kgibbons

Please take my advice and DON'T stay at the Hotel Astoria in Vienna. After reading all of the conflicting reviews on this site I made the reservations there for 4 nights the end of May.

The hotel clerk was surly when I reminded her that I had requested a room with a view and small balcony on a high floor. Our friends who arrived with us were told they would have to go to another hotel because they were overbooked.

We got a room facing the pedestiran street, looking directly into the windows of the casino across the street,no balcony, on the 3rd floor. It was unusually hot the first day and the fact that there was no air conditioning was unpleasant. The street noise was unbearable. There were drunks all night yelling and singing and then at 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. the delivery and garbage trucks were allowed on the street. About 4 a.m. the street sweeper plowed his way down the walks as well. it was just awful. Even when the weather was cooler and the windows closed it was very noisy. Every time I tried to ask the desk about something that I had been previously told, all they could say was "It is a mistake!" The breakfasts were decent enough. The hallways were shabby and depressing. But to pay over $200.00 a night for this was ridiculous. I tried to get a room at a nearby hotel, but it was fully booked so we stayed and laughed to keep from crying. We left Vienna for Budapest totally sleep deprived, but would go back to this wonderful city any time...TAKE MY WARNING AND DON'T LET THE LOCATION ENTICE YOU TO STAY HERE. This hotel is one of the Austria Trend hotels and we have found them mediocre lodgings on this trip, with poor service and uncaring employees.

Travelnick

I sympathise, but your warning is one I have made on more than one occassion. Summer can be a real pain if you want to open windows, and the Astoria is certainly not the only hotel to suffer from 6am to 10am deliveries in the pedestrian area. Street cleaners in summer seem to be on a pay package which encourages the buggers to come and wake you at 3 in the morning to clean up one cigarette but - I speak from experience from living in the centre - on what was otherwise a quiet and clean alley, then at 830 they would come again to clean up the now imaginary cigarette butts - part of the reason for high taxes in Austria.
Totally agree with corridors having also made the point. When I saw the hotel, I got a quote for 135Euro which was OK for room quality but there are certainly other hotels that I would rank better at that price. I agree with your view on Austria Trend hotels - if you do not get a heavy discount on internet, these hotels offer some of the most dubious value in Vienna.

TopMan

You said you made the reservation despite "all the conflicting reviews..."
Did any of thosre reviews mention any of these problems? Did you know the hotel wasn't air conditioned when you booked it? Were your "requests" for a room with a view and a balcony guaranteed prior to arrival or simply "acknowledged"? Were your firends simply directed to another hotel or did this hotel actually book them accommodations there?

I realize it is impossible to discern everything about a hotel prior to arrival and hopefully you've come out of this a wiser consumer.

cindiRed

What a disappointment--particularly since you did so much planning before your trip to avoid such disasters! If it is any consolation, I will heed your advice (thank you). Did you come away with a sense of where you SHOULD have stayed?

My husband and son will be joining me in July in Vienna (after 17 days apart). I would like a nice clean place to stay in the city center with AC and close to mass transit. I see that the Imperial, Bristol, and Grand receive high ratings, but ouch on the rates! We will need two rooms.

Your suggestions are appreciated!

Travelnick

Cindi,
I checked out when I lived in Vienna about 25 hotels - so room quality is the criteria I am judging. If you want pink carpets, roses on wall paper etc, -Vienna kitsch - Pension Pertschy is the best choice I found, and generally has good reviews - but watch the room location - if you are overlooking the street, you will get limited traffic noise as it is a quiet street, but you will get the smell of horse shit as it is a route for the tourist buggies.
For more modern rooms, best value (offered direct from hotel in Feb so price a littel irrelevant in July) was Starlight Suites - will have a 2 bedroom suite I think, with easily best location of 3 being Renngasse.
For hotel quality akin to those you mention but cheaper go for Ambassador - same street as Astoria but double glazing is better and a/c. Radisson and Marriott (lobby horrible dated feel) have good rooms and again cheaper than 3 you mention. Konig von HUngarn always gets good reviews, but I feel some rooms could do with a refurb, depsite this a hotel with real charm; and Kaiserin Elizabeth II has some good rooms with good location. Others will come with suggestions, some of which I have not checked out, but many people understandably recommend one without having checked out anything else.