Palais Coburg

There’s more to Vienna than the centuries-old splendor of the city center, the living museum that’s roughly bounded by the Ringstrasse. But what more, exactly, is a question for another time — at the moment that centuries-old splendor is precisely what we’re concerned with, in the form of the Palais Coburg, a 19th-century neoclassical palace that’s currently doing business as an old-school top-of-the-market grand hotel.

The Coburg isn’t shy about its opulence: the entry is calculated to impress, and makes good on the promises made by the building’s ornate facade. No expense is spared in the accommodations, nor in the restaurants. The Coburg’s flagship restaurant, Silvio Nickol, has earned two MICHELIN Stars, while the Clementine im Glashaus offers modern Austrian cuisine in a beautiful greenhouse setting or on the secluded garden terrace. For an intimate drink, the wine bar serves rare offerings from the hotel’s award-winning cellar, the largest in Austria and second largest in Europe.

The Coburg has its own pool, spa and fitness center, rarity enough in this town, especially for such a small hotel. And beyond the four walls of the Palais is Vienna’s scenic and walkable city center — you’re just minutes from the Stephansplatz, and surrounded by as much opera (and shopping) as you can take.