Vienna’s Altstadt Hotel was originally set up as a business hotel, designed to remind travellers ‘where they were’ and not just in an anonymous hotel room. The owner, Otto Wiesenthal has succeeded in spades – some visitors have returned over a hundred times! And, months after my visit there, countless images of the room, the artwork, the hallways and even the breakfast room consume me.
The Altstadt is a family-run hotel started by Mr. Wiesenthal 35 years ago. It consists of sixty-two suites and rooms (some privately owned), located in the Neubau era of Vienna’s 7th District. Although a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World today, the hotel’s location was not seen as a desirable part of Vienna a few decades ago. This has all changed, and trendy bars, restaurants, coffee shops and art galleries now abound.
It is truly a family hotel, and staff, many who have been there for decades are part of the ‘family’. It was for its character and personality, and also for its sense of place, architecture and design features that the hotel was awarded a Michelin Key in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
Photos by Carole Jobin
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