Unsurprisingly, Vienna has no shortage of quality accommodation, whether five star hotels or simple apartment alternatives.
I have numerous suggestions for you based on typical visitor needs, as well as general advice on such issues as local taxes, use of English, etc.
- Take in a classical concert* while here
- See also:
Jump to:
- Tips for hotels near…
- Luxury options (official 5* hotels)
- Accommodation map (with prices)
- Which part of Vienna is best?
- Other useful tips & articles
Hotels & location tips
Let’s begin with suggestions for highly-rated hotels around notable Vienna attractions and big event venues. Most articles also include travel and location information for those areas…
Near tourist hotspots
(Do&Co Hotel Vienna with views across the central cathedral square)
- Best hotels close to the centre: places to stay around the pedestrianised square (Stephansplatz) at the heart of the city and home to Stephansdom cathedral
- Places to stay near the Christmas markets: specifically the famous Christkindlmarkt on Rathausplatz square, though the suggestions remain handy for other central markets, too (Vienna has over a dozen significant markets)
- Hotels near Schönbrunn palace and park: the Habsburg “country” residence makes a destination in its own right and has several good hotels nearby, one or two with their own imperial connection
Near event venues
(The Superbude is handy for the Messe Wien exhibition and congress center)
- Hotels near VIECON / Messe Wien: locations around the big venue for large expos, shows and meetings, such as the Vienna Comic Con or huge medical congresses
- Hotels near the Marx Halle: a popular event centre in a converted historical cattle market in the media and bioscience quarter of Vienna
- Hotels near the Austria Center: another big convention centre and adjacent to the Vienna International Centre (home to the United Nations, the IAEO and other multinational organisations)
Near the airport
- Places to stay near the airport: only two hotels currently occupy space on the actual airport grounds. Both are more or less immediately opposite the arrivals area, so no shuttle bus or taxi needed. A third hotel is on its way, too
Near the music
(Hotel Sacher sits opposite the opera house)
- Hotels near the State Opera House: in case you want to fall into bed before the echoes of the last aria at the Staatsoper have died away
- Hotels near the Musikverein: find accommodation close to Vienna’s (and possibly the world’s) most prestigious classical concert venue. Also home to the Wiener Philharmoniker orchestra
Luxury options
(Entrance to Hotel Imperial, one of Vienna’s 5* superior hotels)
- Luxury hotels: those few places officially recognised as five star or five star superior by the Vienna Chamber of Commerce
Accommodation map
This map centered on Stephansdom cathedral lets you jump right in and pick out hotels and apartments near the centre of town:
(Service provided by Booking.com*, who I am an affiliate of)
Which part of Vienna should you stay in?
(Stephansdom cathedral dominates the centre with several hotels within walking distance)
Should you need help planning where to stay, take a look at the main sightseeing areas (with a map) in terms of where you might want to be near.
Having said that…public transport gets you almost anywhere rapidly. So even outlying districts still remain an option in terms of getting places.
I live in a relatively banal outer district and am under 20 minutes away from the centre by tram, with departures every few minutes.
The same concept applies if you choose accommodation outside the city. Most surrounding settlements have frequent city train (S-Bahn) services into Vienna.
On that note, Vienna’s rapid transit system means places can get away with describing their location as “convenient for”, even when it isn’t perhaps as truly nearby as that might imply.
Local atmosphere?
(The Austria Trend Parkhotel Schönbrunn Wien once housed the emperor’s guests and is one of several hotels near the summer Habsburg palace)
The centre of Vienna (1st district, postal code 1010) is the old town with many of the most well-known sights and attractions.
This corresponds more or less to the medieval city limits: good for soaking up the historical ambience and (relatively) quiet toward the evening, especially in the colder seasons.
Other good central districts for a hotel or apartment are Neubau (7th district, postal code 1070) or Josefstadt (8th district, postal code 1080): lively, well-connected, and have lots of places to eat and drink.
You can’t go wrong really with any district 2 to 9, though, since they encircle the old town.
Among those districts a little further out, the 13th, 18th and 19th are the most well-to-do, and the 13th also covers the popular Schönbrunn palace complex.
I talk a little more the more important districts for visitors in this article.
Bonus accommodation tips
(Hotels fill up during the Christmas market season – mid-November through to New Year – so book early)
- Will I pay a hotel or local tax? Yes, but it’s low and normally already included in the price you find quoted on accommodation websites
- Given the high level of education in the country, plus the many vocational schools specialising in tourism, your hotel and accommodation staff should be well-qualified and speak good/excellent English
- As always with planning a visit, book early where possible. Vienna gets pretty full with visitors throughout the year, with the exception of late January, February, March (unless Easter is early) and early November (before the Christmas markets open)
- The summer brings many visitors, but December is particularly busy thanks to the immense popularity of those markets
- Consider late November as a solid alternative to December, however, since all the main seasonal markets should be open by then (and probably the lights, too) but the accompanying seasonal crowds have yet to arrive in full
- Finally…once here, discover what to see and do with the help of my introductory guide to the city, sightseeing overview, activities overview and (most importantly) cake glossary