The Imperial Riding School Autograph Collection in Vienna, is the most chic hotel we have ever stayed at. This beautiful terracotta building was recently converted into a hotel in May 2024, so everything inside is pristine and feels super luxurious. We were gifted our stay here during our partnership with Jet2CityBreaks, when we went to explore Vienna’s fabulous Christmas markets. However, as we loved the hotel so much, I felt it deserved its own dedicated review on my blog.
The Imperial Riding School hotel hits the nail on the head with its beautiful juxtaposition between old and new. Showcasing this Austrian buildings historic past with its grand archways and exposed vaulted stone ceilings. Whilst infusing the space with modern day accessories and comfortable stylish seating.
Steeped in history, the Imperial Riding School does a superior job at holding on to this buildings rich heritage too. During the 19th century it was home to Austria’s Imperial military riding school (hence the hotels apt name) which later evolved into one of Vienna’s largest movie theatres, before finally becoming a depot for Vienna’s postal buses. Today the building continues it’s journey as a swish hotel that comprises of 342 rooms, a restaurant and bar, a pool, wellness area and a outdoor garden space shaped like a horseshoe. All of which gives a gentle nod to it’s past by incorporating subtle equestrian touches throughout.
We chose The Imperial Riding School for both it’s gorgeous aesthetics and prime location to explore some of Viennas top site seeing spots. I would highly recommend staying here if you’re planning visiting Vienna, and be sure to take a look at Jet2’s website as they have many package holidays to Vienna.
Anyway, let’s step inside this fantastic hotel.
In this article...
Imperial Riding School – Deluxe king room
If you want a modern, comfortable and stylish hotel then you should definitely consider staying at the Imperial Riding School in Vienna. We stayed in a deluxe king room, and made room number 344 our home for the weekend.
The hotel room was incredibly spacious for two people, it even had it’s own cosy sofa nook area with a small table. Which was perfect for enjoying a drink, tucking into room service or catching up on some work if you needed to.
At the very back of the room there was a king size bed (which i’m convinced was actually a super king as it was seriously ginormous!) I’m also rating it a solid 5/5 on comfort. It was heavenly, and we both slept soundly after our busy days spent site-seeing around wintery Vienna. The hanging headboard was wrapped in a deep burnt-orange leather, and it had these nifty bronze reading lights that switched on when pulled from their recess.
Hidden inside a wooden sideboard there was an empty mini fridge, which you could request for particular items to be added. Beside that, there was a small kettle and coffee pod machine so you could make yourself a hot drink if you fancied. The tea bags and coffee pods were complimentary, along with sachets of UHT milk. A glass bottle of water was also provided with the daily housekeeping – however it’s worth knowing that the tap water in Vienna is also safe to drink as it comes from a spring in the Austrian Alps.
As we all have different ideals when it comes to warmth, there was a thermostat in the room enabling you to heat the room up to your desired temperature.
The room also had an iron and ironing board if you needed to decrease anything from your suitcase, and plenty of wardrobe and hanging space to unpack. Inside the wardrobe we found a shoe-horn and hair dryer (James appreciated the retractable cable mechanism which coiled it up inside the handle. Little things) Along with a decent sized safe which was big enough to hold tablets and probably a small laptop.
Opposite the bed there was a large TV which was hung above a slim desk area. The regular channels were all Austrian, but it did have ‘Internet TV’ which took you onto YouTube. So we caught up with some of our favourite YouTube channels whilst getting ready in the mornings.
I loved all the warm earthy red and green tones along with the mixed blend of textiles that they have used to create this space. It was a cosy and practical room that had been tastefully laid out and styled.
En-suite
The ensuite was equally eye-catching and functional. It had a sliding door (a little like the sliding door we made at home) which welcomed you into a beautiful shower room. The walk in shower came with both a rain fall shower-head, and a regular one which housekeeping made sure there were never any watermarks left in the glass screen.
Along with a wall hung toilet and a luxurious green marble vanity area. The large curved mirror behind the basin was heated to prevent it from misting up. I loved how they had made a feature of the nook it sat in, by surrounding it with wooden effect porcelain tiles.
White fluffy towels were switched out daily with housekeeping, and we were provided with the most delicious scented products. Including hand soap, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner and body lotion by Saint Charles Apothecary. The Imperial Riding School also provided flannels, tissues and a handy vanity kit.
The mix of earthy tones and natural textures in here was everything that I love.
Facilities you can find at The Imperial Riding School
The Imperial Riding School has its own yoga studio, sauna, steam room and swimming pool which was open 8am-10pm, as-well as a state-of-the-art gym thats open 24/7.
We went for a late night swim one night and struck gold by getting the pool to ourselves, what a treat! They have made the pool area feel like a swish spa, with it’s charming archway nooks with daybeds and cushioned loungers. It’s a peaceful sanctuary to come and unwind away from the bustle of Vienna. Although the water was a tad chilly when you first got in, you soon became accustomed to it and it was glorious.
The separate male and female changing rooms can be found opposite each other, just before you enter the pool. Both had plenty of lockers, along with a singular shower cubicle and toilet. There were clean towels you could help yourself to as-well, so you didn’t need to use the towels from your room. We also asked reception for a robe and pair of slippers each, so that we could wear that walking down to the wellness area.
Downstairs was the yoga studio, a small space with mirrored walls and a selection of rolled up yoga mats for you to help yourself to. Next door to that was a communal sauna and steam room, but the ‘Nude Zone’ sign on the wall made us give it a wide berth. Perhaps it was just a warning for that area, not an instruction that you had to be in your birthday suit?
Dining at The Imperial Riding School’s Elstar restaurant
The Imperial Riding School has a classy hotel bar and restaurant, both of which are beautifully decorated with plush seating, chic accessories and soft ambient lighting. The bar is called ‘The Farrier’ and the hotels restaurant which seats 140 people is named ‘Elstar’ after a dutch variety of apple that was planted here by emperor Franz Joseph I himself. In fact, the hotels outdoor seating/bar area was once an orchard and is still the city’s largest private garden.
They had some mouthwatering options that all looked to be artfully presented. The menu combines traditional Austrian dishes, along with more Eastern influences. So you can expect to see Austrian schnitzel to beef burgers and iconic apple strudel with vanilla sauce. It would be a lovely place to come and enjoy a fancy meal with family and friends amongst a gorgeous setting.
Even though we didn’t end up eating at the Elstar restaurant, we did enjoy late night room service and the food was delicious. The room service menu gets scaled down to a far more simplistic menu, so we went for a margarita pizza with some crispy fries. It was delivered up to our room within 15 minutes, and it was perfect to enjoy in the comfort of our room after a long day of site-seeing around Vienna.
You can find the room service menu on the TV, and the food options change depending on the time you call. There was a €10 charge added onto the room service which is shown on the TV.
Breakfast
Breakfast wasn’t included with our Jet2CityBreak bundle, so for our first morning we thought we could give a local place a try, and that was when we discovered Chilai. Just a short 3 minute stint up the road from the Imperial Riding School hotel.
Chilai doesn’t look like much from the outside, but don’t judge a book by its cover. They serve breakfast all day so you can enjoy a nice cosy lie in without feeling rushed to get out of bed on your first day. The menu here is also huge, so you’re a little spoilt for choice at this place. James opted for the traditional Austrian breakfast which consisted of wafer-thin ham, slice of Brie, a boiled egg, a bread roll and some apricot jam. Whilst I went for fluffy American pancakes which were smothered in Nutella and topped with freshly sliced banana. It was mouth-wateringly good.
The meals in here were priced really well too, both of ours including an hot drink each came to £25. Tips aren’t included, so you may want to add a tip when it comes to settling the bill.
Was the hotel’s location good?
This hotel sits in Viennas third district, so it’s not right in the busyness of the city centre in the first district. However, we found the Imperial Riding School’s location to be ideal for us, even though Vienna is big we found it to be a really walkable city. Belvedere Palace is only a short 15 minute walk away, and it only took 25 minutes in the opposite direction to reach St.Stephens Cathedral which sits right at Vienna’s heart.
Vienna has great public transport options including the popular tram system, which can help you make your way all over the city if you didn’t want to walk everywhere like we did. However, we thought the location of Imperial Riding School was perfect for what we wanted to see and do whilst in Vienna.
The hotel does sit beside a railway line, however we never heard it from our room. This is where it is on a map
Conclusion
The Imperial Riding School Autograph Collection Hotel is so gorgeous, and we had such a wonderful time staying at this newly converted hotel in Vienna. The rooms weren’t only comfortable, but they were spacious and stylish too, plus we had everything we needed for a brilliant weekend away. The addition of the wellness area and swimming pool was lovely, and provided a nice treat to come and relax after a busy day of site seeing and Christmas market shopping.
The hotel staff were all so friendly and helpful, plus they all spoke brilliant English which made all communication so easy with zero language barrier to work through. The hotels standards were set high, from chefs, receptionists and housekeeping staff, everyone went above and beyond to make sure that everything was perfect during our stay.
This hotel is absolutely beautiful both inside and out, and I highly recommend staying here if you’re happy to base yourself ever-so-slightly out of the city centre. The renovation has been done so tastefully, honouring the buildings past by incorporating subtle equestrian touches throughout. To name a few, the lights in the entrance foyer have horse hair within the design, and the room door cards say ‘hold your horses’ for do not disturb, whilst the other said says ‘send in the cavalry’ such a playful touch.
If you’re looking to book an easy, all-in-one trip, take a look at Jet2’s holidays to Vienna as they have some great package deal options up for grabs. Or if you’d like some ideas on things to do, check out my post ‘18 Best Things to Do in Vienna‘.
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