For a stay in Vienna that’s as enchanting as the city itself, it has to be The Hotel Altstadt Vienna. In this Editor’s Pick article, I tell Real Food Travelers what to expect from the artsy property that was a dream come true for its owner. 

Save this article to Pinterest to help you plan your stay at the Hotel Altstadt Vienna. Photos courtesy Courtney Drake-McDonough. Graphic by RealFoodTraveler.com.

We had walked and walked and walked some more in the heat of August in Vienna, looking for our refuge and reward, the Altstadt Vienna, the hotel where we would be spending the night. It’s not that the Hotel is so remote that one has to walk a lot – my husband and I had just been taking in neighborhood after neighborhood all day, stopping for lunch at the famous Café Sperl, to take in the Leopold Museum and have an ice cream from a Veganista cart outside the museum. And while, yes, by late afternoon, we were weary of lugging our luggage around, we were extremely happy to round the corner onto Kirchengasse Street and see the Altstadt’s sign, ahead.

The outside of The Altstadt was a welcome site as we arrived.

I’m sure we were quite the sight for the friendly staff in the salon where one checks in – a bit bedraggled and, yes, “dewy” shall we say. They were very welcoming, despite our soggy appearances, and the young woman who checked us in said, “Please promise me that you’ll let us know if there’s anything we can do for you!” What a lovely, earnest thing to say. It felt like what one might say when welcoming you into their home after leading you to the guestroom. And, really, that’s what it is like to stay at the Altstadt, you know, if the home had a magnificent art collection and each room in it had a completely unique personality to it, and if breakfast the next day was resplendent with scratch-made breads, pastries, salads, cereals, porridge, cheeses, and so much more. Who wouldn’t want to enjoy that kind of hospitality?!

Finding one’s room at The Altstadt can be a little challenging. It’s definitely not a typical corporate hotel setup with rows of hallways and identical doors and art in the hallway repeated on every floor. There are long hallways, short hallways, unique doorways, an open and ornate stairwell, corners to turn and room names and numbers to look for. But then, voila, there it is, homebase for the duration. Before I divulge what we found upon opening the door, a brief history.

Views of what welcomes guests to The Alstadt.

The Origins of The Hotel Altstadt Vienna

The area in which the hotel exists, Spittelberg, in Vienna’s seventh district, was surrounded by a “red light district” back in the 19th century. The original building was constructed in 1902 and was used as the city palais of an industrialist under the Austro-Hungarian monarchy who displayed his products there. In the 1950s, it was home to Pension Bellaria, and, before opening as the Hotel Altstadt Vienna in the 1990’s, was inhabited by emigrants from Russia who were in Vienna to obtain exit papers to travel to the USA, Canada or Israel. In the latter half of the 20th century, there was a significant urban renewal project that has transformed the Spittelberg neighborhood into a thriving area of small artisan shops, cafes, a popular Christmas market and a place to see examples of well-preserved Biedermeier architecture.

The neighborhood around the hotel is beautiful with so much to see and do.

In 1991, the current owner, Otto E. Wiesenthal discovered the vacant property and saw what the building and the area could be. Due to his time traveling extensively in his careers in the automotive, banking and computer industries, Wiesenthal wanted to achieve his dream of owning a hotel that would be a “home away from home” for anyone who stayed there. He also had an extensive and varied art collection and thought the hotel would be the perfect place for him to display it and share it with visitors.

The Hotel Altstadt Vienna began with 24 rooms but, as more spaces have become available over time, now has 62 rooms and suites.

Wiesenthal has made his passion project a family affair with his daughters Saskia and Lisa who work with him. The staff is loyal and close, as can be seen at the end of one hallway where there is a collection of amusing photos taken of the team. You can’t fake that kind of camaraderie!

Take a moment to look at the fun photos of the staff on display at the Hotel.

What to Expect from the Altstadt’s Guestrooms

Each room at the Altstadt is like an art installation that you get to immerse yourself in, comfortably, while in Vienna.

Over the five floors that hold the Altstadt’s various rooms, each has been individually designed by artists, designers and architects, with freedom given to express themselves.

A small sampling of the unique and beautiful rooms designed by artists, architects and designers.

For example, you know you’re in for something dramatic before you even enter #65, the Theater Suite, designed by Roland Nemetz due to the frame around it making it look like the entry to a theater. Inside, as though stepping into that theater, the color palette is dramatic, with heavy red drapes, a makeup table, fanciful furniture and a freestanding bathtub divided off by a curtain.

Another, #67 by Lilli Hollein and her husband Markus Eiblmayr, is a junior suite with wallpaper depicting gray clouds accented by a yellow-striped bed and armchair, and green print rug.

The Freud Suite, #63, takes a deep dive into the world of Viennese psychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud. Architect Elfrid Wimmer-Repp considered details one might not absorb unless they were pointed out. The carpet and headboard feature sketches of figurines like those Freud kept in his office. Did you know he did that? I didn’t but that nod makes for a very stylish carpet and headboard.

We were treated to a spectacular suite, #77, the Bösendorfer, which is named after the Viennese piano manufacturer founded in 1828 with customers including Franz Liszt. A grand piano holds court at one end of the long living room (Did I play it? Foolishly, no!), plus a long glass dining/meeting table, a whimsical and famous “Zettel’z” lamp by Ingo Maurer with handwritten notes stuck in it, and a bathroom large enough to make a New York City resident say, “This is as big as my entire apartment!”

A glimpse of our suite including information about their sustainability efforts, a welcome message, a sweet treat provided to all guests, and view of other parts of the Hotel’s adjoining buildings that make you feel even more like you are in an oasis in the city.

Guests can get a glimpse of many of the rooms at their leisure by going on an “(Un)Guided Tour” on their own or with a staff member, as we did. Using a map from the reception area, meander corridors and read short descriptions of the concept of each room and artwork within. Scan QR codes outside some to see photos, videos and interviews.

The eclectic Rooftop Terrace for lounging has an honor-system, self-serve bar. Occasionally, they have special events for guests and neighbors. It’s a lovely place to get some sun, read a book and sip something cold.

Hungry for more? Read about Sacher Torte in Vienna.

Waking to a Special Breakfast at The Hotel Altstadt Vienna

Word has it that the hotel’s breakfast is the best in Vienna – if you’re talking about homey options, scratch-made and a huge variety, that is. Breakfast is served until a later-than-typical 11am during the week and 11:30am on the weekends so you can enjoy sleeping in on the comfortable beds.

Everything that’s offered, from the bread, to cereals, to coffee beans, are from hand-selected local suppliers, whom they call their “Supplier Heroes.” Everything we had was delicious, from the buffet items to the special menu items for that day which included fresh juice and a soft-boiled egg with spinach and vegan butter. My only complaint was that the baby spinach leaves should have been softened because they were difficult to eat with the egg. Otherwise, everything we had was very satisfying.

The breads deserve their own paragraph here, for being so beautiful and delicious. Made by Öfferl, the artisanal loaves are labelled with their own, special name and a description of a personality of sorts – like the bread is a living thing, with a history to acknowledge. Bread-lovers as we are, we took note of that.

It’s all served in a series of pretty dining rooms that are stylish. Breakfast is included as part of a stay but non-guests can come too for an additional fee. One of the rooms, The Red Salon, becomes a place to enjoy homemade cakes and tea in the afternoon or a glass of wine, Austrian whiskey or the Altstadt’s own gin into the evening.

The Hotel Atlstadt Vienna provides a generous and varied breakfast.

A Prime Location for a Special Stay:

With a variety of restaurants and small shops, this artists’ quarter has grown in popularity in recent years, becoming a hip, happening place and site of a large Christmas Market with more than 100 arts and crafts stands. As we can attest from having walked much of the area, it’s a short walk from The Museumsquartier which has more than 60 different cultural institutions within it; the Ringstrasse, the circular boulevard that used to be the old walls of the city; and a 10-minute drive away from Hofburg Palace, the former imperial residence. It’s also a short drive to the Schönbrunn Palace, the summer residence of the Habsburg family, where we enjoyed a tour, dinner and classical concert, a package we purchased.

There was just something about Vienna that felt enchanted to us, whether we were walking past (or through) palaces, grand boulevards, shopping districts, dining, or relaxing in one of the vast park areas. Vienna delighted us completely and we just wished we’d had more time there. It’s definitely a destination we’ll return to, to explore further. And when we do, as I hope you will, The Hotel Altstadt Vienna will be our artsy, comfortable, whimsical, welcoming anchor.

The hotel’s website puts it perfectly: “…The Altstadt Vienna represents an ideal refuge, simultaneously the perfect base from which to grasp a true sense of what the Viennese take on life is all about. Whether in our salons or in the classic coffeehouse, there is one thing you should absolutely not allow to slip past you: the chance to savor the ineffable “Gemütlichkeit”, that sense of convivial hospitality that is uniquely Viennese.

The Hotel Altstadt Vienna is located at Kirchengasse 41, 1070 Vienna. Visit them on their website, here.

-Story and photos by Courtney Drake-McDonough, Publisher & Managing Editor, Real Food Traveler

Hungry for more? Listen to our podcast about how much you can do in a brief stay in Vienna.

Please note: As is common practice in our industry, we were hosted for our night’s stay by Vienna Tourism to help facilitate our being able to write about the Hotel. But, as is always our practice, that doesn’t sway our opinions which remain honest and true and for the benefit of informing and enticing our readers and podcast listeners.