PRICE:
Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

Until it became a hotel in 1866, the six-story Ambassador was a warehouse for wheat and flour, a far cry from its status today as one of the five most glamorous hotels in Vienna. It's no Bristol or Imperial, but it's quite posh nonetheless. The Ambassador couldn't be better located: It's between the Vienna State Opera and St. Stephan's Cathedral, on the square facing the Donner Fountain. Shop-lined Kärntnerstrasse is on the other side. Mark Twain stayed here, as have a host of diplomats and celebrities, including Theodore Roosevelt. The sumptuous accommodations are an ideal choice for devotees of rococo fin-de-siècle or early-20th-century decor. Bedrooms are furnished with Biedermeier and Art Nouveau period pieces. The quieter rooms open onto Neuer Markt, although you'll miss the view of lively Kärntnerstrasse. Comfortable beds, marble bathrooms with tub/shower combinations and toiletries, and ample closet space add to the hotel's allure. The restaurant, Léhar, serves high-quality Austrian and international cuisine.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Vienna and Danube Valley, 7th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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