Hotel Sacher Wien: Vienna’s grandest hotel is fit for royalty

Dragging our wheelie cases through the frosty streets of Vienna, we are just another pair of anonymous tourists in a busy European capital. But then a man in a top hat opens a heavy glass door – and we tumble through the back of the wardrobe.

Now, all is hushed and warm, and there is marble beneath our feet. Another smartly dressed man appears, smiling, and guides us into a discreet anteroom. We feel like VIPs, and indeed we easily could be at this hotel – so we are being afforded privacy in which to check in.

Ten minutes after that, we are sitting on a sofa in a bright seventh-floor Junior Suite, gazing over the green domed roof of Vienna’s State Opera House, eating the chocolates and fruit that have been left out for us, reading the handwritten welcome note – and already regretting that we are only here for three nights. This is the Hotel Sacher, and there are few places in the world quite like it.

Why stay here?

All European capitals have their five-star hotels, but the Hotel Sacher is more than that. It is an institution, home of the Sachertorte (a classic Austrian chocolate cake invented in 1832 by the father of the hotel’s founder, Eduard Sacher) and celebrating its 150th anniversary this year.

Arguably, the key to its particular charm is that it is not part of a luxury collection, but still owned by the descendants of Anna Sacher, Eduard’s cigar-smoking, pug-loving wife who took over the hotel after his death in 1892 and ran it until 1929. While the Sacher has of course been modernised and expanded over the years, the family have made sure to preserve its traditions and character. This is a hotel fit to entertain royalty, movie stars and prime ministers – but which also feels warm and personal: children are welcome here, and so are dogs.

Today, the hotel has 150 rooms and suites, decorated in a style that feels true to the hotel’s 19th-century origins, but also contemporary. The standard rooms are called deluxe because everything here is immaculate, generously proportioned and exquisitely comfortable – and all the guests are made to feel special. The top floor junior suites have balcony doors and phenomenal views. The most prestigious suites, with high ceilings, fine art and marble-clad bathrooms, are mainly on the first floor, because in the days before lifts, you could hardly expect the president or the grand duchess to climb multiple flights of stairs.

The lobby and other public areas are sumptuous – with original floor-to-ceiling mahogany panelling, damask sofas in rich reds and antique chandeliers everywhere. At the Hotel Sacher, even the lifts are grand yet cosy, with delicate lighting and fine wallpaper.

Eating and drinking

Breakfast at the Sacher is a princely affair, consisting of a lavish buffet and an a la carte menu of cooked options. For dinner, there are two restaurants decorated in opulent 19th-century style, one serving Viennese food, the other international cuisine. To eat in either would be an extraordinary experience – but this is formal fine dining, and not for every budget.

It would be a shame, though, not to splash out on a cocktail or two in the velvety and intimate Blue Bar. Guests can also request a table for a snack or a slice of Sachertorte at one of the hotel’s two elegant cafes (open to the public, and a great way to enjoy the hotel without booking a room). Of course, nearby there are coffee houses and restaurants to suit all tastes and budgets; and if, say, you were to find that the famous Café Central was fully booked, fear not because one of the hotel’s charming concierges will get you a table.

Things to do

This is a big city, so the options are limitless. On a short break in winter, it might be tempting to hunker down in the hotel (which has an excellent boutique spa); but we focused on Vienna’s art galleries, blissfully empty in January. The Albertina, with works from Monet to Picasso, is across the road. The Leopold, with its Klimts and Schieles, is in the museum quarter, 10 minutes away. It’s only 20 minutes or so on foot to the Belvedere Palace, home to Klimt’s “The Kiss” and much else besides.

Be sure to visit the cathedral, St Stephen’s, which is awe-inspiring even when full of tourists. Film buffs can look out for the streets where Carol Reed filmed “The Third Man” in 1948. He stayed at the Hotel Sacher – and so did Holly Martins, the film’s main character.

The verdict

Vienna is one of Europe’s grandest cities, so if you can stay at its grandest hotel, why stay anywhere else?

Caroline was a guest at Hotel Sacher Wien, sacher.com