PRICE:
Frommer's Exceptional

The Sacher was built in 1876, and despite recent improvements, partial rebuilding, and renovations which added 40 new rooms and a deluxe spa, it still has an air of Habsburg-era glory. Red velvet, crystal chandeliers, and brocaded curtains in the public rooms evoke Old Vienna. If you want truly grand, we think the Imperial and Bristol are superior, but the Sacher has its diehard admirers. Despite its popularity as a setting for spy novels, both the crowned heads of Europe and the deposed heads (especially those of eastern European countries) have safely dined and lived here.

In addition to intrigue, the Sacher has produced culinary creations that still bear its name. Franz Sacher, the celebrated chef, left the world a fabulously caloric chocolate cake called the Sacher torte.

Most rooms contain antiques or superior reproductions; those facing the Vienna State Opera have the best views. Rooms near the top are small with cramped bathrooms, but most accommodations are generous in size and often have sitting areas and midsize marble bathrooms with tub/shower combinations. Interior rooms tend to be dark, however. Thick towels are endlessly supplied by the eagle-eyed housekeeping staff. Demi-suites and chambers with drawing rooms are more expensive. The reception desk is fairly flexible about making arrangements for salons or apartments, or joining two rooms together, if possible.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Vienna and Danube Valley, 6th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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