Emperor Franz Joseph himself opened this grand hotel on April 28, 1873 on the occasion of the World’s Fair in Vienna. It has always been a place where the rich and powerful have met. All official guests of state of the Austrian government still stay at this luxurious hotel on Vienna’s Ringstraße. In 1994, the readers of “Condé Nast Traveler” named it the best hotel in the world. With 138 rooms and 32 suites, it offers plenty of space to relax in comfort after a day of strenuous negotiations. Valuable antiques and a spectacular collection of paintings give the interior the feel of 19th-century Vienna. The hotel’s butler service is probably unique: The butlers iron the newspapers to prevent the ink from smudging the hands of guests.
