Arriving at the Imperial Riding School Hotel, tucked into Vienna’s Landstraße district, feels like stepping into a storybook of the city’s past.
The building itself began life in the 19th century as Emperor Franz Joseph I’s military equestrian school, changing to Vienna’s largest cinema and then into a postbus depot after the Second World War. The heritage still resonates in its vaulted arches, regal façade, and subtle equine motifs.
Yet the hotel has been reimagined for today’s traveller, and as part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, the result is a property that balances grandeur with playful modernity.
The lobby sets the tone: marble columns, soaring ceilings, and archways that echo the building’s original architecture, softened by contemporary furnishings and curated art. Look closely and you’ll spot equestrian details woven into the design by duo Martin Goddard and Jo Littlefair with stable-inspired flooring, horsehair panels, and even seating arranged in horseshoe formations. It’s a clever nod to the past without feeling heavy-handed.
With 342 rooms and suites, the hotel is larger than you might expect from its boutique-like vibe. My room, a deluxe double on the 7th floor, was spacious and comfortable, with postcard views over the district. Interiors are chic but understated: hardwood floors, jewel-toned accents inspired by Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele, and leather details that subtly reference the equestrian theme. Large bed with luxury linen and amazing pillows. Bathrooms are sleek, with green marble tops, arched mirrors, rainfall shower and stocked with Saint Charles Apothecary that feel indulgent yet practical and cut-glass tumblers. Along with local Julius Melni coffee machine and kettle. No unnecessary amenity kits in the rooms but are available upon request.
There’s an indoor pool framed by tiled archways, a fitness centre, yoga room, steam and sauna. The landscaped gardens one of Vienna’s largest private gardens with outdoor seasonal bar laid out in a horseshoe pattern and pays tribute to the school’s founder and variety of apple once grown, a detail for which it is historically renowned.
Dining options include the Cameo café, The Farrier bar and The Elstar restaurant highlighting Austrian flavours including the infamous Schnitzel and apple-based treats appearing as a playful nod to the horses once trained here.
The hotel also caters well to business travellers, with capacious meeting rooms and with easy access to Vienna’s transport network. In total, 13 rooms each room bears a name that reflects the building’s history or the surrounding neighbourhood, telling its own story.
The hotel attracts a mix of groups, cabin crew, business travellers, and design-conscious guests as the location is another highlight. Being slightly removed from the Inner Stadt means you avoid the tourist crush, yet you’re within walking distance of Belvedere Palace, the Botanic Gardens, and the amazing tram links straight into the city centre. It’s the kind of base that makes exploring Vienna effortless while offering a restful escape at day’s end.
The Imperial Riding School Hotel is a successful reinvention of a historic landmark. It’s regal without being stuffy, modern without losing its soul. Staying here feels like inhabiting a piece of Vienna’s imperial past, reinterpreted for a contemporary audience.
What struck me the most was the team, both profession but genuinely warm. They gave the place its character, making the grandeur feel approachable and the quirks feel charming. It’s rare to find a hotel that can be elegant, witty, and welcoming all at once, but this one pulls it off with ease. It’s firmly on my return list and, to borrow the immortal words of Austria’s own, “I’ll be back.”