THE RING
Chic boutique comes to Vienna at the city’s hippest hotel
STEP ASIDE, MOZART. Staid old Vienna – not usually on the radar when it comes to all things hip and trendy – now boasts one of the chicest boutique hotels this side of the Alps.
Just a stone’s throw from the Vienna Opera House, The Ring Hotel sits on the Kärtner Ring that loops around the city centre. It’s an unbeatable location.
The Ring is one of the new breed of self-styled “casual luxury” hotels – places where you can get everything you want but without that five-star grandness. We’re talking luxe here with a laid-back edge – smart without being snooty. It has all the feel of a home-from-home urban retreat.
Elegant interiors blend classic elements with the sleek and contemporary. I loved the way the old ornate wrought iron elevator – a touch of vintage Vienna – is cleverly incorporated into its modern surrounds.
Hit the Spot
Right on Vienna’s famous Ringstrasse, near the Opera House.
Bedtime
Spacious X-Ordinary rooms have every comfort and fabulous views.
Be savvy
It’s a nice base, too, for girly weekends and shopping trips.
Be smitten
Laidback luxe – and no Lederhosen.
Cafe au lait and cream
Upstairs, shades of pistachio, cream and café au lait. are set off by chocolate brown throws and smart teak furniture. Tall gold lamps, vases of fresh flowers and picture collages add striking decorative touches.
We had amazing views of Vienna's trams and treetops below from our fifth floor bedroom, with the Opera House just across the street. And with our in-room Nespresso machine – matching the room colours, naturally – we could sip a cappuccino any time liked.
I just adored the beds – they are huge, piled in pillows and cushions, and supremely comfortable. And they are so high I felt I was sleeping on a cloud. Needless to say we slumbered like angels.
Rooms at the Ring are not just about hop-into-bed comforts, either. You’ll find a flatscreen TV with more channels than you can count, free wi-fi and phones with voicemail. Bathrooms have huge rain showers and plenty of Molton Brown bubbly stuff.
There’s a suitably intimate bar on the ground floor where you can sink into leather armchairs and chink vodka glasses with well-heeled locals, and a smart restaurant done out in springy greens serving contemporary cuisine with an accent on herbs, spices and sauces.
Work off your indulgences later in the rooftop health club or go for more spoiling in the little spa – a perfectly designed space with impressive views over the city rooftops – where it’s all gentle music and therapeutic lighting. Zzzzzzz.
The Ring Hotel was reviewed for Room for Romance by Katharina Hahn
STEP ASIDE, MOZART. Staid old Vienna – not usually on the radar when it comes to all things hip and trendy – now boasts one of the chicest boutique hotels this side of the Alps.
Just a stone’s throw from the Vienna Opera House, The Ring Hotel sits on the Kärtner Ring that loops around the city centre. It’s an unbeatable location.
The Ring is one of the new breed of self-styled “casual luxury” hotels – places where you can get everything you want but without that five-star grandness. We’re talking luxe here with a laid-back edge – smart without being snooty. It has all the feel of a home-from-home urban retreat.
Elegant interiors blend classic elements with the sleek and contemporary. I loved the way the old ornate wrought iron elevator – a touch of vintage Vienna – is cleverly incorporated into its modern surrounds.
Hit the Spot
Right on Vienna’s famous Ringstrasse, near the Opera House.
Bedtime
Spacious X-Ordinary rooms have every comfort and fabulous views.
Be savvy
It’s a nice base, too, for girly weekends and shopping trips.
Be smitten
Laidback luxe – and no Lederhosen.
Cafe au lait and cream
Upstairs, shades of pistachio, cream and café au lait. are set off by chocolate brown throws and smart teak furniture. Tall gold lamps, vases of fresh flowers and picture collages add striking decorative touches.
We had amazing views of Vienna's trams and treetops below from our fifth floor bedroom, with the Opera House just across the street. And with our in-room Nespresso machine – matching the room colours, naturally – we could sip a cappuccino any time liked.
I just adored the beds – they are huge, piled in pillows and cushions, and supremely comfortable. And they are so high I felt I was sleeping on a cloud. Needless to say we slumbered like angels.
Rooms at the Ring are not just about hop-into-bed comforts, either. You’ll find a flatscreen TV with more channels than you can count, free wi-fi and phones with voicemail. Bathrooms have huge rain showers and plenty of Molton Brown bubbly stuff.
There’s a suitably intimate bar on the ground floor where you can sink into leather armchairs and chink vodka glasses with well-heeled locals, and a smart restaurant done out in springy greens serving contemporary cuisine with an accent on herbs, spices and sauces.
Work off your indulgences later in the rooftop health club or go for more spoiling in the little spa – a perfectly designed space with impressive views over the city rooftops – where it’s all gentle music and therapeutic lighting. Zzzzzzz.
The Ring Hotel was reviewed for Room for Romance by Katharina Hahn
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Dining in
Blond wood tables and spring green fabrics are complemented by pots of fresh herbs in At Eight, The Ring’s fine dining restaurant. There’s an emphasis on fresh herbs, and dishes on the weekly changing menus may include lobster tortelloni, deep-fried rabbit roll with parsnip and sorrel, braised knuckle of suckling pig or monkfish with creamy morel noodles. A vast wine list features over 70 bins.
We loved breakfast at the Ring: you can guzzle up to six courses here, including fresh waffles, eggs every which way, steaks, lots of fresh fruit and delicious pastries. A real set-you-up-for-the-day feast.
Dining out
You’ll find Unkai – a cool sushi bar – just across the road. For something more local, try the Tafelspitz (tender beef) and other Austrian specialities at Plachutta Wollzeile, a ten minute walk.
Where?
At Eight at The Ring Hotel.
What’s cooking?
Veal tenderloin served with kohlrabi, nettles and macadamia nuts, with a mango-papaya crème brulée to follow.
Top table?
Directly by the window.
See & Do
Most of Vienna’s big sights can be found in the Innere Stadt, the historic city centre encircled by the Ringstrasse. Schönbrunn palace – where Mozart performed before the court at the age of six – is a 1,441 room Baroque blockbuster. From here, you can visit the tombs of the Hapsburgs, where the infamous Empress Maria Theresa is buried.
Walk through the cobbled streets of the 18th century Spittelberg quarter and don’t miss the giant modern art complex Museumsquartier. Also worth clocking is Hundertwasser Haus – the world-famous housing complex that’s all curves, mosaics and vivid colours.
An outing to Vienna’s Prater amusement park with its giant Ferris wheel and riding trails is a must in summer. You’ll also find plenty of grassy spots for dawdling along the Danube and watching the boats.
Shop
Vienna’s Wieden district is the place for trendy galleries, shops and the Naschmarkt – the city’s biggest outdoor market – lined with graceful art nouveau buildings.
Spa
You’ll find a pamper zone at The Ring's little top-floor spa. There's a fitness area, steam bath, sauna and treatment menu that includes hot stone massage and manicures. It 's all very tastefully done and there's a round window with amazing views over the city.
After dark
Trendy bars and after-hours clubs make Vienna one of Europe’s new cool capitals. For some serious nightlife head to Floridita – a late-opening Spanish-themed nightclub. Loos American Bar and the Skybar are other hotspots within a ten minute stagger.
The Ring also offers a Vienna at Night package (with a limo to whisk you around), letting you choose between hip-hop havens, outdoor barbecue parties and hillside outlooks with views of the city lights.
For something more highbrow, you’re just across the road from the world-famous Vienna State Opera. Plays and operettas are performed in summer at the Baroque Schlosstheater.
Dates
February
Vienna waltzes into the spotlight with the famous Viennese Opera Ball.
May-June
Opera, music and theatre take to the stage for the lively Vienna Festwochen.
November-December
Stock up with presents and glug the Glühwein at the Vienna Christmas Market.
Blond wood tables and spring green fabrics are complemented by pots of fresh herbs in At Eight, The Ring’s fine dining restaurant. There’s an emphasis on fresh herbs, and dishes on the weekly changing menus may include lobster tortelloni, deep-fried rabbit roll with parsnip and sorrel, braised knuckle of suckling pig or monkfish with creamy morel noodles. A vast wine list features over 70 bins.
We loved breakfast at the Ring: you can guzzle up to six courses here, including fresh waffles, eggs every which way, steaks, lots of fresh fruit and delicious pastries. A real set-you-up-for-the-day feast.
Dining out
You’ll find Unkai – a cool sushi bar – just across the road. For something more local, try the Tafelspitz (tender beef) and other Austrian specialities at Plachutta Wollzeile, a ten minute walk.
Where?
At Eight at The Ring Hotel.
What’s cooking?
Veal tenderloin served with kohlrabi, nettles and macadamia nuts, with a mango-papaya crème brulée to follow.
Top table?
Directly by the window.
See & Do
Most of Vienna’s big sights can be found in the Innere Stadt, the historic city centre encircled by the Ringstrasse. Schönbrunn palace – where Mozart performed before the court at the age of six – is a 1,441 room Baroque blockbuster. From here, you can visit the tombs of the Hapsburgs, where the infamous Empress Maria Theresa is buried.
Walk through the cobbled streets of the 18th century Spittelberg quarter and don’t miss the giant modern art complex Museumsquartier. Also worth clocking is Hundertwasser Haus – the world-famous housing complex that’s all curves, mosaics and vivid colours.
An outing to Vienna’s Prater amusement park with its giant Ferris wheel and riding trails is a must in summer. You’ll also find plenty of grassy spots for dawdling along the Danube and watching the boats.
Shop
Vienna’s Wieden district is the place for trendy galleries, shops and the Naschmarkt – the city’s biggest outdoor market – lined with graceful art nouveau buildings.
Spa
You’ll find a pamper zone at The Ring's little top-floor spa. There's a fitness area, steam bath, sauna and treatment menu that includes hot stone massage and manicures. It 's all very tastefully done and there's a round window with amazing views over the city.
After dark
Trendy bars and after-hours clubs make Vienna one of Europe’s new cool capitals. For some serious nightlife head to Floridita – a late-opening Spanish-themed nightclub. Loos American Bar and the Skybar are other hotspots within a ten minute stagger.
The Ring also offers a Vienna at Night package (with a limo to whisk you around), letting you choose between hip-hop havens, outdoor barbecue parties and hillside outlooks with views of the city lights.
For something more highbrow, you’re just across the road from the world-famous Vienna State Opera. Plays and operettas are performed in summer at the Baroque Schlosstheater.
Dates
February
Vienna waltzes into the spotlight with the famous Viennese Opera Ball.
May-June
Opera, music and theatre take to the stage for the lively Vienna Festwochen.
November-December
Stock up with presents and glug the Glühwein at the Vienna Christmas Market.
GETTING THERE
Location
Kaerntner Ring, 1010 Vienna
Parking
Garage parking is available at EUR 26 per night.
Trains
Südbahnhof station – 1.5km
Taxis
EUR 8-10 from the station. Limo transfers from the airport can be arranged for EUR 42 euro.
Airport
Vienna International – 18km
Rooms and suites
Sixty rooms, eight suites
Special features
A huge list of in-room amenities includes free wi-fi, voicemail and dozens of TV channels, anti-allergic pillows and fluffy robes.
Also…
You can rustle up a quick espresso with your in-room Nespresso coffee machine or dip into your fully-stocked refreshment bar.
ESSENTIAL INFO
Rates guide
EUR 330-700
Open/closed
Open all year
Check-in
2pm
Check-out
Midday
Minimum night stay?
No
Breakfast
Breakfast (charged extra) is served until 11am.
Room service
Available 24 hours a day
Children
Welcome
Pets
Welcome
Air conditioning
Yes – all rooms
Languages
German, English and Italian
Wedding license?
No
Eco conscience
Water separation and recycling is practiced.
Your contact
Carl-Peter Echtermeijer – Assistant general manager
Location
Kaerntner Ring, 1010 Vienna
Parking
Garage parking is available at EUR 26 per night.
Trains
Südbahnhof station – 1.5km
Taxis
EUR 8-10 from the station. Limo transfers from the airport can be arranged for EUR 42 euro.
Airport
Vienna International – 18km
Rooms and suites
Sixty rooms, eight suites
Special features
A huge list of in-room amenities includes free wi-fi, voicemail and dozens of TV channels, anti-allergic pillows and fluffy robes.
Also…
You can rustle up a quick espresso with your in-room Nespresso coffee machine or dip into your fully-stocked refreshment bar.
ESSENTIAL INFO
Rates guide
EUR 330-700
Open/closed
Open all year
Check-in
2pm
Check-out
Midday
Minimum night stay?
No
Breakfast
Breakfast (charged extra) is served until 11am.
Room service
Available 24 hours a day
Children
Welcome
Pets
Welcome
Air conditioning
Yes – all rooms
Languages
German, English and Italian
Wedding license?
No
Eco conscience
Water separation and recycling is practiced.
Your contact
Carl-Peter Echtermeijer – Assistant general manager
BOOK THIS HOTEL
Room for Romance Extra
A complimentary bottle of wine, fresh fruit and a newspaper.
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