Ever elegant Vienna is famous for its rich musical legacy and distinctive air of refinement. As we explored this magnificently preserved capital, once the center of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, it wouldn’t have been hard to believe that the Habsburg monarchy was still in power. Vienna is a place where imperial grandeur meets modern sophistication, and history mingles with contemporary culture. I couldn’t wait to not only revisit classic sites like the Schönbrunn and Hofburg imperial palaces, but also discover new restaurants, check out recently opened museums and experience the vibrant coffeehouse culture. The unveiling of the Rosewood Vienna, the glamorous brand’s fifth property in Europe, gave me and my traveling companion all the excuse we needed to return to this stylish city.

Rosewood Vienna

Our taxi driver maneuvered around horse-drawn carriages clip-clopping through the bustling Innere Stadt (the historic center) before pulling onto Petersplatz, a square centered on the striking St. Peter’s Church, two blocks from the monumental St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Housed within a former bank showcasing a neoclassical façade completed in 1838, the 99-room Rosewood Vienna waltzed its way into town with great aplomb in August 2022.

A doorman escorted us through a luminous atrium up to a living-room-like lobby. With only two desks and several guests checking in, there was a wait. The genuinely warm staff handled this mild inconvenience gracefully, presenting us with flutes of crisp Austrian sparkling wine in an adjacent salon.