- Hotel Sacher is the most famous, luxurious, and traditional hotel in Vienna.
- Previous guests of the 200-year-old hotel include The Queen, John F. Kennedy, Justin Bieber, Naomi Campbell, Prince Charles, Emma Stone, Julie Andrews, Nicolas Cage, and many more.
- I got to look around one of the five-star hotel’s opulent Grand Signature Suites, which cost around €3,500 ($3,850) a night, on a recent trip to Vienna.
- It showed me that true luxury isn’t in-your-face, but actually understated, classy, and sophisticated.
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Vienna is a city of opulence, and the most palatial hotel in the Austrian capital is Hotel Sacher – yes, of the Sachertorte cake fame.
Positioned bang in the heart of Vienna, opposite the opera, the five-star hotel is a bastion of imperial grandeur and traditional luxury.
Family-run since its launch nearly 200 years ago, Hotel Sacher has played host to everyone from the Queen and John F. Kennedy to Justin Bieber and Naomi Campbell.
And the starry guest list goes on and on – Prince Charles, Emma Stone, Nicolas Cage, Julie Andrews, Bruce Willis, Kate Moss, Lionel Richie, and Paul McCartney have all stayed at Hotel Sacher.
The hotel has various suites to cater for its esteemed guests, and on a recent trip to Vienna, I had the privilege of looking around one of its three palatial Grand Signature Suites, which cost around €3,500 ($3,850) a night.
It certainly was grand, but it wasn't too in-your-face - it made me realize that Austrian luxury is classy and sophisticated.
The exterior of the hotel is beautiful, polished, and stately, much like most buildings in Vienna city center.
A friendly doorman welcomes you as you arrive and step into ...
... an incredibly ornate lobby. The reception of a hotel sets the tone for the whole establishment, and it's safe to say Hotel Sacher's did not disappoint. It's lavish, opulent, and traditional, but stylish and well maintained.
There were real orchids and red roses, lots of big red Sacher-branded umbrellas with wooden handles by the door for guests to borrow if it rained, plush red velvet-cushioned stools, and plenty of gold and marble touches.
The lobby led on to a lounge area, which was jaw-droppingly, eyebrow-raisingly, gasp-inducingly lavish.
The hotel had various restaurants and bars, such as this one — creatively named the Blue Bar — where guests and visitors alike can enjoy a glass of champagne in sumptuous, sophisticated style and feel like they've taken a trip back in time.
One of the hotel's hallways is devoted to all its notable and distinguished guests over the years — this is just a snapshot of the room, it was BIG! I was heading to the lifts to go up to the 7th floor.
Welcome to the Grand Signature Suite, which is all incredibly, well, blue.
The decor was grand, but not quite as in-your-face as the hotel lobby and lounge (thankfully) — it was more serene and relaxing.
There was a big television (not a smart TV though, I did note) in the living room and an array of inviting-looking places to sit and put your feet up.
And on the other side of the room, there was a sleek armoire filled with books, a huge painting in a gold frame, and a pendulum clock and two candelabras that would instantly make any Disney fan think of "Beauty and the Beast."
Into the bedroom, which was also decked out in blue and cream. I liked the country-style wallpaper and all the little touches like the plush headboard and the velvet bench at the foot of the bed.
The room as a whole was incredibly spacious, and when I visited it was flooded with beautiful sunlight through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
There was a phone, iPad, and notebook on the bedside table, as well as a "Sacherwürfel," which is a small cube portion of the hotel's signature cake, the Sachertorte. A nice touch, I thought.
Opposite the bed was another TV (slightly blocking the mirror) on top of a cabinet that contained ...
... the mini-bar. There was a generous selection of beverages, with the kind of prices you'd expect: €4.90 ($5.40) for a 33cl bottle of apple juice, and €12 ($13) for a 20cl bottle of wine.
I also liked the more unusual inclusions of apple and apricot liquors, as well as two roasted nut mixes.
Not only was there a standard room service menu, but there was also a dedicated Sachertorte order card, which was designed to be hung over your doorknob. What a concept.
The wardrobe was lined in beautiful wallpaper and contained a selection of hangers (including silk ones), a shoehorn, a luggage stand, and one of the hotel's fancy umbrellas.
I noticed that the hangers were branded, and it soon became clear to me that a big part of the Hotel Sacher style was putting the logo on every possible thing. Just in case you ever forgot where you were staying.
If you need a place to work, there's a small desk with two ornate chairs — they looked incredibly old but were covered in what appeared to be newer leather, which was still in good condition.
Stationery was provided — branded, naturally.
The hallway to the living area was lined by another sleek side-table and another regal framed painting — all the artwork in the hotel is picked out by the Sacher family.
There was a little tea and coffee station.
And even the Nespresso machine was branded.
The bathroom was divided into three: toilet, shower, and bath. Compared to the rest of the suite, the style was pretty plain, however, I did like the addition of the TV opposite the bath.
If you get bored of watching TV, you can admire some more artwork.
Not only were the toiletries provided all Hotel Sacher's own, but they were chocolate-flavored, so you could smell like your favorite cake.
There was a toilet and a bidet.
A set of gold-trimmed robes embellished with the hotel logo awaited guests, however, they weren't actually as fluffy as they looked.
The shower was standard but spacious.
And of course, there were more chocolatey toiletries. Talk about smelling good enough to eat.
The standalone washbasin was arguably the only thing in the bathrooms that had any air of grandeur to it.
What was perhaps most special about the suite was the stunning terrace overlooking Vienna.
There were sun-loungers, a table, and chairs, and it was incredibly calm despite being above one of the city's busiest streets.
The views were really breathtaking too. Vienna is not a particularly built-up city — there aren't lots of skyscrapers — so you could see for miles.
As a corner suite, you could see in nearly all directions across the city, which was really special.
Could I see myself staying in the Grand Signature Suite? Absolutely.
Will I ever be able to afford it though? Unlikely.
The suite was luxurious, but in a sophisticated, classy, and understated way - unlike, say the Royal Suite at the Burj Al Arab in Dubai, which is the most extra hotel room (well, series of rooms) I have ever seen.
I liked all the little touches too. When I visited Hotel Sacher in October, there were some plums, delectable-looking plum baked goods, and a little plum recipe book awaiting guests in the living room of the suite, because the fruit was in season. I liked that.
However, I can also see the argument that considering the price, maybe the suite should be more luxurious. But then again, Austria is not Dubai, and realistically, do you need a toilet that massages your derrière and a mirror on the ceiling above your bed?
Ultimately, there's not much that's more luxurious than privacy, space, tasteful decor, and stunning views - oh, and champagne, but fortunately the mini-bar had that covered.
They just need some good fabric softener for those robes.
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