“You don’t come to Vienna to lose weight”, I’m told with a knowing smile, as I’m handed yet another plate of Austrian delicacies.

I’m seated in Theo’s, the new lounge and bar at Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna Hotel, with general manager Florian Wille, a firm believer that good food and drink are integral to the Viennese way of life.

Theo’s has only been open for a week, so I’m one of the first to admire its art nouveau style, with grand arches and twinkling chandeliers. It’s the latest area of the hotel to be completely refurbished since Minor Hotels started operating and managing the former Kempinski property under its Anantara brand in March 2024, with all of the original team staying on. 

An elegant renovation  

In recent years Anantara has proven its knack for finding historic European gems – just look to the Amalfi coast, where in 2023 it transformed a 13th-century cliffside convent into a luxury hot spot. In Vienna – a city famed for elegant palaces and historic grandeur – this imposing property was the perfect match.

It dates to 1873, when it opened as a luxury hotel for the Vienna World Exhibition, designed by Theophil Hansen. Hansen is a name guests will quickly become familiar with, as he’s revered as Vienna’s most influential architect, and his modern-day fans visit the hotel to marvel at the imposing red facade and carefully restored original features.

Theo’s is named in his honour – located in the property’s former courtyard where horse-drawn carriages once turned around – meaning it’s one of the most spacious lobby lounges in the city.

Over the years the building has been repurposed as a residential complex and offices, before opening under Kempinski in 2013. Today, around half of Anantara’s top-to-toe, multi-million-pound overhaul has been completed, including most of the bedrooms.

After a brief pause for Christmas, work resumes in January, including the expansion of the Presidential Suite. Everything will be completed by mid-March, when the current breakfast and brunch restaurant will re-emerge as Brasserie Sophie, offering all-day dining.

The spa will swap its current Turkish Hammam-themed decor for brighter and lighter colour palette, while retaining the existing facilities, including six treatment rooms, a hydro pool, sauna area and fitness centre. The wellness offering is a key selling point, as at 800-square-metres it’s spacious for a city spa, and will reopen with products from Swiss brand Valmont and medi-spa treatments.

The hotel will welcome guests throughout, with only the spa closing in the new year.

Sleeping in style

Guests can choose from 152 rooms, including 60 suites, with many interconnecting options. I’m staying in one of the 11 Anantara Suites, spread across 68-square metres with an immense lounge area. Rooms are full of thoughtful touches – I find monogrammed slippers, British plug sockets by the bed and a snazzy Dyson Supersonic hairdryer.

Returning to my room is always a treat, as suite guests are greeted by a traditional Austrian cake on arrival, with pretty boxes of macaroons and bags of delicious local cookies at turndown.

All the new-look rooms feature earthy, calming tones with Viennese art, alongside gleaming white marble bathrooms with huge rainfall showers. Acqua di Parma products will be rolled out across all of Anantara’s European properties from March.

But guests don’t have to opt for a suite to enjoy a palatial experience. The entry-level Deluxe Rooms offer the same style across 35-square-metres, with added grandeur from the lofty ceilings found across the hotel.  

Location, location, location

Anantara Palais Hansen Vienna is on Vienna’s Ringstrasse grand boulevard, which encircles the centre of the capital and is home to many of its most famous museums, palaces and parks. Close to the Danube Canal in the historic financial district, the hotel is ideal for clients who want a more secluded location away from the bustle of the main tourist areas, but still require easy access to the city’s big hitters. St. Stephen’s Cathedral is a 10-15 minute stroll away.

It’s also within walking distance of many of Vienna’s famous Christmas markets. I discover this firsthand on a foodie tour with chef and tour guide Bianca Gusenbauer-Hoppe (biancaisst.com), which can be arranged through the concierge. We visit several traditional markets, discovering that Am Hof Square is ideal for unique crafts and gifts. I scoop up handmade Christmas decorations, while Bianca gathers mugs of mulled wine and plates of Austrian fare, assuring us that “the only food you should eat at a Christmas market should be greasy, fatty or sugary.”

For a bustling, energetic vibe, head to Vienna’s largest Christmas market, the Wiener Christkindlmarkt by the City Hall, complete with an ice-skating rink and illuminated rides.