised shopping strip in the old town, and right in the very heart of Vienna.
A tram line runs past the end of the street and the nearest underground station is just a five minute walk away.
Housed in a beautiful turn-of-the-century building, the hotel’s guest rooms are beautifully furnished and very comfortable. Our room, a classic double, included tea and coffee making facilities, TV and desk, mini bar and safe. Free WiFi was included. The bathroom was compact but well fitted out with toiletries provided.
Larger suites and interconnecting family rooms are also available.
Other hotel facilities include a cosy bar/lounge area where you can purchase snacks and drinks throughout the day, a gym, pool and sauna room.
One of the highlights of our stay at Hotel Kaiserhof was the delicious breakfast each morning. With a full buffet selection to choose from, our busy days in Vienna got off to the best possible start. The buffet selection was one of the best I have seen in Europe.
These little things make a lasting impression and two other gestures proved that the Hotel Kaiserhof is up there with the best when it comes to customer service.
Our stay in Vienna coincided with an extremely hot spell of weather with temperatures reaching 37C + each day. On our return to the hotel mid-afternoon we day, we discovered the power (and therefore, internet) was out in much of the hotel, including our room.
We had arranged to make a Skype call to our sons back home in Australia and asked the reception staff if it would be OK to sit in the bar area and make the call on our iPad as there was no power or internet in our room.
Not only did they happily agree, they also offered us a complimentary drink each for the inconvenience of having no power in our room – it wasn’t even their fault!
The other occasion was on the day of our departure. Our flight left Vienna late at night so, after checking out of our room that morning, we stored our luggage at the hotel and went off sightseeing for the day. By the time we returned to the hotel around 5pm, having traipsed around Vienna in 39 degree heat, we were badly in need of a shower and freshen up.
“No problem,” said the reception staff. “No-one is using the sauna room at the moment so you are free to take a shower in there – there are towels and soap provided.”
As the porter carried our luggage to our awaiting transfer, we heard the friendly voice of one of the staff, “Auf Wiedersehn. Have a nice trip. Come back and visit us again soon.” That is definitely on the cards!**
Check current prices for Hotel Kaiserhof Vienna by clicking here.
UPDATE August 2014: We returned to the Hotel Kaiserhof in July 2014 for a three night stay and once again were very impressed with the hotel. This time, despite booking a regular Classic room, we were upgraded to a Romantic room (pictured above), which was a bit bigger than the Classic room and also included a bath. On this visit we arrived by car and parking (at an undercover parking garage nearby) cost €17 per day.
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Top photo courtesy of the hotel’s own website.
All prices are subject to change.
