Exterior of the new Park Hyatt Vienna. ©Matthew Shaw

A weekly series featuring luxury hotel expert Mary Gostelow’s hotel pick of the week. 

Vienna, Austria‘s newest hotel, Park Hyatt Vienna, looks so established that you think it has been there forever, or at least since you were last in this fascinating city. It was built in 1913 as headquarters of the administration of Lower Austria, Niederôsterreichische Escompte Gesellschaft and later housed the Bank of Austria. Now it has become a key player in the redevelopment play of young entrepreneur René Benko, who is bringing life to this Goldenes Quartier of town, running east from Am Hof square to the magnificent Dom cathedral.

Park Hyatt Vienna is on the east side of Am Hof square. If you have a front-facing room, there are particularly exciting views around the end of the year, when Am Hof hosts a traditional Christmas market – stalls are jammed in, a proverbial sardine can, and crowds push their way through to try yet another hot mulled wine, a selection of local sausage, or potatoes served in a myriad of ways.

Now an imposing lobby, formerly an ante room. ©Matthew Shaw

Inside the hotel, there are constant reminders of former banking glory. Main reception was the bank’s ante room. The cashiers’ hall, which retains its upper clearstorey stained glass windows, is now The Bank restaurant, already popular with locals. The original safe door is, decoration only, in spa reception, next to a window looking through to the 50-foot indoor swimming pool. You can also see the pool from the adjacent Technogym, which is really first-class, perhaps because GM Monique Dekker is a serial triathlete.

The Technogym, looking through to the pool. ©Matthew Shaw

All 143 bedrooms are unique in size, all with expect high ceilings, lots of wood and browns, and heavy metallic wall art. You probably will, and should, be spending maximum time sightseeing. In addition to the immediate locale, Kärntnerstrasse – Vienna’s Rodeo Drive – is a ten minute walk, and add only another five for either the Vienna State Opera House or the Spanish Riding School.

The Grand Salon dining room at Park Hyatt Vienna. ©Matthew Shaw

Read last week’s Hotel of the Week here.