New splendor in a historical guise: The Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna

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Picture: Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna

Text: Kiki Baron

You enter the imposing Palais am Schottenring, a section of Vienna's Ringstrasse boulevard, and feel like you're in the Grand. Others say like in a temple. Which has something to do with the Ionic columns in the entrance hall. A few steps further and you are in the large hall. This is where the lounge and bar come together. The view upwards, however, suggests that this room once served other purposes. It was a place for horse-drawn carriages when the hotel opened in 1873 for the World's Fair. Now the hall functions as a charming meeting place for business people and leisure travelers alike. Large and small seating areas with comfortable upholstered furniture provide a certain intimacy, while the half-height backrests ensure you don't lose sight of things. Seeing and being seen is part of Viennese social life.

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The magnificent building in neo-Renaissance style is the work of architect Baron Theophil Evard von Hansen , a Viennese icon of the 19th century: the Danish-born architect shaped the urban landscape of the musical metropolis, which is celebrating Johann Strauss this year. Operated by Kempinski for 15 years, the Thai group Anantara has been the owner of the 152 rooms and suites property since March 2024. Renovated and modernized and partly rebuilt, with some original elements such as the entrance and staircase retained, a fresh breeze is blowing through the hotel.

The rooms with custom-made furniture , the work of the in-house design team, present themselves in a mixture of historical charm and modern sophistication. The highlight is the 270sqm presidential suite, the largest in Vienna, with billiard room, bar and huge bathroom with free-standing bathtub, framed by black marble. Guests experience culinary highlights in the Michelin-starred EDVARD restaurant under the aegis of head chef Paul Gamauf. Each of the exquisite menus follows the cycle of the seasons with regional and local products.

"Brasserie Sophie" , named after the wife of architect Hansen, has just reopened in a winter garden setting. Chef Stefanos Melianos' concept includes Austrian classics, interpreted in a modern way, sometimes with a delicate Asian touch. Like Bao Bun, the steamed bun with Austrian beef cheek, marinated in teriyaki style, with horseradish and spring onions. Specialties include various types of tartare, including a vegan one. The Kaiserschmarrn, which is caramelized and crispy, is delicious.

The stylish bar is also dedicated to the architect. THEO's eight-metre-long bar is integrated into the lounge hall, so you can enjoy an unobstructed view of the social hustle and bustle from your bar stool. Creative cocktails made from local spirits and seasonal ingredients, poured into glasses over square ice cubes with the Anantara logo, are standard. On weekly cocktail nights, there is either live music or a DJ at the mixer to set the mood. Either way, it's a pleasure to linger, which is rewarded with small snacks in the evening.

Of course, you can also linger in the Anantara Spa, a beautiful 800 square meter luxury oasis with hydro pool, Finnish sauna and steam bath . Signature treatment is the Lomi Lomi massage. This is relaxation of body and soul in the traditional Hawaiian way.

www.anantara.com/de/palais-hansen-vienna