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’ve also added some information about the local area after the hotel suggestions, along with a more detailed map with wider accommodation options.
- See also:
- Where to stay in Vienna (with general and location tips)
Top-rated local hotels
The hotels listed below are all within a few minutes walk of Schönbrunn Palace itself or a park entrance and, at the time of writing, all rated at least 8 (out of 10) according to booking.com user reviews.
The hotels
In no particular order…
Austria Trend Parkhotel Schönbrunn Wien
A well-known landmark as it sits very close to a park entrance that takes you 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.
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 hghlighted, for example, the “French and Viennese cuisine” and “daily military concerts.”
Radisson Blu Park Royal Palace Hotel Vienna
(The hotel features striking modern architecture)
A tram stops right outside the hotel, which opened in 2018, and 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.
HB1 Schönbrunn Budget & Design
On the other side of the junction from the Park Royal Palace, so close to a tram stop and actually not too far from the Johnstraße subway station on the U3 line that takes you right into the very centre of town.
The HB1 also has a rooftop bar for breakfast with views across to the palace grounds in the distance. As with the Radisson Blu, a near neighbour is the Technical Museum.
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
Smaller, family-run hotel. Like the Parkhotel, very close to Hietzing subway station and the west side of the palace park.
Hotel alternatives
The map below has more suggestions if you want to widen your search:
(Map provided by booking.com*, who I am an affiliate of)
Booking.comThe Schönbrunn area
(The main entrance to Schönbrunn Palace)
The rather obvious attraction 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).
The surrounding landscaped gardens and wider grounds are freely accessible and contain various highlights, such as (fake) Roman ruins or an obelisk.
Other paid attractions within the Schönbrunn complex are the Orangery (good for evening concerts, too), the Privy Garden and Maze.
Most importantly, 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
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 Radisson Blu 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. (And the temporary exhibitions are always good value.)
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 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). As such, getting to Schönbrunn is not really a big deal if you have accommodation in the centre, for example. See here for Schönbrunn travel tips