Living Hotel an der Oper - Vienna
Being based in Vienna for six months in total, nme and my team are well aware of the capital’s luxury properties. We have stayed at the Imperial, the Bristol at the Opera, at the Grand Hotel during the Fete Imperial and also at the famous Hotel Sacher, which I still name the best hotel in the entire country. Through a lovely contact, we heard of the Living Hotel an der Oper (managed by Derag Hotels), and to be honest it would not have been a hotel I book. And that is just because we have never heard of the brand before nor is it catagorized with five stars. This time we were looking for a more casual option. Felix and another friend from university were coming to Vienna and we were in for a cool and bustling weekend. So what I needed was a huge hotel room with the possibility to do a small soirée where we can have pre-drinks without a hassle and it needed to be in a pole position so we don’t have to take the metro to get anywhere. The Living Hotel an der Oper fulfilled all these criteria: huge rooms, amazing location and easy going service. So suddenly I found myself in a serviced-apartment hotel for the very first time in my life.
Check-in was very easy and fast. The guy at the check-in was working the entire weekend and he was totally welcoming, helpful and friendly. A service not so usual for a city like Vienna where even the Ritz Carlton has troubles with its staff (the second chance in August will show how they evolve). We were even shown the way to the room which I found amazing considering it’s not the Sacher. One of the best parts at this hotel is the open bar with a Nespresso coffee machine and complimentary sparkling and still water 24/7 - that is so perfect, at every occasion and not just after partying (I didn’t say we did not profit from it). I mean there is not much to talk about the location, right opposite the Opera House, location is even better than at the Imperial or the Kempinski. Back to the room, we were told that we have been given the most spacious of the hotel rooms which was really nice.
After I settled all my stuff, I quickly showered in the spacious and beautiful marble bathroom with walk-in shower, single vanities, toilet and bidet. To all my surprise, it was stocked with Molton Brown toiletries and so I was already happy 100 per cent. Being whisked in heaven, I was getting ready for the others and soon afterwards we got some ice and G&Ts. The spacious room was just perfect for us and we had a very enjoyable evening. In addition to a fee drinks we went to my fav spot, the Do&Co restaurant on the St Stephans Square on top of the Do&Co Hotel. We just walked 10 minutes which is pretty amazing for Vienna.
Generally the huge sofa area was nice to welcome a fee guests and also the bed was very typical for Vienna providing a good night’s sleep. While we didn't really use the dining room, we were speechless to find out that a television is hidden behind the huge mirror which was quite impressive. Housekeeping was doing a good job, too. They immediately brought up an ironing board and iron plus removed it after the night. There is also a laundry in house where you can wash your stuff, another advantage for a stay at the Living Hotel an der Oper.
Breakfast is the only service in house - yet. While there are plans to operate an in-house restaurant, they have a small but classy room on the ground floor where they serve a typical German-/Austrian breakfast with a selection of ham, cheese, bread, yogurts, jams and fruits. Service was attentive, too and beside the Cappuccino (that unfortunately didn't taste like in Italy - which is partly my fault feeling totally like on vacation while staying in my home country ;) ). All in all, value for money is very good and considering the motivated and young front desk attendant making sure your stay is as good as possible, the Living Hotel an der Oper can be considered an excellent place to stay. It is therefore fit for the Luxury Executive crew and we are happy to come back anytime soon.
We stayed at the property for editorial purposes however the above written expresses our own opinion and has not been influenced.
