Vienna’s most popular tourist attraction is Schönbrunn, with its palace, museums, the zoo and huge park (and Christmas and Easter markets).
The complex lies a little outside the city centre, so you might like a hotel nearby to save travelling time.
I have some hotel suggestions for you, followed by information about the local area and a more detailed map with wider accommodation options.
This city district (Hietzing) counts as one of Vienna’s more upmarket and less strictly urban locations, so expect plenty of good restaurants and similar, too.
- See also:
- Where to stay in Vienna (with hotel and location tips)
Top-rated local hotels
(The main entrance to Schönbrunn Palace)
The hotels listed below are all within a few minutes walk of Schönbrunn Palace itself or an entrance to the palace park and gardens. At the time of writing, all locations rated at least 8 (out of 10) according to booking.com user reviews.
In no particular order…
Austria Trend Parkhotel Schönbrunn Wien
(Imperial elegance for modern times)
A well-known landmark as it sits practically opposite a Schönbrunn park entrance that takes you through to the palace, zoo and past the Lindt chocolate shop (a deal clincher if ever there was one). The hotel’s also a short walk away from Hietzing subway station on the U4 line.
The location has a colourful history dating back to the late 18th century. For example, Emperor Franz Joseph used to house his guests there.
Shortly after its construction in 1907, the owner placed newspaper adverts for “the most elegant hotel in Vienna.” They highlighted, for example, the “French and Viennese cuisine” and “daily military concerts.”
Austria Trend Hotel Maximilian
The Parkhotel’s immediate neighbour, named for Emperor Franz Joseph’s brother, Maximilian (once Emperor of Mexico, whose statue sits opposite the hotel).
This location blends in a little more modernity with the imperial elegance that characterises its elder sibling next door. Again, well positioned to access the Schönbrunn complex via the Hietzing Tor park entrance.
Doubletree by Hilton Vienna Schonbrunn
(Set in its own small park, the hotel features striking modern architecture)
A tram stops right outside the hotel, which first opened as a Radisson Blu property. The location’s not far from the main Schönbrunn entrance: you can see the palace at the bottom of the Schloßallee road outside.
As a bonus, next door is the Technical Museum in its historical building (constructed in the dying days of empire).
Seminarhotel Springer Schlössl
This was completely renovated in early 2015 and resides in a park of its own, which is quite a rarity for a city hotel. Nice if you want to get away from the urban environment now and then.
The hotel forms part of a wider seminar and meeting complex which includes the historic Springer villa built in 1887.
Once owned by Baroness Rothschild, the villa suffered confiscation by the Nazis and the deprivations of allied bombers, plunderers and soviet tanks in WWII. The state returned it to its lawful owners sometime after the war.
Hotel Viktoria
(Close to a lovely café-confectionery, too)
Smaller, family-run hotel. Like the Parkhotel, very close to Hietzing subway station and the west side of the palace park.
This also puts it close to a small shopping mall as well as the restaurants that line the nearby Hietzinger Hauptstraße.
A walk around the corner from the hotel brings you to the Hietzing branch of Kurkonditorei Oberlaa: one of Vienna’s better chains of café confectioneries. Think, particularly, cakes and coffee.
Hotel alternatives
The map below has more suggestions (including apartments) if you want to widen your search:
(Map provided by booking.com*, who I am an affiliate of)
Booking.comThe Schönbrunn area
(Schönbrunn at Christmas)
The rather obvious attraction nearby is the Baroque Schönbrunn palace and park complex. You can visit the staterooms on a tour. Definitely do that (and take the longer tour, which offers much more for very little extra cost).
Other paid attractions within the Schönbrunn complex include the Orangery (good for evening concerts), the Privy Garden, the Maze, the Imperial Carriage Museum (with bonus Empress Elisabeth exhibition) and the Children’s Museum.
The surrounding landscaped gardens and wider grounds are freely accessible and contain various highlights, such as (fake) Roman ruins or an obelisk.
Most importantly, the Schönbrunn park also has the zoo, which ranks as one of the best in the world. They have giant pandas, which is all you need to know.
Outside Schönbrunn
(Look out for the special exhibitions)
All the above could keep you busy for a day or two, but Schönbrunn also adjoins one or two bonus attractions.
The Technisches Museum, for example is up the road from the main entrance and, as mentioned, next to the Doubletree hotel.
Austria’s science museum complements Schönbrunn Zoo as an excellent place to take the kids, thanks to plenty of interactive displays and more buttons to press than a lift in the Empire State Building. (The special exhibitions are always good value, too.)
Those of an artistic bent might want to make a pilgrimage to Hietzing Cemetery, which borders the southwest of Schönbrunn park. Here you find Gustav Klimt’s grave (and Otto Wagner’s). The Klimt villa’s not far away, either.
Getting there
(The Wagner pavilion: a royals-only entrance for the local railway)
The hotels mentioned are handy for Schönbrunn, but you can easily reach other attractions from the area thanks to Vienna’s excellent transport system.
The complex adjoins two stops on the U4 subway line: the Hietzing and Schönbrunn stations. If at Hietzing, look down the tracks to see the Otto Wagner-designed railway pavilion hanging over the line (intended for the Emperor’s use only).
As such, getting to Schönbrunn is not really a big deal if you have accommodation in the centre, for example. See here for more Schönbrunn travel tips