SO/ Vienna

"If you're looking for a contemporary counterpoint to the Austrian capital's staid neoclassical aesthetic, you need only wander down the Danube Canal to the 18-story jewel box that is the SO/ Vienna. Formerly the Sofitel Vienna Stephansdom, the property was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel with all the avant-garde accents you’d expect: a minimalist gray-and-white palette in the 182 rooms (though three all-black suites are also available), cutting-edge art, and a living wall off the lobby. The pièce de résistance, however, has to be Das Loft, a scenic restaurant on the 18th floor, where the panoramic city views are rivaled only by a stunning technicolor ceiling mural by Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist."

"Austria’s conservative capital got a jolt of minimalist chic with this off-kilter 18-story tower by French starchitect Jean Nouvel. Located along the Danube Canal (with the Schiffsstation catamaran landing across the way), the 182-rooom Sofitel lies just outside the city’s historic first district, commanding wide-angle views over the skyline and St. Stephen’s Cathedral. Style more than function is the driving force here: Nouvel reportedly banned flowers from the lobby and minimalized the presence of signs and other visual distractions. The all-gray, cathedral-side guest rooms have sleek, sliding panels covering the windows, and bare (though heated) gray floors; north-facing rooms with views over Prater park are white-on-white (and have curtains); and for the style-obsessed there are three all-black rooms, booked by request. Spared from total aloofness, the hotel integrates with city life through its design-focused shopping center, while two restaurants attract a local crowd: Le Loft, an airy rooftop restaurant/bar by three Michelin–star chef Antoine Westermann, and Neni im Zweiten, a branch of a beloved Israeli-themed restaurant from the city’s Naschmarkt. Though courteous and competent, staff are not quite laser-focused: An overzealous bellman might carry off the bags with the documents you’ll need for check-in. The overall effect makes a stay here feel less Viennese and more like a journey into the flourish-free vision of a master architect."

"With its urban vineyards, eclectic music scene, and bohemian art galleries, Austria’s capital has quietly remained one of the coolest cities in Europe. Situated in the 2nd District, or Leopoldstadt, SO/ Vienna has rooms overlooking the famous Wiener Riesendrad Ferris wheel, which has been the backdrop to noir classics and meet-cute romances. Check out the trendy “beach” bars that pop up along the canal in summer and enjoy the unrivalled city view from the Michelin-starred Das Loft restaurant any time of year. On the hotel’s ground level, have your cake and eat it too at Bar/Terre which gives Vienna’s traditional café experience an avant-garde spin."