What I Liked
- Amazing location
- Beautiful decoration and architecture
- Hotel has a sauna and steam room
- Lots of bars, cafes and restaurants next to the hotel
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I stayed for a couple of nights at the Grand Hotel Wien. As part of an amazing family trip to Vienna.
Vienna is an atmospheric and historic city. Famous for its classical music, beautiful palaces and old world charm. You can feel the history as you walk around. It might be my favourite city in Europe.
And my stay at the Grand Hotel Wien was terrific too. The architecture is Viennese-inspired. And the location was absolutely fantastic. Right in the city's prestigious 1st District.
I made sure to take loads of photos. Each of the photos can be clicked to open out the full slideshow.
Vienna isn't cheap. A grand old hotel on the Ringstrasse even less so.
I booked two nights at the Grand Hotel Wien. It cost me €542.
For a room at the Grand Hotel Wien, minutes from Hofburg Palace and St Stephens Cathedral, that's a fair rate.
Breakfast wasn't included, mind. But with cafes on every corner outside, I never missed it.
If you want old world charm in the best spot in the city, the Grand Hotel Wien is money well spent.
Book your stay at the Grand Hotel Wien here
If you're searching Grand Hotel Wien prices before you commit, here's the honest number: two nights cost me €542. For a Ringstrasse address minutes from the Hofburg, I'd call that fair rather than cheap. Vienna rarely is.
The location of the Grand Hotel Wien is spectacular. Probably the best in all of Vienna. You're right in the centre, parked in the historic heart with a grand old building on every corner. Hofburg Palace, where the president lives, is a five-minute walk away — the palace and its gardens are both wonderful. The Rathaus, the City Hall, sits in the same spot as the parliament; the buildings are beautiful and both are ten minutes on foot. St Stephen's Cathedral is another ten-minute stroll and another stunning building. Step outside and you've got bars, restaurants and cafés all around — you're spoilt for choice. The airport is 17km out, and how you cover that last stretch is the only thing worth planning.
For arrivals I always pre-book a taxi — less faff, especially with kids and luggage in tow. A city taxi from the airport runs about €50 and gets you door to door in roughly 20 minutes, which is hard to beat when you're tired and just want to be at the hotel. I sort mine through Welcome Pickups, which holds a 4.9? Trustpilot rating from over 45,000 reviews and covers Vienna along with cities worldwide. Yes, it's pricier than the train, but the fare is fixed up front and the driver meets you right at arrivals. No haggling, no meter anxiety.
The train is the cheapest way in — fast, direct, and no traffic to sit in. It takes about 30 minutes from the airport and drops you in the centre, a short hop from the hotel. I book through Trainline to lock in the best price with no fuss. The only catch is the bags — you'll be lugging them up and down station stairs, which is less fun with little ones. For the saving, I'll take that trade most days.
If you'd rather not gamble on a meter, a pre-booked private transfer splits the difference — fixed price, your own car, and a driver waiting with your name on a sign. I compare options on GetTransfer.com, where you can see quotes from local drivers and pick what suits your budget. It's not the cheapest way in, but you know the cost before you fly and there's no scramble for a cab at the rank. Worth it for the peace of mind on a family trip.
Once you're in the centre, you barely need to spend a cent getting around. Everything worth seeing is on foot. I walked everywhere — no taxis, no faffing with tickets, no working out which line goes where. Which, when you're herding young kids around a strange city, is a quiet little blessing.
Viennese architecture is famous around the world, and you'll see stunning buildings everywhere you turn. It's one of my favourite cities in Europe, and the walk between two attractions is half the fun.
Quick word to clear up any confusion, because Vienna has a few hotels with annoyingly similar names. This is the Grand Hotel Wien on the Kärntner Ring, the IHG property, not the Eurostars or the Mercure Biedermeier. Worth getting straight before you book.
And honestly, the location is the headline here. The Grand Hotel Wien sits right in the thick of it, with bars, cafes and restaurants all around you. You are not hunting for somewhere to eat. You are choosing between them.
Since you'll be wandering Vienna on foot with Google Maps open all day, grab a cheap eSIM for data abroad before you fly. It's a fraction of what your network charges for roaming.
Use an eSIM in Vienna
When I touched down in Vienna and headed for the Grand Hotel Wien, I used an eSIM. It saved me a small fortune on data instead of getting hammered by roaming charges.
I paid around $4.50 for 7 days of data — 1GB to keep me going. Other packages are available if you're a heavier user.
The provider is rated 4.8? from over 10,000 reviews, which is pretty reassuring.
Honestly, this is a no brainer. I'm still annoyed I spent years paying roaming fees like a mug!
Wander the old town on foot
The best thing to do in Vienna costs you nothing. Just start walking. Step out of the Grand Hotel Wien and from St Stephen's Cathedral to the Hofburg, you're surrounded by stunning architecture on every corner. Get lost for an afternoon and let the city show off. It's one of my favourite walks in Europe.
Best of Vienna: Historic Center Walking Tour
If you'd rather have a guide join the dots, you can book here. It's $88 and rated a cracking 4.9? from over 1,800 reviews. You'll get the history behind all those grand buildings I walked past — the stuff you'd never know just looking. The priciest of the walking tours, mind, but the rating tells you it's worth it.
Skip-the-Line Schönbrunn Palace & Gardens
Schönbrunn is the big imperial palace out on the edge of the city, and the queues can be brutal. Buy tickets here for $64 and skip straight past them — it's rated 4.6* from over 1,000 reviews. The palace and gardens are stunning, properly worth the trip out. It's a half-day though, so save your legs.
Time Travel: Vienna History Show
Want something the kids will actually enjoy? Book your ticket here for just $29. Rated 4.5* from over 1,100 reviews. It walks you through 2,000 years of Vienna with rides and special effects. A bit touristy, sure. But it's cheap, it's fun, and it gets you out of the rain.
The Grand Hotel Wien is a 7 storey hotel, right in the centre of Vienna. The Architecture of the building is simply stunning. The hotel is full of old world charm. It’s like stepping back in time to the 18th Century. The lobby, the hallways and the rooms have all been decorated beautifully. There are grand staircases, gold chandeliers and lovely pieces of furniture. The ground floor lobby is especially nice. Make sure you check out the slideshow above.
The hotel has the following facilities:
The spa has a sauna, steam and chargeable treatments. There is no swimming pool. I chose not to use the spa, as I was staying with young kids. There were no facilities for them to use.
The Grand Hotel Wien has a couple of restaurants. The restaurant on the ground floor is also a bar and a café. I had coffee there a couple of times. It’s a lovely spot – although a little expensive. Everything was high quality however.
The Grand Hotel Wien serves a buffet breakfast on the 1st floor restaurant. Breakfast was not included on my rate. It would have cost €45 per person, so I decided to pass on that. I’m vegan, so there wouldn’t have been much for me to eat.
The Grand Hotel Wien first opened its doors back in 1870, making it one of Vienna's original grand hotels. It sits on the Kärntner Ring, part of the famous Ringstrasse boulevard that loops the old city. So the building itself carries more than 150 years of history. You feel that the moment you walk in.
One thing worth flagging about the Grand Hotel Wien is the little wellness corner. There is a sauna and a steam room on site. Not a sprawling spa, but a proper spot to switch off the legs after a day on your feet. A nice touch if you, like me, treat sitting in a hot room as the height of luxury.
There are three places to eat in the Grand Hotel Wien.
Rosengarten sits on the ground floor, just off the lobby. It's the Grand Hotel Wien's café-bar, so it doubles as a spot for coffee, a drink or a bite. I had coffee there a couple of times. Lovely setting, high quality, just a little on the pricey side.
If you just want a drink rather than a full sit-down meal, the Grand Hotel Wien has Rosengarten, the café-bar just off the lobby. I didn't settle in for a long session there myself, but it's worth knowing the drinks aren't cheap.
A round at the bar can easily run to €30. Handy context if you're weighing up whether to take the IHG welcome voucher as a drink instead of the points.
The first-floor restaurant at the Grand Hotel Wien is where they serve the buffet breakfast. Breakfast wasn't included on my rate and would have cost €45 per person, so I gave it a miss. As a vegan, there wouldn't have been much for me anyway.
Unkai is the Japanese restaurant, up on the top floor with its own lift from the lobby. If you fancy sushi with a bit of a view, this is the one to book.
The lobby on the ground floor of the Grand Hotel Wien is a beautiful piece of architecture. There is gold everywhere and grand chandeliers. There’s a lovely staircase to the 1st floor restaurant.
The lobby contains the check-in desks. There is also a lift to Unkai – the Japanese restaurant. You also have Rosengarten, which is the café-bar.
The lobby is a lovely spot to sit down. I took some great photos in the above slideshow.
I have platinum status with IHG. The day before arrival, I got an email from the Grand Hotel Wien. They have upgraded my room to a King Bed Premium City Room.
I appreciate that I got this email from the hotel. However, the upgrade wasn’t all that great. I was less than impressed.
One benefit of an IHG platinum is the welcome gift. A choice of 600 IHG points or a drinks voucher. I went for the drinks voucher. This is a no brainer. Drinks at the bar can easily cost €30. The points are worth about €4.
I was only given a voucher for 1 person. I had to go back to reception and explain that there were other people staying in my room. Reception then gave me a voucher for two people.
In reality, I should have been given a voucher for three people. But I really didn’t want to go to reception a 3rd time. That would have been awkward!
Myself and my wife used the voucher for a drink each. At my wife’s request, we took our drinks to our room. The choice was beer, wine or Prosecco.
We both had a Prosecco. My wife didn’t actually have a choice. She sent me down to get the drinks!
At Intercontinental Hotels, the free drink voucher normally stretches further. You can usually have a choice of any drink on the menu. Including Champagne.
I was upgraded to a King Bed Premium City Room. This sounds pretty good, but turned out be less than I had hoped for. I was given a room on the 3rd floor, that overlooked a side street. The street was very narrow and the view wasn’t great. The best view is the view out the front of the hotel. I think that some rooms look out the back of the hotel, rather than the street. So I think my view was better than that. The room was a large size. The hotel website says 36 to 39 metres squared. It had the following facilities:
The room had a classical Viennese design. Just like the rest of the Grand Hotel Wien. Lots of gold finishes and classical pieces of furniture.
My wife and children stayed in the king bed. I stayed in the tiny single bed. This is a well established routine for my family. I did get to sit on the king bed – it was very comfortable!
There was a small desk in the corner, next to the window. I’m writing on the desk right now!
There were also a couple of chairs and a small side table. These pieces of furniture are useful when travelling as a family. It means that we have some extra space to breathe.
There was a coffee machine that takes pods. I think it was a Nespresso. I didn’t try it myself as I don’t drink coffee. However, the machine looked pretty nice. There were also a decent variety of teas available.
Overall I liked the room. I was a little disappointed with the view, but that is a pretty minor issue.
The room itself was a comfortable base for our time at the Grand Hotel Wien. A proper king bed, plus a separate single tucked to one side — handy if you're travelling as a family rather than a couple. Not something every five-star room bothers with.
There was a Nespresso machine and a decent tea selection, which I always appreciate. A small desk, two chairs and a little table rounded it out. Nothing flashy. But everything you actually need for a stay at the Grand Hotel Wien was there, and it all worked.
The bathroom was really nice. All of the metal was finished in gold. The taps, the handles, the towel rack were all in gold.
There was a large luxurious bathtub. There were also his and hers sinks. There was a full range of toiletries, in case you forgot anything.
I took a load of photos in the above slideshow.
The Grand Hotel Wien is one of the best located hotels I've stayed at in Europe. Right in the centre of Vienna, minutes from Hofburg Palace, the Rathaus and St Stephens Cathedral. The architecture is stunning, the lobby is full of gold and grand chandeliers, and I walked everywhere without ever touching a taxi.
It wasn't all perfect, mind. My upgrade to a King Bed Premium City Room was underwhelming. The view onto a narrow side street wasn't much to write home about, and I had to trek back to reception just to get a drinks voucher for my family. Small things. But the kind of small things you notice as a Platinum member.
Would I recommend it? Yes. If you want old world Viennese charm and the best location in the city, the Grand Hotel Wien is hard to beat. Just go in for the building and the setting rather than the elite perks, and you'll love every minute.
If you've been digging through Grand Hotel Wien reviews trying to separate the brochure gloss from a real stay, that's exactly what I've tried to give you here. Just the room I actually slept in, the upgrade I actually got, and the honest verdict.
One last thing worth saying plainly, because the search results muddle it: this is the Grand Hotel Wien on the Ring, part of IHG. Not the Eurostars or the Mercure that share a slice of the name. Get the right one and you'll be very happy.