Vintage Vienna

Winter is dark and depressing, there is no other way to describe it. The days are dark, the nights darker and stressed humans queue everywhere. Having not been to a Christmas market before, I decided to book a flight to Vienna. Austria was to become country number 12 that I have visited. All of my adventures have been centered around my constant search for warm and sunny weather. A very short flight of 2 hours took me across Europe to this winter wonderland. The flight made it’s descent into Vienna airport whilst the sky painted the most beautiful sunset.

After an aborted landing and a really long walk through the gigantic airport, I was happy to be in the back of my drivers car headed to the hotel. There is a cheaper alternative to get the underground into Vienna but I had no idea where my hotel was in relation to the U-bahn stations, I chose the option with a slightly higher cost but more direct route. It was a short 25 minute drive to the hotel from the airport.

The Hotel

The K&K Palais Hotel is a 4* which was once the Palace of Emperor Franz Joseph. It is a moderate sized hotel which is hidden on a street in the Innere Stadt. The hotel is a smoke free hotel with various amenities and is dog friendly (I love seeing furry friends joining the family holiday).

The Room

I was staying in a room near the staircase on the first floor. I was initially worried about the noise but it turns out the room was very quiet. The room was large and had one double bed and a double sized sofa bed. Both of the beds were very comfortable as they had mattress covers and thick duvets. I had trouble deciding where to sleep.

The wifi reached all the way up to the room, something I have not had in a hotel for a long time. I really needed this as there was little information about the hotel and the area within the room I stayed in. The reception staff provided me with a map of the city which was very useful because I often get disorientated when I first arrive somewhere new. The room also had complimentary bottles of water on arrival and coffee making facilities.

The bathroom had a full sized bath! Perfect for relaxing in after a long day walking around the Christmas markets in the cold. The only downside of the room was the view out of the window. But, I wasn’t in the room long enough for it to be a problem. I overlooked the courtyard which meant I heard zero traffic from the road in front of the hotel.

The Food

The hotel has a breakfast room which is small and filled with everything you could possibly want. I particularly enjoyed the multivitamin juice and the lemon mint water. I was glad to see the vegetarian items of the cooked breakfast were kept separate to the meat options. There was also briefly a make your own waffle stand during my stay ( I stuck to the fresh bread and fruit).

The hotel is situated in a location where there are no less than 10 restaurants within a 5 minute walk. As always I will be posting a roundup of my favourite restaurants but I would like to make a special mention to Le Wei. A Chinese restaurant which is not only cheap but serves the best Asian dishes I have had in Europe.

The Location

When choosing a hotel, I always look for something just outside of the city centre but is still within walking distance to the main sights. Past experience of noisy hotels has taught me that I am better off away from the hustle and bustle. I booked through Expedia and was under the impression the hotel was a 30 minute walk to the main sights; St Stephen’s Cathedral, Rathaus and the Museums quarter.

Honestly, it is a lot closer and there are a few shortcuts which make it easier. One thing which makes me quite sad was seeing how inaccessible certain parts of Vienna are to those with wheelchairs. There are few hills in the city, instead stairs are used to get from a lower street to a higher one. Alternate routes are available but it does add on extra distance. This hotel is in a great location, is accessible for everyone and who wouldn’t want to stay in a former palace. I can’t wait to explore more of this beautiful city.

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