Hotel Review: InterContinental Vienna

Overview of the InterContinental Vienna

The Intercontinental Vienna has 458 suites and guest rooms, and the conference facilities span about 1,200 square meters. Overall, the building is large, proud and sturdy enough to warrant the many people staying here for vacations and work-related travel.

I found the rooms to be spacious, though this also definitely feels like a large property. When you walk in, you get a feeling of elegance and power with wood paneling, rich colors and brass fixtures.

Once you enter the rooms, you experience a touch of homeliness, though it does give a vibe of relaxation and enjoyment of life.

Personally, I don’t think the hotel focuses on just one specific type of person. It’s great for couples, families or single people who take business trips and vacations. Plus, it’s right in the heart of Vienna, so you can enjoy the hustle and bustle without having to travel far.

Are you ready to learn all about the InterContinental Vienna Hotel? Let’s find out more now!

How I Booked the InterContinental Vienna

I booked a Classic Room at the InterContinental Vienna using a free night certificate from one of my IHG credit cards. The certificate is valid for hotels costing up to 40,000 IHG points per night, but the hotel costs 41,000 IHG points on the night I wanted to stay. I was able to pay the extra 1,000 IHG points from my point balance to cover the difference.

Cards that offer the ability to earn IHG points include:

• IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card
• IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card
• IHG One Rewards Premier Business Credit Card

But the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card and the IHG One Rewards Premier Business Card offer a free anniversary night certificate valid at hotels costing up to 40,000 IHG points.

InterContinental Vienna Location

You will find the Intercontinental Vienna in the Landstrasse district, and it’s right next door to the Stadtpark, which is quite large and well worth walking through. Within a 12-minute walk, you’ll be at the Vienna State Opera. It’s a well-traveled area, and it’s where many tourists of the city choose accommodations.

I will say it’s in the middle of the city, so there’s a lot of hustle and bustle. Still, it didn’t impede my peace and quiet during my stay.

Best Parts of the InterContinental Vienna

It seems that everyone enjoys their stay at the InterContinental Vienna Hotel, and I certainly did. There were so many things to like, but I couldn’t possibly mention all of them. Still, I’d like to list what is best about the InterContinental Vienna:

• In the Heart of the City — If you love breathtaking views, you’ll surely enjoy the InterContinental Vienna Hotel. It’s situated right in the heart of the city, so you will have access to anything you could want. There’s the central park, with the Johann Strauss monument and the metro station across the street makes it easy to reach places that are a little farther afield.
• The Staff — When you travel as much as I do, you expect things to be a certain way. I wasn’t disappointed with my stay at the InterContinental Vienna. Though I didn’t need any extra assistance, it was readily available. The staff continually asked if I was satisfied/happy or if I required help. For a relatively large hotel, it was impressive to see service this attentive.
• Comfortable Bedrooms and Excellent Amenities — Since I travel frequently, I know what I like and want. The bedrooms had all the features you’d expect from a hotel, including televisions, hot showers and room service (which I didn’t use).

InterContinental Vienna Drawbacks

Though I didn’t find much in particular to be upset with, I will point out a few oddities I noticed. These won’t likely affect your decision to stay here, but they are noteworthy:

• Outdated — Looking at the InterContinental Vienna building will make you wonder if it’s safe to enter. I know that sounds harsh, but it’s true! In photos, it looks brightly lit at night, but in the daytime, it’s a little shabby. Likewise, you can see that the inside is very traditional and feels a bit outdated. It could do with a remodel, but it’s still very safe, comfortable and welcoming.
• Hot Water Troubles — Though the water in my shower was warm enough, it wasn’t necessarily hot, and it never reached my preferred temperature, even when I turned it on full-blast. This wasn’t a huge concern, but I know some people want sauna-like showers.
• Bathroom — The bathroom in our room, while functional and fine to use, was nothing special at all. I expected more from a hotel like an InterContinental.
• No Breakfast for Elite Status — IHG doesn’t offer breakfast to those with elite status, and this hotel was no exception.

Getting to the InterContinental Vienna

I arrived at the InterContinental Vienna after a flight to Vienna International Airport. It’s relatively easy to take the metro from the airport and either change lines to one that stops right outside of the hotel or just take the single line and walk about 10 minutes from the nearest stop, which is what we did.

For those with too much luggage, it may be wise to take an Uber or taxi which should only take about 20 minutes.

Check-In

When I arrived at the InterContinental Vienna, there was a line of people waiting to check-in. This didn’t bother me because the lobby was decorated nicely, and I spent my time looking around. I had booked a Classic Room with my Chase IHG annual free night award.

Once I got to the check-in desk, I was greeted warmly, and the woman apologized for my wait. Seeing that I was a Chase IHG member, she upgraded me to a 1 King Premium Room with a City View. It was a corner room, and I have to say it was breathtakingly beautiful to see the city from my accommodations each night.

The classic room had a high floor and a bath/shower combination. Mine would have been 25 square meters. Alternatively, the premium rooms feature a bath/shower combination and start at 35 square meters.

The Room at InterContinental Vienna

When I walked into the room, I saw the king-sized bed with a small end table on each side. There was also a daybed/couch near the window which was perfect for enjoying the view with a glass of wine. The television was on the wall to the side, making it a little difficult to watch TV.

There were plenty of outlets available, but I did have to use an adapter. Still, they were hidden from view, which gave the room a stately appearance. They weren’t hard to find, but you will probably have to bend down to reach them.

Overall, the vibe I got was open and welcoming. Though the curtains were closed when I arrived, I quickly opened them. Since I was in the corner room, I got two windows and an even better view of the city. The windows featured blackout curtains, but they pulled down instead of coming from the sides.

Likewise, the bathroom was serviceable, though it wasn’t large or grand. In fact, there were no decorations in there at all; it was stark white, though the sink did feature a sparkly-granite-type counter. It was nothing special, and for a hotel like an InterContinental, I expected more.

Overall, the water pressure and temperature left something to be desired. Still, there was a regular tub. Since InterContinental has partnered with Agraria, those were the toiletries available. It’s a luxury brand and has a wonderful scent, but there were no individually sized amenities, just pump bottles full of soaps, lotions and shampoos. There were also plenty of hand soaps.

Though small, the bathroom had everything a person would need to get clean, such as a hair dryer, tissues, mouthwash and real glass cups for water and other beverages.

Food and Drink

I rarely eat and drink at the hotel, but this was an exception. Since breakfast wasn’t complimentary, we decided to have a cappuccino and cake at Cafe Vienna on the morning of our stay.

If you do wish to dine at the hotel, you have a few options, including:

• Café Vienna — This features a coffee-house vibe, with different coffees, cakes, and pastries. It’s open for breakfast, lunch and snacks.
• Parlor — This restaurant offers a gourmet dining experience and is open for breakfast and dinner.

Those who want to eat away from the hotel have many options, including:

• Gmoakleller — This features European and Austrian cuisines.
• Biergartl im Stadtpark — This is a beer garden, but it serves various foods.
• Liebsteinsky — This offers Mediterranean cuisine, and many tourists call it a hidden gem.

Amenities

If you’re like many travelers, you choose a hotel partly based on the amenities. Though the room amenities are fairly general and include housekeeping, air conditioning, a coffee maker and a television, the hotel’s amenities have almost everything you could want in the heart of the city.

While we didn’t use the gym during our stay, it was large and well-equipped. | By Charlie Lewis

The fitness center is open 24 hours a day and includes workout and cardio equipment.

There are also a few unique perks to staying at the InterContinental Vienna. For example, you have access to a:

• Sports trainer
• Foreign currency exchange
• Shoe shine
• Doctor on call
• Laundry valet
• Dry cleaning
• Theater ticket desk

Unfortunately, there isn’t a pool at the InterContinental Vienna, but that’s not really a surprise for a hotel location in the center of a major city.

InterContinental Vienna Family Friendliness

I believe the InterContinental Vienna Hotel is family-friendly. I saw a few families on vacation while I was there. However, there aren’t child-friendly activities available, and there isn’t a kid’s lounge or indoor play area.

If you plan to use the hotel simply as a place to sleep, your kids should be fine. However, if you wish to spend a lot of time at the hotel, you may want to find a hotel that better caters to children.

Final Thoughts on the InterContinental Vienna

Overall, I enjoyed my stay at the InterContinental Vienna Hotel. I booked a Classic room and was upgraded to the Premium room, which was a little more spacious and offered windows facing in two directions for a better view of the city.

Since the hotel is in the heart of the city, there’s some noise from traffic and people, but it wasn’t too bad. The hotel is in a great location with many of Vienna’s top sights in walking distance and a metro stop just across the street for anything that’s a bit farther away.