It seems the hills are alive again with the Sound of Music with the home of the famed von Trapp family singers being refashioned into a new 14-room hotel named Trapp Villa
Located on the outskirts of Salzburg and once filled with all of the family's favorite things, the property hasn't changed much over the years. But there's no call for major alterations with the conversion, just some new paint, rewiring of the building and guest room furnishings. In a perfect world, they'll have wi-fi access, too.
The hotel will open July 25th with a big reception, where fans of the Trapp family singers and the movie can tuck themselves in for the night in the very same rooms as the Baron, Maria and their seven kids, who by the way were really named Rupert, Agathe, Maria, Werner, Hedwig, Johanna and Martina. For real, no Liesl.
Just don't try turning the new draperies into lederhosen, okay.
Any idea what a "casual luxury" hotel is? We're not sure either, but apparently Vienna's new The Ring Hotel is a shining example of one. We have a feeling it doesn't mean that you can run around in your oldest shorts and flip-flops, but instead it sounds like they're trying to saying The Ring is a place where you can get everything you want but without any snootiness. Sound okay?
It's called The Ring--not the name we'd choose thanks to the scary movie franchise, but there is a reason--because it's located on Kaerntner Ring, one of the streets that forms a loop around the center of Vienna. Actually it's in a great spot, almost opposite the Opera House and that means you can walk to many places around town, and also have easy access to public transport. And it's still a relatively small hotel with 68 rooms and suites.
Their current seasonal special has a catchy name: "Enjoy Spring at The Ring!" and rates start from €199 (US$310) per night (not including breakfast), which is a lot cheaper than their rack rates. They also have a "Luxury Before Birth" package which is a BabyMoon for couples about to expect their first child--for €549 (US$860) you get 2 nights' accommodation, energy wellness breakfast, a pre-natal massage for Mom and a beauty treatment for Dad, a limo tour through Vienna and a few free gifts.
In the interests of single parents-to-be they even offer the same if you pay a single supplement. Figure that one out.
Cubicle Dreamin' is a feature in which we ask the hotel mavens to take some time out of their busy work day, surf the Internet, and tell us what hotel they wish they could beam themselves to right that very second--all on the slave driving companies dime, of course. Oh, like these people aren't surfing aimlessly anyway--at least now their purposeless clicking will be cobbled together into useful hotel stories--we hope. Have a destination hotel you are just dying to leave your cube for? Send the story our way.
In this episode, editor Juliana fantasizes about the perfect place for a drink. Enjoy.
Lately, I haven't had time for much Cubicle Dreamin' but today it's finally Friday and I've had a few moments to spare. So I hit the internet at first looking for shoes. Don't know why. I don't need 'em but I always like to see what's out there. It's sort of a compulsion I guess.
Anyways, when I got bored (translation: upset that the shoes I really want are priced at $760!!), I decided to get back to work. Tired of the mainstream hotel news, I headed over to the Cool Hunter, a site I really enjoy mainly because they have the greatest photographs. Although, the high-res makes it a pain to load up on your browser.
Still, when I saw this photo of the ONYX bar inside the Do and Co Hotel in Vienna, I wanted to go there now. Like NOW. Like beam me up and over what have you. I don't even have to stay over night, I just want to get in there. And I haven't got this way about a hotel in a loooong time.
I definitely need a vacation and although I can't get to Europe just yet, I'm considering stopping here next Fall.
What you see from the Haus is a straight-on, full-size, real-life panorama of St. Stephen's Cathedral - Stephansdom -- that has defined Vienna since 1147 AD. It is the sound of this Cathedral's massive Pummerin (big bell) that announces the official arrival of the New Year in Austria.
And that's a way more fulfilling experience than designer shoes, right? Right??? (Note: I grabbed this shot from the hotel website but go to Cool Hunter for high-res glory.)
Depending on your destination, a number of Eurail trains in and out of Vienna stop at Wien Westbahnhof, loosely translated as the West Vienna rail station. Directly opposite the Europaplatz side of Westbahnhof, you can find the Mercure Wien Westbahnhof which as well as being handily located to a main train station is also served by the underground train, airport bus and trams.
Apart from the great location and reasonable price (you can often get a room for around $100 a night), the Mercure Wien Westbahnhof isn't really a special hotel. There are about 250 roooms and sometimes large tour groups are put up there, and the central transport location can mean it's sometimes a bit noisy. Breakfast is the usual Austrian-style buffet feast, which means it can be a matter of timing and chance to get the fresh or hot versions of whatever's available that morning.
Luxury in an Austrian castle is a special kind of luxury, we think. And it's just opened up in the form of Schloss Velden, a magical yellow palace on the shore of Lake Woerth. Built in 1607 and later serving as a hotel for a century, it closed down in 1991 and has recently reopened as a Capella Resorts property.
Well known amongst the "elite" of Europe over the years as a high standard retreat, the new version of the Schloss Velden has an eye on modern luxury, with standard features like this:
a central computer system that controls all of the room's functions from the bedside, rainforest showerheads, LCD televisions, wireless Internet access, iPod docking stations, refreshment centers, and marble bathrooms with LCD televisions.
It also has a huge onsite spa center which includes a salt aroma steam room, a genuine Finnish sauna, and a "chill-out room" with--they say--real snow falling, one of just three such rooms in the world. It's starting to sound more like a tourist attraction than simply a hotel! If it all gets too impressive, you can get upset about the new extension that's not in an olde worlde castle style: some say it's great architecture and some say it's just not right.
If you're going to chill out in the Alps--Swiss or Austrian, take your pick--then a pretty cool way to do it is in Cube Hotels. The first Cube was opened at Nassfeld in Austria just three years ago, but two more have followed.
The Cube Nassfeld follows the philosophy of The Cube, and it means everything and nothing:
CUBE is a unique concept encompassing mountains, leisure and holidaymaking throughout the whole year. CUBE means individuality. CUBE means creativity. CUBE means activity. CUBE means relaxation. At CUBE there's something for everyone ranging from outdoor activities to indoor chill-out. CUBE sets itself apart with its urban design.
Putting all that into plain English, The Cube Nassfeld is a great place to go if you're young or hip or a skiier or any combination of the three. Ski lifts are right outside, and the hotel itself has a modern design that's gotta make for good holiday snaps. It's designed to be affordable for all without turning into a backpackers' hostel; and it's designed to be a good place to stay even in summer, when you can explore the mountains on foot instead of skis or boards.
Cubicle Dreamin' is a feature in which we ask the hotel mavens to take some time out of their busy work day, surf the Internet, and tell us what hotel they wish they could beam themselves to right that very second--all on the slave driving companies dime, of course. Oh, like these people aren't surfing aimlessly anyway--at least now their purposeless clicking will be cobbled together into useful hotel stories--we hope. Have a destination hotel you are just dying to leave your cube for? Send the story our way.
In this episode, Hotel Maven Amanda K let's us know where an Ozzie wants to get away from it all. Enjoy.
Oh, it's so easy to pick where I would go right now, if a magic carpet picked me up. Hands down a return to the Rogner Bad Blumau Resort in south-eastern Austria. It's a kind of fairytale place a couple of hours south of Vienna, with crazy colorful buildings--staff will proudly tell you that no two windows have the same size and shape--designed by slightly insane artist and architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser.
Right now, they could be under snow, and swimming outdoors in a naturally hot thermal pool with snow flakes landing on your head is the ultimate way to de-stress at the end of the year. And there are plenty of indoor baths of different temperatures to soak in, too. And while the food has an emphasis on organic (my craving for chocolates didn't get too satisfied here), you soon adapt to this healthy lifestyle.
You have to be careful not to indulge too heavily in the organic wines, though--the path back to your room is not straight, not flat and not designed for those who are unsteady on their feet. Part of the charm of the almost childish (but oh-so-trendy) Hundertwasser style.
Visiting Vienna, Austria's attraction-crammed capital, is a good way to dive into either an Eastern European trip (it's less than an hour from Slovakia's capital Bratislava, and also right near Hungary, Slovenia and the Czech Republic) or to start an alpine-style Western European holiday (you could take in the rest of Austria, Switzerland and Germany).
Reaching all of these destinations is perfect by train, and staying near the South Railway Station Südbahnhof is ideal. Enter a number of accommodation choices: a popular one being the Prinz Eugen Hotel directly opposite the station.
The staff are often heavily-accented foreigners, but that doesn't matter as even if you speak a little German, the quirky dialect of Vienna is something you can never learn from a textbook. Some of the double and twin rooms are a bit cramped, but if you book a triple you could have enough space for a small orchestral performance (now that's life in Vienna!).
The Prinz Eugen tends to feel a little dark inside, but if you're visiting in winter it's no different outside. As in most of German-speaking Europe, a pretty elaborate breakfast is included, with more types of cheeses or bread rolls than anyone really needs. You can wheel your suitcase to the station or use your feet to get to the city center; if you're not feeling so fit or Vienna's under snow, the tram and subway are also right nearby.
