SD › Vienna Hotels › Guesthouse Vienna Review
Updated: March 22, 2021
Essentials
• Location: Führichgasse, opposite the Albertina Musuem.
• Hotel website: theguesthouse.at
• Hotel phone: +43 1-512-1320
• Check prices on Booking.com
The Guesthouse Vienna features chic and spacious rooms and an excellent restaurant.
The Guesthouse Vienna – A modern buzz paired with exceptional service and location.
It’s hard to believe that this sleek, stylish hotel was once a youth hostel, but local designer Arkan Zeytenoglu beautifully fashioned the 1960s-era building into one of the most vibrant and hip hotel addresses in Vienna. The location, just across from the Albertina Museum and minutes away from many of the city’s top sights and scenic neighborhoods, can’t be beat. Top it all off with a gem of a restaurant worth visiting in its own right and spectacularly attentive service, and you have a top tier winner.
See Also
The Guesthouse Vienna – Location
- Address: Führichgasse 10, 1010 Wein, Austria.
- Nearest Metro/Subway: Stephansplatz (0.3 mile), Karlsplatz (0.3 mile), and Herengasse (0.4 mile).
- Area: Prime location just steps from the Albertina Museum (100m), a 2-minute walk (150m) to the Vienna State Opera, and 4 minutes (0.2 mile) from the Burrgarten Park. Many of the city’s top sights are under a 10-minute walk away. The area itself is busy but quiet and upscale.
- How to Get There: Three U-Bahn stops – Stephansplatz, Karlsplatz, and Herengasse – are less than a 9-minute walk from the hotel, while the Abertinaplatz bus station is steps from the front door (50m). The Oper/Kärtner tram stop on the Ringstrasse Tram loop that circles the central area of Vienna is a 5-minute walk (0.3 mile). Alternately, taxis are readily available in front of the hotel, Uber works well in Vienna, or pick up a horse-drawn carriage to take the slow route around town. A taxi from the Vienna International Airport to the hotel will take about 40 minutes (15 miles).
- Handy to: Albertina Museum, Opera House, Burrgarten.
The Guesthouse Vienna – The Basics
- Ages: The hotel has an edgy, young vibe but all ages stay here.
- View: Quiet interior courtyard or over the city to the Opera House. The city views improve in winter when the leaves have fallen and buildings are less hidden.
- Parking: Valet to a nearby garage that costs €36 per day.
- Extras: Free minibar with wine plus espresso and tea making facilities, B&O TV and audio, and organic toiletries by Wolfgang Lederhaas in all rooms. Hand-written welcome note with chocolates. Dogs are allowed free and the hotel offers complimentary dog bed and cookies.
- When to Book: At least 4 months out for the Christmas season and 3 months for dates in May through June-end and September through October. July and August are less busy but still think of booking around a month in advance. During other months, you may be able to find last-minute rooms.
- How to Book: Booking.com will have the best rates.
- Phone: +43 1-512-1320
- Email: office@theguesthouse.at
- Website: theguesthouse.at
The Guesthouse Vienna – Amenities
- For Disabled Guests: The elevator and hallways are large. Room 101 is the only room specifically designed for disabled guests.
- For Families: Kids are very welcome. Children under 12 stay for free and are given their own bathrobes, slippers, special toiletries, and coloring books. The restaurant caters well to them, too. Cots are available on request.
- Activities: Museum tours.
The Guesthouse Vienna – Food and Drink
- Restaurant: The Guesthouse Brasserie & Bakery is located on the hotel’s ground floor and offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner with an emphasis on classic Austrian dishes using local and organic ingredients. All the bread is homemade in their own wood-fired oven and for a special treat, order the 5-course dinner for €75. The 2-course lunch menu for €18.50 is very popular with locals and tourists alike. The décor is modern rustic and it has a short but good kids’ menu as well. Hours 6:30 am-11 pm daily. $$-$$$.
- Lounge/Bar: There’s a bar at the brasserie that’s open daily until 12 am.
- Breakfast: Not complimentary. Served all-day in the brasserie. The hotel will book morning tables on demand for guests.
- Room Service: Available from the brasserie 24 hours a day.
The Guesthouse Vienna – Rooms
- Room Types: Superior Courtyard Room • Doppelzimmer Deluxe • Courtyard Suite • Duplex Suite with Rooftop Views • List of all Rooms
- Smoking Rooms: The Guesthouse Vienna is 100% smoke-free.
- Best Room: It’s hard to pick a favorite here. Room 802 has a terrace and a fabulous view of St Stephen’s Cathedral while the Maisonette Suite is 2-stories with cantilever attic windows and might be the prettiest. Room 702 is the best deluxe room and has 2 window-side reading nooks.
- For Families: There are connecting rooms that are the best choice for families.
The Guesthouse Vienna – Local Transport
- Walking: This is a prime walking area with many top sights under 10 minutes away. Head out the door and get lost in fairytale lanes with horse-drawn carriages to stumble upon architectural marvels from St Stephen’s Cathedral to the many museum and parks.
- Subway and Bus: Bus and tram stops are the easiest walks from the hotel and 3 major U-Bahn stops are all under a 10-minute walk. It’s very easy to navigate the city’s public transport system and get nearly anywhere from here.
- Taxis, Uber, Lyft: Taxis are easy to find (get the hotel to call one for you) and Uber is quick, generally safe, and easy in Vienna.
The Guesthouse Vienna – What’s Nearby?
Recommended Nearby Tours
- Vienna Walks & Talks – Offers a number of excellent 90-minute walking tours including music tours, underground Vienna, and Third Man movie tours. Start location: Depends on tour.
- Space & Place – Offbeat themed tours from Brexit (focusing on expats and ending at a pub, of course) to the ugly side of Vienna can be booked with this fun and knowledgeable company. Start location: Depends on tour.
- Fiaker Carriage Tours – Lines of horse-drawn carriages with local drivers can be found around the Albertina Museum. Hail one yourself or ask the hotel to find one for you. You can choose the amount of time you’d like to spend clip-clopping through town, and the drivers generally offer some commentary and point out highlights. Start location: 1-minute walk (100m).
- Hotrod City Tour – Tours around the city and beyond become more fun when you’re behind the wheel of a low-to-the-ground, open-air, mini hot rod. There are also tours on Vespa scooters and by tuk tuk. Start location: Vien Hotrod Tour store (0.6 mile).
- Ring Tram Tour – Take the famous 25-minute tram loop with video commentary so you can get the most out of the city’s history, architecture, and more. Start location: Schwedenplatz (0.7 mile).
Best Nearby Restaurants
- Café Mozart – Over a century old stop for home-style Viennese classics and especially luscious cakes from strudels to tortes. (100m).
- Bitzinger Würstelstand – The best sausage stand in Vienna. (150m).
- Le Bol – French style café specializing in open-face tartines and croque monsieur. (0.1 mile).
- Plachutta – Lauded restaurant for specialty Austrian meat dishes, most of which use locally sourced ingredients. (0.2 mile).
- Tian – Some of the best vegetarian food you’ll find anywhere in the world (with a Michelin star to prove it), served in an elegant dining room. (0.3 mile).
- Café Museum – Klimt was once a regular at this smart, circa 1899 café serving classic Viennese fare and delectable pastries. (0.3 mile).
- Julius Meinl am Graben – Spectacular international dishes are served here alongside an equally impressive wine list. There’s also a wine bar in the cellar. (0.4 mile).
- Café Central – Stunning late 19th-century architecture. Trotsky to Freud hung out here and you can, too, for coffee or Mediterranean-inspired fare. (0.4 mile).
- Café Korb – Sigmund Freud’s favorite hangout is still delightful and serves an excellent apple strudel. (0.5 mile).
Best Nearby Bars and Breweries
- Kruger’s American Bar – Legendary 1920s bar with a hefty drinks menu, cigar lounge, and Sinatra tunes. (0.2 mile).
- Sky Bar – This chic cocktail bar atop a department store has one of the best views in the city. (0.2 mile).
- Blue Mustard – Grab affordable and fun internationally-inspired cocktails and bar food. (0.2 mile).
- Loos American Bar – Possibly the hippest place in the city center for a cocktail, so go early for a table. (0.2 mile).
- 1516 Brewing Company – A huge selection of beers on tap plus a busy terrace area and sports on TV. (0.3 mile).
- Villon – Head underground into this 500-year-old cellar to sip wines and champagnes by the glass or bottle. (0.3 mile).
- Reserva Iberica by Paco – Spanish tapas and wine bar serving locally cured hams. (0.4 mile).
- Porgy & Bess – Dimly lit, popular jazz bar with acts from around the world. (0.5 mile).
Best Nearby Cafes
- Café Sacher – Step into this legendary café for a slice of the world-famous Sacher torte – or head to the adjacent Sacher Eck or Salon Sacher if you don’t want to wait in line. (0.1 mile).
- Café Hawelka – Historic café once frequented by Warhol and serving the same Buchteln (jam-filled rolls) it did back then. (0.3 mile).
- AIDA Café Konditorei – Jolly, pink, mid-century style café with good cake and coffee. (0.3 mile).
Nearby Shopping & Cool Shops
- J&L Lobmeyr Vienna – Worth visiting for the chandelier-clad atrium ceiling alone. The ceramics, glass, and homeware here are a feast for the eyes. (0.1 mile).
- Oberlaa – Get sweet gifts from chocolates to a rainbow of macrons at this shop with several branches around town. (0.2 mile).
- Steiff – Considered the creator of the original teddy bear, the stuffed toys here are of very high quality. (0.3 mile).
- Gmundner Keramic – Handmade Austrian ceramics with exquisite craftmanship. (0.3 mile).
- Oscar & Filu – Unique, modern gold jewelry. (0.4 mile).
- Meinl am Graben – A great stop for fine European foods, from chocolates to cured meats. (0.4 mile).
Nearby Attractions
- Albertina Museum – One of the city’s top art museums, housed in the opulent guest apartments of the royal Habsburgs. (100m).
- Vienna State Opera House – Historic, architecturally outrageous, and one of the busiest opera houses in the world, seeing an opera here is a must if you enjoy the genre. (150m).
- Burrgarten & Volksgarten – These 2 beautiful and grand gardens are separated by the Hofburg complex. (0.2 mile).
- State Hall of the National Austrian Library – An ancient library that looks like something out of a movie. (0.2 mile).
- Haus der Musik – A museum dedicated to sound and music with plenty of interactive exhibits. (0.2 mile).
- Spanish Riding School – Come here to watch the Lipinzzaner stallion show, a Viennese institution. (0.3 mile).
- Hofburg Imperial Apartments – Palace living quarters of Franz Josef I and his well-loved wife Sisi, now open to the public by tour and includes the Sisi Museum full of royal portraits, clothing, and jewelry. (0.3 mile).
- St Stephen’s Cathedral – Spired and jaw-droppingly beautiful cathedral in the heart of the city. (0.4 mile).
- St Peter’s Catholic Church – An ornate Catholic church with regular concerts and great acoustics. (0.4 mile).
- Mozarthaus Vienna – Now a museum, this was the great composer Mozart’s residence for 24 years. (0.5 mile).
Nearby Markets or Grocery Stores
- SPAR Gourmet – Upscale version of the market chain with most things you need and a good selection of food. (0.4 mile).
- Naschmarkt – The city’s largest market sells everything from fresh vegetables and ready-made food to hippie clothes and tourist tat. (0.4 mile).
The Guesthouse Vienna – The Hotel
The warm and modern façade is a good indicator of good things to come.
Check-in is casual and the service is exceptional.
Rooms feel a bit like chic, urban apartments.
The edgy photography on the walls contrasts with the soothing features of the rooms to make everything seem more fun.
Bathrooms are spacious and feature lots of marble.
A hot bath can be just the thing in cooler months.
The window reading nooks are a truly outstanding feature.
The loft bedroom Duplex Suite has views of city rooftops from the bed.
Looking down into the spacious living area of the Duplex Suite.
Cantilever windows in the Duplex Suite let in light at the perfect angle.
Well-designed bathrooms are decked out in marble.
View of the chic neighborhood through the suite window.
Guests are welcomed with chocolates and a hand-written note.
The Brasserie and Bakery is wonderful to hang out in any time of day.
There’s a full bar at the Brasserie and Bakery.
As you’d hope from the name, the Brasserie and Bakery bakes up some fantastic fresh breads.
Sitting at the sidewalk café area of the Brasserie and Bakery on a warm day is a true Viennese experience.
Despite how modern it is, the hotel blends in perfectly with the historic neighborhood.
If you’re craving sweets or want to settle in somewhere for a tea or coffee, stroll straight past the Albertina Museum to the retro Mid-Century Kaffee Konditorei.
Continue past the Albertina Museum and the AIDA café to dine or grab a light meal at the upscale Café Museum where the artist Klimt used to be a regular.
Walking through beautiful historic streets brings you to a row of beautifully painted tall houses lining the not-to-miss Naschmarkt (the biggest in Vienna), selling everything from food to postcards.
Walk alongside horses and carriages and past the grand Hofburg to Café Central for Mediterranean fare or just to say you dined in the same place as Sigmund Freud.
Walking to Reserva Iberica, a great Spanish tapas bar, brings you through old streets full of shops and restaurants.
You’ll be right in the heart of the historical part of the city as you walk to the lauded Julius Meinl restaurant and wine bar.
There are lots of jewelry stores in central Vienna but the unique gold pieces at Oscar & Filu, right by St Stephan’s and a short walk from the hotel, are particularly eye-catching.
You’ll want to walk through the beautiful and lively shopping and dining streets of Vienna to visit this gorgeous cathedral multiple times.
It’s worth walking past St Stephan’s Cathedral to cool Café Korb, another Freud hangout that’s also surrounded by a handful of other good places to eat.
Check to find out concert times at St Peter’s church nearby for a very special experience.
Café Sacher is the most well-known and the cutest of the Hotel Sacher Cafes that serve Sacher torte, but there are 2 other cafes on-site as well that serve the same slice of cake and have short or no waiting times.
A short walk away is the century-old Wiener Konzerthaus which hosts concerts and musical events regularly.
Who isn’t craving a macaron? Fortunately it’s only a short walk to get one of the amazing ones (or more) at Konditorei Oberlaa.
Buy a soft toy at the adorable Steiff, possibly the original home of the teddy bear, a short walk through old streets full of shops and cafes from the hotel.
Prepare to have your mind blown at the stunning Austrian National Library, a short walk from the hotel and just past the Albertina Museum.
Find exquisite, handmade, fine ceramics here at Gmunder, a short walk into the heart of town.
A string of beautiful classic gardens runs from the Burggarten to the Volsgarten and its rose gardens, shown in this photo.
Heading down into this 500-year-old, multi-story wine cellar at Villon Wine Bar to drink wine is one of those experiences worth traveling for.
Vienna does hip and modern as well as old and ornate, as you’ll find when drinking a creative cocktail at Blue Mustard nearby.
There are so many museums in Vienna but the Albertina, just steps from the hotel, could be the loveliest, with the art displayed in ornate historic guest apartments of royals.
Enjoy classic Viennese dishes in a classic Viennese setting at Café Mozart, just around the corner.
Sip coffee at the very hip Café Hawelka where Andy Warhol used to hang out.
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