At HOME in VIENNA

Tucked away in Vienna’s creative Neubau district, this family-owned, art-themed boutique hotel is filled with museum-quality artwork and known for its unique artist-designed rooms—each a creative space for international designers and artists to play, making it one of the most distinctive hotel experiences in Austria’s capital.

Otto Ernst Wiesenthal does not need a palace. He is happy in his thriving cosmos in Vienna’s 7th district, not far from the former imperial playground of the Habsburg dynasty. The fact is, at no. 41 Kirchengasse, he feels very much at home. 

It is the same impression I get from his daughter Saskia Wiesenthal. She revels in showing locals and guests around her father’s art-filled dominion. It might not be too obvious, but Saskia has a habit of making you feel that you’re a part of a tight-knit, growing Altstadt Vienna family. 

“Back in the days, my father used to work for a computer company and when away for business trips, he would spend countless nights in hotel rooms that all looked the same. He got tired of it and could no longer see himself staying in a faceless hotel.” Saskia tells me this as we wander around the hallway and are about to check an artist’s commissioned room. Travelers in search for a unique hotel in the city where every room is designed by artists will find the stay in Altstadt Vienna a completely different visual experience.

“You see, my father loves to host dinner parties. He takes pride in his cooking, loves his art deeply and enjoys the comfort and familiarity that a home offers.” We went down the staircase, passed the life-sized blue painting in the foyer, then turned into a corner and arrived at Room 19. “I guess it’s that essence of a home that my father wanted to celebrate and he may have found a way to do it through his personal art collections and share them with everyone.”

Saskia takes out the key, opens the door and in an instant we step into Carsten Fock’s Zen world. The abstract, color-intensive German artist, like a calligraphy master, left his bold Provençal purple brushstrokes on the immaculate white-washed wall behind the bed and planted two paintings in the room that tap the temper of our times.
 

Photo from top to bottom: (1) Otto Wiesenthal, owner of Altstadt Vienna Hotel and an avid art collector. (2) The Violet Suite – “Every Day Is A Day” featuring the works of the renowed German artist, Carsten Fock.

Inside Altstadt Vienna’s Art Themed Boutique Hotel

“Well, here we are. A home away from home. It was one of my father’s first slogans. He really wanted to open up his own place where people feel at home, find a refuge while traveling”, Saskia explains and beams.

A glimpse through the window, I could see the moody spring in late March throwing a fit in the form of a rainshower. It seems it’s a typical thing for a city about to wake up from a deep winter slumber. But while it was gray and raining outside, Room 19 was awash with the esprit of spring. As if someone intentionally spilled a splash of paint, kept the sunshine in the room and managed not to let it out. I have come to the city, it is to say, for a Viennese fix. Perhaps it might as well be to seek refuge. Here at Altstadt Vienna, I may have just found it. 

“Finding myself back in the city for a dose of a Viennese fix, resurrected my spirit, as if raising lady Lazarus from the dead.”

 

It seems that the building’s ethos remains unchanged over the years even before Mr. Wiesenthal opened his hotel here in 1991. The building, in a sense, resembled a place of refuge to say the very least. Back in the days, Russian immigrants would sojourn here while waiting for passage and papers to travel to the free world, perhaps somewhere in America, Canada or Israel.

After the computer company closed, Mr. Wiesenthal, now a free-agent, was determined to transform the tired guesthouse and put his personal stamp on it in keeping with the same philosophy of providing a refuge and a place that people can go to and relax, take a pause and appreciate art.
 

A Boutique Art Hotel For Art Lovers

 
It was only a matter of time when Mr. Wiesenthal’s long-nurtured dream became a reality; to create a hotel with an art gallery in it, or build an art gallery that comes with accommodations. Whichever you look, the rooms at Altstadt Vienna are never the same. Each one is a personalized portrait of a Viennese lifestyle. Guests experience spaces that reflect individual artistic visions, filled with original artwork and curated interiors. Artworks by Andy Warhol, Annie Leibovitz, Yayoi Kusama and Bruno Gironcoli hang alongside homegrown talents, Otto Mühl, Markus Prachensky and Friedensreich Hundertwasser. The art of hospitality a la Wiensenthal, literally, dwells and thrives here. 

Photo from top to bottom: (1) One of the sought-after hotel rooms showcasing an Andy Warhol art piece from the owner’s personal collection. (2) Saskia Wiesenthal, daughter of the Altstadt Hotel founder, on a personal tour with guests. (3) The author meditating infront of an artwork.

Saskia’s phone rings, I take it as a signal for me to move along. I’m guessing it’s another art pilgrim waiting to be shown around as I did and everyone before me with aspirations of coming in contact with works of art and perhaps even sleeping with them.
 

Where Every Room In The Hotel Is Designed By An Artist

 
Saskia and I parted ways and I headed back to Room 53 where Andreas Lackner, a sought-after lifestyle stylist brought his vision of old regal Vienna to the contemporary. As someone responsible for staging some of the world’s biggest events, the Fête Impériale, Life Ball and 2016’s Carnival in Venice; I was not surprised to see a modern portrait of the Infanta perching above my bed. The sage in staging somehow anticipated my matronly arrival to what was once the capital of the world.

Photo from top to bottom: (1) My assigned chambre d’art – Room 53 staged by Andreas Lackner. (2) The room next door with the same view as mine. Room 52 features selected furniture pieces from Spanish star designer, Jaime Hayón and the american sculptor, Alexander Calder.

While I couldn’t shake off the thought of seeking a refuge in a city that over the years has learned to spoil me, it seemed rather appropriate to indulge in the present – my mindfulness of the moment. My last planned trip to Vienna was put on hold several times, due to strict covid lockdown and the ever evolving travel restrictions. Finding myself back in the city for a dose of a Viennese fix, resurrected my spirit, as if raising lady Lazarus from the dead.

Just as the infamous Viennese legend would have it and was said to have taken place just across my street. Sometime in 1679, the year of the plague, bagpiper Marx Augustin, Vienna’s favorite minstrel, woke up one morning amongst a pile of corpses, in what was to be the most terrifying hangover of all time. The deflated tavern performer had had too much to drink after a night’s empty house performance, passed out on the side of the road, only to be mistaken as another dead body and was dumped into the plague pits.

Unable to call for help and free himself out of the mass grave, Augustin reached for his bagpipe and blared it as loud as he could, stopping the bewildered churchgoers in their tracks, who then found Augustin and brought him out of the pit.
 

New to the neighborhood?: START EXPLORING THE AREA NOW >>

 
Surviving his brush with death as well as the plague, Augustin became the symbol of Viennese tenacity as well as their sense of humor. So much so that Vienna’s popular biweekly street paper was named after him. 

Between Augustin’s almost comedic resurrection and mine, what are the odds that I might end up celebrating tonight – hopefully not to pass out in some ditch! Looking at the spire of St. Ulrich church from my window, I see the twilight mist rolling in. Down below, the cobbled streets look glossy and wet. Plants enjoying a sip. Spout. Splash. Sprinkle. It seems, to me, that Vienna, like a living art, sparkles ever more so – come rain or shine. ✍🏻
 

To make the most of your trip to Vienna, check out these other travel essentials: CULTURAL ATTRACTIONS and LANDMARKS / BEST PLACES TO DINE IN THE CITY / WHERE TO GRAB THE BEST BRUNCH / LOCAL MARKET / OPERA and CLASSICAL MUSIC / RECOMMENDED WALKING TOURS

Updated March 2026: A quick guide to Vienna’s Altstadt art hotel and making the most of your stay today

Before you go:

 
What Makes Altstadt Vienna Special? Unlike traditional luxury hotels, Altstadt Vienna is known for its artist-designed rooms. Because every room is different, staying at Altstadt Vienna feels more like visiting a private art residence than checking into a conventional hotel. This makes the hotel especially popular with:

– art lovers and design enthusiasts
– travelers seeking unique boutique hotels in Vienna
– guests looking for design-forward accommodations
– visitors who want to stay somewhere truly memorable
– couples seeking a romantic boutique stay
– visitors who prefer intimate and family-run hotels
 
What’s around the neighborhood: Vienna’s Neubau district. The hotel sits in Neubau, one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in Vienna. The district is known for its independent boutiques, cafés, galleries and creative atmosphere. Nearby attractions include:

– MuseumsQuartier (Leopold Museum / Kunsthistorisches Museum)
– Vienna’s historic center
– contemporary art galleries
– concept stores and cafés

For first time travelers visiting Vienna, Neubau is one of the best places to stay and explore Vienna’s cultural scene.
 
How to get to the hotel? Travelers arriving at Vienna International Airport can reach Altstadt Vienna easily by public transportation or taxi. Options include: City Airport Train (CAT) to the city center, airport bus to central Vienna taxi or ride service directly to the hotel.

From the city center, the hotel is just a short walk or metro ride into the Neubau district.
 

Continue your journey through Vienna and get to know the city on another level

 
>> In Vienna, Dr. Freud will see you now

>> My Viennese Ritual
 
 

Will you be traveling to Vienna anytime soon? What do you think about art hotels and which one is your favorite? Do you know a cool hotel that you want me to check and experience? Love to know what’s on your mind and how you feel about being at home in Vienna. Do share them in the comment section below.