The Palais Hansen Kempinski Hotel in Vienna, Austria is now open, following a celebratory gala on March 20th.
Since its original construction as a hotel for the 1873 World Exhibition, the property has been closed to the public, a heritage-list relic collecting dust. After two and a half years of restoration the building opens its doors again, as famous Vienna-based architect Boris Podrecca’s most recent masterpiece. Podrecca, widely considered a pioneer in postmodernism, blends elements of the original Renaissance revival style with a contemporary, chic overlay.
Within the two floors are 152 rooms and suites, a spa, two restaurants, two bars, a florist and a delicatessen, 17 private residences, and Vienna’s largest hotel cigar lounge.
Die Küche, the hotel’s slightly casual dining experience, offers breakfast in a farmer’s market atmosphere and a dinner menu full of Viennese classics. Edvard, a slightly more up-scale option, combines local produce with worldly spices, for traditional meals with a twist. The night bar Henri Lou hosts international DJs Thursday through Saturday evenings.
Other hotel amenities include an iPad station and state-of-the-art entertainment system in most rooms, a ballroom plus six other function rooms of 375 to 1250 square feet, and an 8600 square-foot spa with several saunas, steam rooms, a hydropool, and a private gym. Nearby attractions include the Burgtheater, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Sigmund Freud Museum, and Rathausplatz Square.
Rooms start at around $340 per night for a full-sized bed and breakfast for two.
For more information visit www.kempinski.com/wien.