Hotel
Imperial
Since its inauguration in 1873, in time for the World Exposition, the Hotel Imperial Vienna has without a doubt been one of the most famous hotels around the world. Ten years earlier, when the Prince of Wuerttemberg had his private city palace built in a prime location on the Ring Boulevard, he could not have imagined that it would one day accommodate emperors and kings, state visitors, crowned heads, celebrities and world famous artists and pop stars. The hotel gained renown around the world as a byword for discretion and impeccable service.
The Imperial takes pride in pampering and delighting discerning travellers, those who are accustomed to staying at the best addresses. Their stay is crowned by every conceivable amenity. Tasteful furnishings, marble bathrooms, walls cocooned in silk and precious antiques conjure up the atmosphere of nineteenth-century Vienna. Each and every room blends timeless elegance with the latest comfort. The Imperial is one of the few hotels in the world and the only hotel in Austria to offer personal butler service.
And it is the only luxury hotel in which the King of Thailand, Bhumibol, performed his own music live on the saxophone. Also star tenor Luciano Pavarotti once asked politely whether he was allowed to rehearse a few songs on the grand piano at Hallensalon before his acclaimed performance with Mirella Freni at the Vienna State Opera. When the concierge asked the perplexed guests in the room whether they would be bothered by Pavarotti’s spontaneous rehearsal, they obviously said that they were not. And there is a nice anecdote about Lord Stanley who always used to reside in the same room on the fourth floor. One day, the star violinists David and Igor Oistrach, father and son, moved into the rooms on the right and left side of Stanley’s. “I feel like a musical sandwich”, said the Lord drily, when the Imperial apologized for the violinists’ ongoing rehearsals in their rooms.
Furthermore, the hotel is known for the culinary highlights at its restaurants. Whether fine dinners, traditional coffee specialties with a delicious piece of the renowned Imperial Torte or an exquisite cocktail at the bar, the Hotel Imperial has to offer something for truly every taste.