Grand Ferdinand

When it opened in 2015, the boutique-feeling Grand Ferdinand brought a level of cool to Vienna’s historic and venerable Ringstrasse.

• The contemporary décor, which features slate gray painted walls, wide-planked wooden floorboards, chrome light fixtures and white lacquered headboards
• The three restaurants on property, including Gulasch & Champagne on the ground floor, where snacks and drinks are served throughout the day
• The rooftop terrace, which includes a small swimming pool and offers stunning views of the city’s rooftops

The Grand Ferdinand epitomizes in a hotel what Vienna is today doing as a city: honoring the past through refined, imperial style design with a 21st-century spin. Located in a former 1950s office building, the property is located on the southeastern part of the Ringstrasse. While the service may more closely resemble that of a three-star hotel and the lobby is tiny, the rooms are utterly chic, with walls painted slate gray, beautiful wide board hardwood floors, open-plan bathrooms (some with free-standing tubs) and plush beds with white lacquered Rococo style headboards and crisp white duvets.

There are three restaurants on property. Gulasch & Champagne on the ground floor is open all day and into the evening to the public for snacks and drinks (gulasch and Champagne are the specialties here). Restaurant am Ring is the formal eatery, offering traditional Viennese cuisine in a bright and historic dining room complete with chandeliers, red leather banquettes. Grand Étage, on the hotel's top floor, is open only to hotel guests (and is where they're served breakfast) and serves meals, snacks and drinks throughout the day and into the night. There is a small pool on the rooftop, which has stunning views to the southeast, and a small but well-serviced gym in the basement.

The Grand Ferdinand is a fun option for Vienna visitors who appreciate beautiful contemporary design over five-star service.