Rosewood Vienna

The Rosewood Vienna opened in August 2022 in a restored 19th-century Neoclassical bank building (which also contains the apartment where Mozart lived and wrote The Abduction from the Seraglio). Along with a prime location, the hotel offers 71 guestrooms and 28 suites (with contemporary, comfortable interiors by Alexander Waterworth), as well as a two-floor spa and brasserie and rooftop bar with wonderful views of Vienna’s Old Town.

**The Standout:**The presidential suite, Hoffmann House (named for the visionary Viennese modernist architect and designer), stands at an impressive 1,916 square feet, with a private entrance, and it includes a master bedroom, a living room and entertainment area, a French balcony with prime views over Petersplatz, a dining room with seating for eight guests, and a kitchen—as well as a commissioned chandelier by the famed firm J.L. Lobmeyr. For a larger party, Hoffmann House can be connected to up to seven additional guestrooms.

Don't Miss: An after-dinner drink at the speakeasy-style cocktail bar, located on the top floor of the hotel (up a small staircase from the brasserie restaurant Neue Hoheit). The bar offers a wonderful selection of signature cocktails and wines, mapped across Austria, as well as international spirits.

• The prime location on the historic Petersplatz Square, just steps from Vienna's high-end shopping and restaurants, as well as many sites of cultural interest.
• The elevated, contemporary design and highly residential feel of the rooms, suites and public spaces—which offer an elegant and authentic alternative to the more traditional, ornate properties which are typical of Vienna.
• The leafy outdoor terrace at the Neue Hoheit restaurant—which offers upscale European fare and cocktails along with beautiful views; there is also a private “Secret Garden” space for special events.

The 1873 World’s Fair triggered a tourism and, therefore, hotel boom in Vienna. 150 years later, history seems to be repeating itself, with a new surge of hotel developments—and one property appears to have already made an impact on the Old Guard scene. Opened August 1, 2022 in a restored 19th-century Neoclassical bank building (which also contains an apartment formerly occupied by Mozart), on the centrally-located, high-end Petersplatz square, the Rosewood Vienna offers a fresh, stylish take on classic Austrian glamour. The building has remained entirely Austrian, with the original design from 1835 by Alois Pichl being brought into the 21st-century by two Vienna-based firms, A2K and BEHF. The 71 guestrooms and 28 suites—including four singular “House” suites, each ranging from 995 to 1,916 square feet in size—were designed by the London interiors studio Alexander Waterworth to feel residential, yet still impeccable (your own idealized pied-à-terre). Well-considered and highly-functional pieces give shape to the handsome, spacious and otherwise understated rooms and bathrooms—with plum, sage, ruby and amber velvet headboards and sofas, wood-paneled walls and casement windows, patterned fabrics by Backhausen (a legendary house that decorated the homes of the Habsburgs, among others), handcrafted brass light fixtures, and brass-accented marble- and leather-clad minibars and vanities. An edited selection of objets celebrate local makers (like ceramicists and glassblowers), with a standout being the unique galleries of art that were curated by Atelier27 and include specially commissioned works. Indeed, the importance of Vienna’s artistic heritage is prominent throughout the entire property—and the creative staging of playful contemporary paintings alongside black-and-white photographs of the city’s most storied monuments will have you wandering past your own door through the halls for a closer look.

For an ultra-luxe escape, the presidential suite, Hoffmann House (named for the visionary Viennese modernist architect and designer), stands at an impressive 1,916 square feet, with a private entrance, and it includes a master bedroom, a living room and entertainment area, a French balcony with prime views over Petersplatz, a dining room with seating for eight guests, and a kitchen—as well as a commissioned chandelier by the famed firm J.L. Lobmeyr. For a larger party, Hoffmann House can be connected to up to seven additional guestrooms.

With the rooms and suites covering four of the hotel’s seven floors, the remainder of the building is occupied by a conservatory-inspired tea and coffee salon (in the lobby lounge) and the signature Asaya Spa (the first at a Rosewood property outside of Asia), which extends over the fifth and sixth floors, with four treatment rooms for diverse wellness programs, a relaxation area, and a sauna, steam bath and therapeutic shower. Also on the sixth floor is the main restaurant, Neue Hoheit, a brasserie serving refreshed, seasonal takes on typical Austrian and European fare. The space is sleek and striking, with abundant light and exceptional views over the rooftops of Petersplatz and the city center—which can best be enjoyed (in warmer temperatures) on the leafy outdoor terrace (which also has a private “Secret Garden” space).

The interior design, envisioned by another respected Viennese firm, Kroeland, presents a contemporary take on the traditional Vienna coffeehouse, with warm woods and crimson-leather banquettes, classical Austrian millwork, black-and-white checkered marble floors and a tempting glass-encased wine gallery. Up a discreet staircase lined by Fornasetti plates (whose signature maiden seems to both welcome and gate-keep in a series of saucy looks, as you ascend in search of your aperitif…or nightcap) lies the speakeasy-style cocktail bar and rooftop. Continuing the ambience of the brasserie, with a stronger Art-Deco gloss, the bar offers a wonderful selection of signature cocktails and wines, mapped across Austria, as well as international spirits. Both the restaurant and bar are open to non-guests (though guests are favored for seating), which creates a pleasantly blended and lively atmosphere. The address is already gaining popularity with discerning residents, and international visitors—especially those seeking a more updated, but still graceful, Vienna home base—are sure to become regulars themselves in due course.

Families, couples and business travelers to Vienna who prefer a contemporary aesthetic over the grande-dame atmosphere of the city's more traditional properties. Sophisticated travelers looking for a refined home-away-from-home in one of Europe's most elegant cities—with some essential amenities (an upscale restaurant and bar, spa and gym), as well as a prime location and attentive service.

Read More: Just Back From Vienna: What’s New in Wien & Why to Go Now (November 2022)