My Christmas Market trip with my daughters was cancelled last year at the last minute. It was the ONLY week that tourists were not allowed in Austria. Lucky me.
Anyway, I just re-booked our airline tickets for this coming December. We will try again.
I am stuck between Motel One and Pension Suzanne for our Vienna stay. Which is a better option?
Thanks
I have stayed at both. They are very different experiences, so it depends on what you want.
Pension Suzanne is located in a non-descript building about a block away from the Staatsoper. Once inside the doors of the hotel itself (as opposed to the doors of the building), it offers an old-world Vienna experience with rooms decorated in a more antique kind of fashion. The owners are awesome -- super friendly and happy to provide guidance on what to do/see and where to eat. Breakfast is lovely -- good choices and served in a nice breakfast room (and breakfast is served on china, as I recall).
Motel One is a simple but sleek hotel chain. The Staatsoper hotel is in a cool old building. The interior is decorated with trendy furniture in the nifty brown and teal Motel One color scheme. The front desk is professionally staffed and helpful in a corporate hotel kind of way. Rooms are small but functional. Room for luggage is fine for my carry-on size bag but limited if traveling with a lot of bags. Breakfast is a decent spread, but there is an additional charge for it.
I would give the nod to Pension Suzanne for what feels like a more Viennese experience.
I haven't stayed in either, but good friends LOVD Pension Suzanne.
I've stayed in neither (I live here, so have a cosy apartment), but I can comment on the locations.
Motel One is slightly better located for the Christmas Markets as the better ones are in that area south of the Ring.
I have stayed at the Suzanne twice last in 2019. The rooms have that old world Europe feeling. Excellent breakfast which is optional. The building does house a few long-term renters. It does have an elevator. Since you are going at Christmas, the lack of air conditioners is a non factor. Outside of the markets, Suzanne is closer to alot more things than Motel One, but the two hotels are not that far apart.
Go to Anker bakery (a chain but good) down in the Karlsplatz metro station.
Bruce
I have stayed in both and agree completely with what Dave has said above about each. If you want guest and breakfast rooms that have more of an elegant Vienna feel, together with exquisite personal service, I would recommend Pension Suzanne. For a newer feel with a pleasant and efficient service and setup, it would be Motel One.
And if you're staying for a while, try them both, as I did!! If I were to return and both were available, I'd stay in the lovely little single room I had at Pension Suzanne where I was treated with an impeccable level of courtesy.
I booked Pension Suzanne. I am very comfortable with that choice. Thank you to those who responded.
