SO Vienna

It’s not quite on the level of the Stephansdom cathedral itself, but architecture buffs will want to set aside some time for the SO/Vienna as well. Pritzker winner Jean Nouvel re-thought the typical hotel shape, changing the ho-hum rectangle into a celebration of geometry. Glass abounds, and the top-floor restaurant ceiling is clearly visible from street level, its riotous colors echoing the many-hued mosaics of the Stephansdom’s roof.

The room interiors stand up to a bit of ogling as well. Like its brethren SO properties around the world, this one is all minimalist polish, with more than a touch of distinctly Viennese elegance. Monochromatic grays play off the surrounding old city, full of steep arches and textured stone, the hotel’s clean look framing the city’s Gothic flourishes. Straight-backed chairs mimic the right-angled buildings, while the interior’s blacks and whites resemble an ever-present cup of coffee, the elixir at the heart of Viennese culture. You won’t likely forget you’re in Central Europe.

Fine-dining restaurant, bar, meeting rooms, 24-hour room service, a just-opened spa — they’re all here, as you would expect. So are views of the Riesenrad, a giant Ferris wheel, and the Vienna Woods, where nature gently asserts its dominion over the city’s urbane sophistication.