InterContinental Vienna

We arrived at the Imperial Vienna, coming from the Bohemian Prague (see), and our hotel choice for the first days went to the elegant and historic InterContinental Vienna,  an example of luxury in a perfect contrast with the lordliness of the city.

A luxury with more than 50 years of history, with which we fell in love right away!

With an amazing location, next to Stadtpark, and a few minutes walking from the beautiful Baroque church KarlsKirch and the majestic Opera, this landmark of the Viennese hospitality was founded in 1962, therefore being the first hotel of an international group in the country.

Some of the most important personalities of fashion, music or cinema already passed by this hotel, like Omar Sharif, Ava Gardner, Rolling Stones, Vivienne Westwood or Paco Rabanne, all of them wanting to see the monumental hotel of Vienna.

First Impression
Before entering, a modern but old building, with an entrance where the gold predominates, the gold of the door and the enormous chandelier that welcomes us, and the red, of the carpet extending over the access stairs.

Already inside, super high ceilings, gigantic gold chandeliers throughout the entire lobby, the woods rivaling with the golds transporting us to the 60’s and the imposing and glaring chandelier that leans over the bar, on the left side of the reception that makes us realize the unmatched elegance of this place.

To follow the rule of this group’s hotels, and this being such a big hotel, the lobby was filled with future and past guests, however, the InterContinental Group got us used to its effectiveness and professionalism, therefore, our check-in was promptly made and with all the information and pampering needed, I love it when I’m awarded with a small candy right at the reception, and, when it’s wrapped in a paper with Mozart’s face, we quite well realize we’re in the city of classical music!

As we walk to our room we catch a glimpse of the modern and agitated environment of the hotel in contrast with the classic style of every detail. The immense glow of every chandelier brought to the atmosphere the elegance of another time, of a Belle Epoque, maybe!

 Bedrooms 
There are 459 rooms, of which 49 are suites.

The bedrooms keep the elegance of the hotel, we stayed in a Junior Suite belonging to the Club InterContinental, that nicely filled our taste!

Cozy, modern with classic details, and with the usual and pampering, tea, coffee, and hot chocolate mix.

                
An interesting particularity in one of the hotel rooms is the fact of its decoration being influenced by the art works of Gustav Klimt, we are, of course, talking about the presidential suite.

Bar Intermezzo

Restaurants/Bars
There are three options, Restaurant Parlor, Café Vienna and Bar Intermezzo.

The first one, renovated in 2015, is where breakfast and dinner are served, with local cuisine produce contrasting with some more international specialties. Here we only had the chance to delight ourselves with an excellent breakfast.

                
The second one, Café Vienna, is a very elegant space, famous for serving only organic coffee and also for its acclaimed ” 5 o’clock tea”.

Café Vienna

The third one, Bar Intermezzo, it’s for me, the most imposing of the three, being one of the first American bars in town.

It’s the perfect place to finish, in most luxurious way possible, an excellent night. The chandelier almost seems to float over the bar, giving it a non translatable enchantment. The walls are filled with photographs (of famous personalities) of those, who just like me, fell in love with this space.

One of the best whisky collections in town, the wonderful cocktails, or the famous French red wines make of this place (since 1964) one of the best bars in the city.

Services
The hotel offers all the commodities usual of a five stars, like the concierge service, room service 24h, Wi-Fi, garage, with a rental service of electrical cars, and also a souvenirs shop.

Similarly to his brothers of the group, InterContinental Vienna is, by excellence, a Business Hotel, and for that reason it has a capacity of 16 functional rooms for all types of events, being one of them one of the biggest ball rooms (and most beautiful), with natural light, in the city.

For the most active ones, the hotel has the  Studio am Stadtpark, with a properly equipped gym, sauna and Turkish bath, working 24 h a day.

For the frequent guests of the group, InterContinental Vienna presents the Club InterContinental, with its pleasant Club Lounge on the 12th floor, where luxury allies to the quality of service. Attached to the Club there is also a room for meetings, to those staying in work.

The access to this service allows the guests private and faster check-in and check-out, library, internet access, international newspapers, printer, fresh drinks throughout the day, breakfast and a selection of alcoholic drinks and snacks in the evening/beginning of the night (all this for $200 annually, this also including an upgrade on the typology of the room in any stay at the hotels of the group). Undoubtedly it is an opportunity to take in account, mostly for the frequent travelers that enjoy the  InterContinental Group Hotels, like us!

Service
Once again this hotel group scored some points, a well prepared team, watchful, nice and able to assure a great stay to the most demanding of the guests.

We are well received from the arrival to the departure.
As in any other Business Hotel, the bustle was everywhere, I missed the chance to enjoy the hotel with a bit more silence and identity, I missed having it just for me with that hotel personality from the 60’s, but I tried to abstract myself and consume it that way!

InterContinental Vienna is probably one of the biggest landmarks in the hotel history of the city, despite its 50 years it is able to remain current and attend the needs of the present world, from that past time it only brings the elegance, grandiosity and luxury.

Located in one of the best areas of the city, it continues to be wanted by many and making justice to the group’s name, it’s not by chance that the hotel awards accumulate through the years, from Best Business Hotel Vienna three years in a row (2005, 2006 and 2007) to Austria´s Leading Hotel (2008, 2011 and 2012).

Another InterContinental that will stay in our minds!

InterContinental Vienna
Rooms from 145€
Johannesgasse 28 – Vienna
+43-1-711220
vienna@ihg.com

 Versão Portuguesa

 Photos: Flavors & Senses with Sony A7S

Disclaimer
We stayed at InterContinental Vienna by invitation from the  IHC Group, whereas this not alter our work, being the opinion and the text of the exclusive responsibility of the author.