What it is

An 1892, 150-room luminary set across from the Vienna State Opera.

What it isn't

Modern and clean-lined. Maximalist designer Pierre Yves Rochon outfitted the place, so you can expect flouncy fringe-lined draperies and twinkling chandeliers.

What we think

The home city of Mozart and Beethoven is so eye-popping that to sleep in an architecturally lackluster environ would be akin to not visiting Vienna at all. Thankfully, the royal-worthy Hotel Bristol exists in all her finery—so luxurious that the Prince of Wales, Edward VIII, selected it as his clandestine hideaway for his affair with American socialite Wallis Simpson. Even the most basic rooms are fitted with marble lined bathrooms, pristine antique furniture and walk-in closets; ask for one with a view of the Ringstrasse palaces—not that they’ve got anything you don’t.

You're here because

Your needs are more diva-esque than Edward VIII’s, and the Bristol maintains a staff of Les Clef’s D’Or concierges, an in-house florist, and a 24-hour gym with a fleet of TV-equipped Synchro and Recline machines.

The Moment

Walking in the footsteps of legends happens to be your modus operandi. So you were delighted, when you saddled up to the bar of the Bristol Lounge, to learn that none other than German composer Richard Strauss used to sip his tipples there, at the oldest bar in Vienna. Late in the night, as your eyes feel heavy looking into the flickering fireplace, you could swear you see him laughing from the corner of your eyes.

Restaurants & Bars

Bristol Lounge - Austrian cuisine with international influences

The Birstol Bar - A cozy hideaway ideal for an after-lunch drink, a successful small meeting or an aperitif before dinner. Locals prefer the bar for a cocktail before and after Opera performances across the street.

Location

In Vienna’s city center, across from the Vienna State Opera house (built in 1869) and a zippy two blocks from the Art Nouveau manicured park at Burggarten.