Rathaus Wein und Design

This lovely boutique property, located in a residential neighborhood, has attractive contemporary interiors and a friendly atmosphere.

• The wine-themed rooms, each named after a different Austrian winery
• The incredible breakfast buffet, with everything from petit four to hearty sausages
• The young, friendly staff

This forty-room four-star boutique hotel may not be as centrally located as the Sacher or Park Hyatt, but it gives visitors a chance to stay in a low-key, residential neighborhood. Housed in an 1890s building with a gorgeous original iron elevator, the Rathaus partnered with forty Austrian vintners, and named each room for a different winery (and offers a few choice bottles from the winery in the minibar). The rooms feature attractive contemporary interiors with open floor plans, eleven-foot ceilings, four-poster beds and flat-screen TVs. The most recently completed suites have pretty window alcoves and hand-painted white-and-silver patterned walls.

Every morning, the young and friendly staff prepares a variable spread of small dishes, ranging from hearty sausages, cheese and fresh fruit to more decadent offerings like miniature Punschkrapfen (a pastry covered in pink frosting) and chocolate croissants. The Rathaus has a 90 percent occupancy rate throughout most of the year, so it’s essential to book early. January-February and July-August are the less busy seasons.

The cool café/bar Das Möbel and the romantic restaurant Vestibül, in a wing of the Burgtheater, are each a five-minute walk from the hotel; the MuseumsQuartier is a ten-minute walk.

Travelers, including families, who have been to Vienna before and who want to be a bit removed from the center in a hip, residential part of town.