A Weekend at Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna: Inside the City’s Grand Address

We arrived in Vienna just after midnight, somewhere past the eight-hour drive from Frankfurt, Germany; running on gas station coffee and the kind of tiredness that makes you dread a slow check-in. We got the opposite. By the time we’d begun checking in at Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna, our keys were already waiting.

We were there for three nights in late June, right as Vienna was warming into full summer, and it turned into one of those trips where every day added a new reason to like the city more.

First Impressions: A Palace That Knows How to Welcome You

Anantara Palais Hansen sits on the Ringstrasse, Vienna’s grand 19th-century boulevard, in a building that started life as a Neo-Renaissance palace for the 1873 World’s Fair. It later became a luxury hotel, and in 2024 it reopened as the first Anantara property in the German-speaking world, following a full redesign that wrapped up in 2025. Walk in, and you feel both halves of that story: the soaring original ceilings and columned arches sit next to warm, resort-style interiors that feel more relaxed than a typical grand European hotel.

We were met by Gloria, the hotel’s PR and communications manager, who set the tone for the whole stay: warm and personal, not scripted. She’d arranged for us to stay in the Presidential Suite, and honestly, it took a moment to process: a sprawling residence featuring a grand salon with a concert piano, a private dining room, a game room with its own pool table, and six French balconies overlooking the Ringstrasse.

The takeaway: if a smooth check-in and a warm welcome matter to you, this hotel gets the basics right before it even gets to the extras.

Getting to Know Vienna, One Street at a Time

On our second day, we joined a private guided tour of the city.

The guide talked us through the Ringstrasse itself, the grand boulevard running more than five kilometres around the historic centre that was commissioned in the mid-19th century to replace the city’s medieval walls and later showcasing grand architectural works during the 1873 World’s Fair era.

Vienna’s intellectual and artistic heritage meets you on nearly every corner; from the legacy of Sigmund Freud and economist Ludwig von Mises to the bold, colourful architecture of Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who turned straight lines into a creative act of rebellion.

Afternoon Tea at Theo’s, Under the Palms

Back at the hotel, we spent one afternoon at Theo’s Lounge & Bar, set in what used to be the palace’s carriage courtyard and now covered by a glass roof with palm trees swaying underneath. It’s an odd, lovely contrast: 19th-century stone walls and a tropical courtyard feel, all in one room.

We went for THEO’s Tea Time, a refined afternoon tea concept crafted under the direction of the hotel’s Michelin-starred culinary team.

Dinner at EDVARD: A Michelin Star That Delivers

Dinner one night was at EDVARD, the hotel’s flagship restaurant led by Head Chef Paul Gamauf, celebrated for its Michelin-star pedigree and inventive tasting menus.

We went for the tasting menu, and it slowed our conversation right down. Course after course, each one different in temperature and texture from the last, with a wine list built almost entirely around Austrian winemakers. Fine dining, without the stiffness that word usually implies.

Winding Down: The Spa, the Sauna and a Proper Gym

If there’s one thing we’d go back for on its own, it’s the spa. Anantara’s wellness floor spans 800 square metres and includes a hydrotherapy pool, a relaxation lounge, and a seriously well-equipped sauna setup: a 90-degree Finnish sauna, a slightly gentler bio sauna, and a Hammam-style steam room, plus Kneipp foot baths for anyone who wants to finish with a jolt of cold water.

The takeaway: book more time here than you think you need. Between the sauna circuit and the hydrotherapy pool, an hour disappears fast.

The gym holds its own too, kitted out with Technogym machines and enough floor space that it never felt crowded, even at peak times.

Vienna: The Charm Rarely Talked About

While it may not command the same bustling chaos as Paris or Rome, Vienna offers a noticeably more relaxed, intimate pace. Between the grand architecture, world-class museums, and historic coffee houses, the city feels effortless to navigate and remarkably inviting.

Between the architecture, the museums and the sheer number of famous names who once called it home, Vienna earns the description “underrated” more than most cities that get the label.

Getting There From the Gulf

The takeaway: If you’re travelling from the Gulf, a direct or a one-stop connection is easy to find, depending on where you’re flying from. Qatar Airways flies direct between Doha and Vienna most days, Emirates connects daily from Dubai, and Etihad operates a daily direct service from Abu Dhabi. Gulf Air passengers can also reach Vienna via a codeshare with Turkish Airlines through Istanbul.

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