When you walk along Vienna's Ringstrasse, you walk in the footsteps of Baron Theophil von Hansen, the architect who is widely regarded as the most influential designer of the grand boulevard that encircles Vienna's city center.
Built in the second half of the 19th century where the ancient city walls once stood, the Ringstrasse is lined with palatial museums, grand municipal buildings, luxury hotels and monuments. You might think of the Ringstrasse as the Viennese equivalent of Paris' Champs-Elysees.
The Danish-born Hansen shaped the Ringstrasse with a series of neoclassical buildings that includes Austria's Parliament Building and Vienna's beloved concert hall known as the Musikverein as well as the Vienna Stock Exchange, Palais Ephrussi and the Academy of Fine Arts. Equally impressive is the Palais Hansen, the majestic palace that Hansen designed for the 1873 Vienna World's Fair that now houses the Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna.
Renovated and reopened in 2023, the five-star, luxury hotel is located on the Schottenring within sight of the Danube canal and just a short stroll into the Innere Stadt, the old town of Vienna. Hansen's masterful touch is evident throughout the stately lobby, where original marble floors and massive marble columns foster the sense of arrival into a neo-Renaissance temple dedicated to luxury hospitality.
Champagne is offered upon arrival at Theo's Lounge & Bar, where the former inner courtyard has been redesigned into a light-filled conservatory that transforms into an intimate speakeasy at sunset.
The hotel also offers an elevated dining experience at Edvard. The Michelin-starred restaurant is helmed by chef Paul Gamauf and offers six- and eight-course tasting menus that focus on seasonal, avant-garde cuisine. A Vienna native, Gamauf is dedicated to local, low-waste gastronomy alongside an innovative juice menu marked by fermentation and steam juicing.
Guests who seek a stronger nightcap head to Theo's for an aged negroni or a dark chocolate espresso martini.
It was still morning when I checked into the hotel and, happily, breakfast was still available at Brasserie Sophie. The buffet there features a cooking station, free-range eggs, Austrian meats and fish and an assortment of baked good and breads from Joseph Brot. The brasserie's themed Sunday brunch offers live music and signature cocktails as well as free-flowing Champagne and mimosas.
As tempted as I was by the bottles of Veuve upon my arrival, my favorite remedy for red-eye flights is a sauna, and Anantara's spas are highly regarded for their adherence to the Thai philosophy of nam jai, which refers to kindness and the release of negative energy.
An oasis of nearly 9,000 square feet, the Anantara Spa at Palais Hansen offers a Finnish sauna, steam bath, hydropool and relaxation area.
Living room of a one-bedroom Balcony Suite with Ringstrasse View at the Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna. Photo Credit: Anantara Hotels & Resorts
Rooms and suites at the Anantara Palais Hansen are accessible via a glass elevator that ascends through the hotel's central interior courtyard -- or via the hotel's architecturally listed marble staircases.
The 152-room hotel features 60 suites, including Vienna's largest presidential suite at more than 4,000 square feet, which comes complete with a grand piano for private concerts, billiards room, four bedrooms, full dining room, butler's kitchen, private elevator and six French balconies with Ringstrasse views.
My one-bedroom suite opened onto a spacious reception hall with a powder room and potted ferns. In the sitting room, a mirrored bar cabinet featured a fully stocked bar with cocktail service alongside a dining area and entertainment center.
The sense of space is heightened by the suite's nearly 12-foot ceilings. An oversize dressing room led into the bedroom with a king bed and en suite marble bath with a rainfall showerhead and soaking tub. Toiletries by Acqua di Parma were complemented by plush robes and slippers, and each evening, turndown service was accompanied by sweet confections and sleep amenities.
In such luxurious surroundings, a restful night's sleep is nearly guaranteed, especially with triple-paned windows, and in the morning, once the silk draperies were opened, sunlight poured into the rooms.
What was once the inner courtyard of the Palais Hansen has been transformed into Theo's Lounge & Bar. Photo Credit: Anantara Hotels & Resorts
Signature Viennese experiences
The Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna offers guests a variety of curated Signature Experiences, including architectural and museum walks and cooking classes as well as guided tours to Lobmeyr, the glassmaker to the imperial court.
One afternoon, we headed to Studio Comploj where the acclaimed glass artist Robert Comploj hosted us for a glassblowing workshop and party. Amid an abundance of Austrian wine and Champagne, we managed to create our own unbroken, glass sculptures.
As sunset approached, we headed above the city to Vienna's vineyards for a taste of Austrian wines paired with heurigen (or "tavern-style") gastronomy. The winding road was lined with scores of locals and visitors who hiked into the sun-drenched hills where Vienna's vineyards offer breathtaking views of the city below.
Picnic tables and twinkling lights spread among the vineyards as servers scurried to and fro bearing trays of charcuterie, cheeses, fruits and pates to accompany the local wines. It's a glorious celebration of Viennese hospitality and heritage and a reminder of the Austrian appreciation for the simple pleasures of life.
Located less than a 30-minute drive from Vienna Airport, the Anantara Palais Hansen offers transfers via their shuttle service in Mercedes V-Class vehicles.
A slice of Paris in Servitenviertel
Apart from the many pleasures within the palatial walls of the Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna, the surrounding neighborhood offers an insider's view on Viennese life.
In Vienna, the word "gratzel" is used like "barrio" or the German "kiez," an affectionate term for a favored neighborhood like Vienna's Servitenviertel (or "Little Paris"). Nearly one in three Austrians live in Vienna, which is the fifth most-populous city in the EU, with nearly as many residents as Paris -- and yet, when you walk through the Servitenviertel, there's a pleasing tranquility about the residential neighborhood dotted with French-influenced cafes and corner bistros.
The Sigmund Freud Museum is located at the address where Freud lived and worked for 47 years before he and his family were forced to flee from the Nazis in 1938. Housed in a typical Viennese belle epoque building, the museum enables visitors to immerse themselves in Freud's home and office. At the same time, the museum's empty spaces serve as a memorial to the loss of culture and humanity during the Nazi reign of terror.
According to the museum's director, Monika Pessler, "The missing couch and the empty nail holes where the carpet once hung serve as metaphors for the Holocaust, enabling visitors to visualize the presence of the absence."
At the Albertina Museum, our guide reminded us that with the passing of Austria's imperial powers, Vienna became a city of palaces awaiting a purpose. What was once the residence of Hapsburg archdukes and archduchesses has become the State Rooms at the Albertina, a series of 20 sumptuous rooms that include the Hall of the Muses and the Sphinx Staircase. The Albertina also houses one of Europe's most distinctive collections of modernist art, from Monet to Picasso.
Vienna, of course, is home to Wiener schnitzel, and one of the best places to taste that best-known Austrian specialty is Zum Schwarzen Kameel. Located in the heart of Innere Stadt, the restaurant has been a favorite for locals and visitors for more than two centuries. A marvel of art nouveau design and architecture, the restaurant features a manned elevator that ascends to a warren of private dining rooms.