Novotel Wien City

Finding a comfortable hotel at a reasonable price in Vienna is not an easy task so I was pleased to find a good deal at the new Novotel Wien City which opened in Nov 2007. I had to pay up front and wasn't allowed any changes or cancellation, but got a double room for 109 euros a night. Breakfast wasn't included and was expensive at 15 euros so we ate outside instead. (There's a MacDonalds round the corner where you can get an Egg MacMuffin for a fraction of the price.) However, there was a kettle in the room so we were able to make ourselves a cup of coffee.

The room itself was very comfortable and well designed with a comfortable bed, flat screen TV (BBC and CNN in English), a desk with well-positioned power points for using my PC, and a sparkling bathroom. There wasn't a bath but the lovely rain shower made up for that. The WC is in a separate room which is handy if your companion wants to use it while you're having a shower.

WiFi was available in the room and accessed by obtaining a code from reception. I used it for an hour and it cost 8 euros. If you're not travelling with a PC or don't want to pay, there is a PC beside the reception desk which you can use free to access e-mails etc.

The staff were very friendly and helpful and spoke excellent English. When we checked in, we were given a map of Vienna and were also able to buy travelcards for use throughout the city.

We had one dinner in the hotel restaurant. There wasn't much atmosphere, not helped by the fact it was empty, and I found the menu a bit too trendy. The food was nice but it was quite expensive, particularly when wine was added. On another occasion we had a room service meal and that was tasty.

The hotel is located just outside the Ringstrasse and it took approx. 15 minutes to walk to Stephensplatz. However, just around the corner from the hotel is Nestroyplatz U-Bahn station from where you can catch very frequent trains to anywhere in the city. If you're carrying heavy luggage, there's a lift at street level, straight down to the platform.

I enjoyed staying at this hotel and would definitely do so again if the price was right.

Directions: Beside the Ringstrasse. A 5 minute walk from Nestroyplatz U-Bahn station.