The Best Hotels and Resorts in Europe and the UK: The Gold List 2024

"At Hotel Imperial, get swept away in a fairytale whirl of 19th-century pomp and circumstance, the sort that could be soundtracked and choreographed by Baz Luhrmann, lit by chandeliers, with marble floors you want to slide across in your socks and a fleet of liveried footmen who will happily take those socks to be washed and pressed afterwards. It’s eminently approachable and just wants everyone to enjoy themselves. It’s all too lazy to reach for a Wes Anderson The Grand Budapest Hotel reference for this sort of hotel, but here the comparison is justified: Michael Moser, the hotel’s head concierge for 31 years, was the inspiration for Ralph Fiennes’ Monsieur Gustave in the film—and was even asked to appear in the film, but his duties prevented him. In the rooms, there are velvets and flock wallpapers and drapes assembled with the sort of maximalist aesthetic that would have Barbara Cartland reaching for her sunglasses. As for the food, the schnitzel is one of the best in town, so large you could drape it over your knees to keep warm in winter. Outside of the hotel, there’s a reason the Prince of Württemberg built his home here: The Imperial is right on the Ringstrasse, the imperial-era boulevard that encircles the historic centre of Vienna—so all the main sights are walkable. This is a neoclassical grande dame right in the waltzing heart of Vienna—as grand as they come but not above letting its hair down. From $350. —Rick Jordan" - CNT Editors