Frommer's Review
This simple but well-run government-rated three-star hotel has a facade that's more lavish, more ornate, and more evocative of Vienna's late 19th-century golden age than any equivalently rated hotel in town. It was built in the neo-baroque style in 1896 as a private home, and as such, contains some of the architectural charm (and many of the architectural drawbacks) of its original layout. Actually, that seems to inconvenience the kindly staff of this place more than it will you, and thanks to its reasonable prices and a location in the heart of monumental Vienna, a few steps from the all-pedestrian Kärntnerstrasse, many clients return time again.
Don't expect grandeur: Other than some elaborate replications of the gilded stucco in the original 19th-century entryway, the decor is simple but functional, all of it the hard work of its on-site owners, the Ungersböck family. You'll register within a cubbyhole-style office near the entrance, then take an elevator to any of rooms scattered over six floors. Rooms are high-ceilinged, functional, relatively comfortable, and, other than small bathrooms (with showers only), adequate for most needs. Incidentally, literary fans appreciate the fact that in earlier days, this hotel, according to the Ungersböcks, provided the inspiration to John Irving for one of the settings (an antique, run-down hotel that had evolved into a whorehouse) within his novel, Hotel New Hampshire.
Facilities:
Breakfast room; lounge
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without
notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before
planning your trip.
