Park Hyatt Vienna Review
Located in a former bank building, the Park Hyatt Vienna is a luxury oasis in the heart of the Austrian capital. I enjoyed a stay at the Park Hyatt Vienna with my wife and kid during the winter, when visiting the Christmas markets in Vienna. The hotel's central location and its fantastic rooms make it a great option for those visiting the Austrian capital, despite the underwhelming service we experienced during our stay. In this Park Hyatt Vienna review, I cover why this hotel is such a great option for Hyatt enthusiasts, especially for those visiting the Christmas markets.
Location
The Park Hyatt is well-located in the Innere Stadt district, also known as the old town of Vienna. Although Vienna is already a compact and walkable city, the hotel's location makes things even easier. The Park Hyatt is less than 10 minutes away from St. Stephen's Cathedral and the Hofburg palace.
The hotel's location is also great for visiting the Christmas markets. One of the markets is in the square directly in front of the hotel, and multiple smaller markets are less than 5 minutes away. Larger markets like those at Maria-Theresien-Platz and at Karlsplatz are between 10 and 25 minutes away.
Taxis to and from the airport cost around 60 Euro and take about 20 minutes.
Park Hyatt Vienna Review: Typical Booking Cost
When we visited, the Park Hyatt Vienna was a Category 6 in the World of Hyatt program. Unfortunately, the hotel is going up to Category 7 on March 28, 2023 as part of Hyatt's most recent recategorization. Here are the award costs for each room type as of March 28 (with current Category 6 costs in parentheses):
Standard Room
- 25,000 points off peak (21,000)
- 30,000 points standard (25,000)
- 35,000 points peak (29,000)
- All bookable with a Category 1-7 free night certificate.
Standard Suite
- 43,000 points off peak (36,000)
- 48,000 points standard (40,000)
- 53,000 points peak (44,000)
Premium Suite
- 70,000 points off peak (50,000)
- 80,000 points standard (60,000)
- 90,000 points peak (70,000)
The hotel has 143 guestrooms and 41 suites. This is a significant suite-to-room ratio, which should bode well for upgrades. Rooms at the Park Hyatt Vienna consistently cost north of $550 per night. When we booked, rooms were over $750 per night.
Check-In
As we pulled up to the front of the hotel, a bellhop stepped out to help us with our luggage before we even left the car. He was very friendly and attentive, making a great first impression.
We arrived around 9:30 am, so it was no surprise that our room wasn't ready. The front desk staff member confirmed my phone number and said she would text me when our room was ready. During this exchange, the friendly bellhop had already stored our luggage for us.
During check-in, the front desk rep acknowledged our request for a crib in the room. She said the crib would be in our room when we returned (it wasn't and we had to request it again).
The rep thanked me for being a loyal World of Hyatt member but made no mention of my Globalist status, nor did she walk me through any of the benefits, such as complimentary breakfast. I asked whether there was any chance we could be upgraded to a suite, since it would be nice to have some space to ourselves after our kid fell asleep. Without even glancing at her computer, the representative answered that no suites were available, adding that the hotel was sold out for our stay.
Neither of these statements were true. I had checked on the Hyatt app and a park suite deluxe was available for the duration of our stay. Granted, this is not a standard suite, but nor is it among the larger or more expensive suites offered. This interaction made it feel like we were checking in at a Marriott hotel.
We never received a text message or notification that our room was ready. But when we returned to the hotel in the afternoon, our room was ready.
Park Hyatt Review: King Bed Room
The standard king bed room at the Park Hyatt Vienna is excellent. As expected of a Park Hyatt, it's clear that a lot of thought went into the room's design and execution. The overall decoration and style is both classic and modern–neither stuffy nor sterile–a perfect balance that many have come to associate with the Park Hyatt brand.
The front door opens to a long hallway that leads into the bedroom. The bedroom is very large, especially for European standards. The room features a comfortable king-sized bed with side tables, a writing desk with a chair, a coffee table, and a sofa chair with an ottoman. The room also has an elegant armoire that serves as the minibar, which also includes a Nespresso coffee maker and an electric kettle. A sliding mirror elegantly and cleverly hides a large television while also making the room seem larger.
The hallway is flanked by the bathroom, a closet that offers a good amount of storage, and some cabinets and drawers. The bathroom is split, with a half-bath on one side of the hallway. On the other side is the large double vanity, a nice built-in bath tub with a removable showerhead, and a massive shower.
The bathroom is incredibly bright and well-lit, making it look and feel even bigger than it already was. Both the bath tub and shower were lovely, with excellent water pressure. The toiletries offered were an odd mix of brands. Park Hyatt hotels typically features Le Labo toiletries, whereas Hyatt Regency properties provide Pharmacopia products. But the Park Hyatt Vienna appears to use both brands, while also including body lotion from Blaise Mautin.
Our room faced a busy pedestrian street. But despite bars and cafes being open until late, we did not hear any noise and were able to sleep soundly.
Despite the room's comfort, elegance, and sophistication, it was showing some of its age in the details. Chips, scratches, and a crack or two in the baseboards were spotted, as expected for a hotel that opened back in 2014. But to be clear, these were far from an eye soar and didn't come close to hindering our enjoyment of the room.
Property/Amenities Review
The Brasserie is the hotel's restaurant, located in the center of the building. Spacious bright, and elegant, the restaurant was consistently well-frequented for dinner during our stay. The vaulted ceilings and marble interior evoke the building's rich history. Again, in true Park Hyatt fashion, the décor is sleek and modern.
The Bank bar is located in the same space as the Brasserie, but off to the side, in what used to be the cashier hall of the former bank.
The hotel’s indoor pool is accessible through the spa and was formerly the bank's underground vault. Surprisingly, the pool was not heated despite it being winter. Much to my chagrin, my toddler didn't mind the water temperature, so in we went for a swim.
The gym is also accessible through the spa and overlooks the swimming pool. It was quite spacious and featured plenty of equipment and everything you'd expect from a hotel of this caliber.
Park Hyatt Vienna Review: Hyatt Elite Perks & Status Recognition
Elite recognition (and service generally) was the low point of our stay. This goes beyond the deliberate lack of a room upgrade. At no point did any staff member ever volunteer information about our elite status benefits, such as complimentary breakfast.
That said, we received some fruit, chocolate, and a handwritten note from the manager on one night. And on another night, we received a stuffed toy for our kid and another handwritten note from the manager.
Globalist members enjoy complimentary breakfast at the Brasserie restaurant. Breakfast included a buffet and a small menu with 6 or so dishes. The buffet was quite expansive and with a heavy focus on Austrian and Central European selections. Options include a variety of cured meats and cheeses, several kinds of Viennese pastries, many types of cereal, and a number of egg dishes. The menu options were also skewed more towards traditional breakfast dishes. All of the food we tried at breakfast was excellent–the truffle eggs were the standout dish. The pancakes were also excellent. Breakfast also includes complimentary sparkling wine.
Service during breakfast was particularly weak, despite the restaurant never being very full. Each morning, we were promptly greeted by a server who would take our coffee orders. After bringing us our coffee and taking any orders for menu items, the server was never to be seen again. We didn't have a single coffee refill during our stay.
Redemption / Value Breakdown
We visited Vienna during Christmas market season, which is a popular time. The hotel was quite full, but not sold out. Cash prices were going for over $750 per night for a standard room. We redeemed 75,000 points for our three-night stay, netting us around 3.0 cents per point.
For this booking, we used a mix of World of Hyatt points and Chase Ultimate Rewards. Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer 1 to 1 to World of Hyatt. You can earn Hyatt points (either Chase Ultimate Rewards or Hyatt points) from these cards:
- Chase Sapphire Preferred
- World of Hyatt Credit Card
- Chase Freedom Unlimited
- Chase Freedom Flex
- Chase Ink Cash
- Chase Ink Unlimited
- Chase Ink Preferred
- World of Hyatt Business Card
Park Hyatt Vienna Review: ToP Thoughts
Despite the lackluster service during our stay, I would return to the Park Hyatt Vienna. The hotel's centralized location is second to none and the room was excellent. The hotel was already pricey points-wise as a category 6, so the increase to a category 7 certainly stings.
Have you been to the Park Hyatt Vienna? Let us know in our Facebook group, where we talk about traveling on points all day everyday.
