Queer travel expert Jack Kenworthy turns 250+ city adventures into your guide for safe, vibrant, and inclusively fabulous global journeys.
Austria is a country known for many things – its expanses of castles, historic buildings, the Alps, and – perhaps most of all – movies such as The Sound of Music. Who could forget such a gold-lined piece of film history? But enough about the country – it’s time to move on to the wonders of its capital. After all, one could say that the city is even more famous than the land it sits in!
It’s no stretch of logic to say that Vienna is known worldwide for the strength of its culture and the amazing scape of its streets, but how does that reputation shape up for queer travelers looking to put their boots up in the middle of an epic trip through Central Europe?
Amazingly well, actually! Countries like Germany and Austria are well known for their strong base-line support of queer people and LGBTQ travelers, and this effect makes itself clear in Vienna. The entire city is well known for its rich LGBTQ culture and welcoming attitude towards queer travelers and citizens, but if you’re looking for a specifically queer neighborhood, the Naschmarkt district fits the bill to a tee.
The Naschmarkt is attached to some of the city’s most important and lively parts, meaning that it remains strong in Vienna’s cultural scene and unique in its sense. The district is famous for the overwhelming amount of trendy and traditional eateries, restaurants, and clubs it serves as a home to, as well as the energy and the accepting qualities of its gay bar scene and social atmosphere.
After that overview, many travelers are likely to want to stay in the Naschmarkt area, but it remains to be said that there’s so much more to be seen than just the one district and that the hotel scene is green and plentiful no matter where one looks.
There is an amazing array of historical buildings in the city, from the Schönbrunn Palace to the Historic Center of Vienna, and it’s more than worth trying out a hotel nearer to the city’s center and these places. Obviously, in most cases, there aren’t going to be hotels out there marketed directly towards gay people or queer people in general.
We know that, and therefore we’d like to note that the hotels on this list follow the same logic. Most of them have been listed as accommodating, friendly, and unjudgmental to, for, and by queer people in general, as well as being highly rated.
So, if you’re ready to dive into the very shining peak of Austria’s unique, rich culture, and if you’re itching for a city experience like very little other on this list, then buckle up, get your flight tickets handy, and prepare to jet off in search of the top eight very best gay hotels in Vienna as well as a tour of some of the city’s best districts and most beautiful landmarks!
In this article we will cover...
Art Hotel Vienna
Although it already gets off as a great start to this list of gay hotels thanks to the fact that it is marked as and verified to be queer-friendly, there’s a lot more to this particular location that makes it great than just the way gay travelers can rely on being treated by the staff and other customers.
The Art Hotel is not only an exceptional start to this list in many ways, thanks to its strong cultural profile and the number of opportunities it opens up for its guests, but also a wonderful middle point in many of the polarities that matter. The prices aren’t too high, the room quality is great for the price, and the services provided with a night’s stay are considerable.
As the hotel’s title may imply, the Art Hotel is steeped strongly in artistic design and modern fashion, meaning that every space is set to be a visual spectacle of the most stunning nature. If you’re a fan of contemporary architecture, and if you can’t stand the old and aged, this is a sure bet for the better and at an incredibly affordable price, too, just like we mentioned before.
The Art Hotel’s rooms are a strong selling point, as are the included in-house bar and restaurant ensemble, the included airport shuttle to get you to and from your entry point to the city, and the complimentary breakfast offered.
Sometimes, fashion can come without a cost, and pretty doesn’t have to mean unpractical. Staying at the Art Hotel is a sure way to remain in touch with the city’s hustle without feeling rushed, too much in and amid it all, or without escape from the busy movement of life outside.
Hotel Altstadt
Suppose you’ve ever visited a German or Austrian city before. In that case, you’re bound to have learned the fact that the Old Quarters – or Altstädte – of the German-speaking heartland are the place where one can feel most close to the period architecture of earlier history and that those of the more famous cities are bound to leave a particularly amazing impression.
With that said about its namesake, one can easily understand why this four-star location in Vienna’s historic center is so popular with travelers looking for an authentic experience and queer holidayers searching for a calm, reliable resting place between city-leaping!
The Hotel Altstadt makes the first location on this list to be explicitly marked as queer-friendly, and this naturally comes as a benefit for those mindful about their safety abroad and their comfort when interacting with the staff and other guests of the hotel they’re staying at.
Don’t let the fact that we’re throwing the words ‘old’ and ‘traditional’ around fool you – the Hotel Altstadt is modern and up-to-date in all the ways that matter while retaining a classic edge where it can.
The individual rooms are expertly maintained and put together with quite a respectable taste in fashion, and this extends out to the common spaces and the downstairs bar and restaurant ensemble that is part of the hotel’s property.
The Hotel Altstadt has good access to all the popular attractions of the city, much like the other hotels on this list, and all in all serves as a decently priced, all-needs-met option amongst the other excellent gay hotels on this list. The direct neighborhood surrounding Aldstadt is famous for its art and music culture scene, which is a plus if that is a niche of culture that interests you!
Carlton Opera
If you’re looking for culture and an authentic European holiday experience while in a reputable gay hotel, then this is the place for you. Not only are the vintage-edged yet modern-maintained rooms and common spaces stunning for the most part, but the hotel’s history is also filled with more than its share of famous figures, important events, and continuing traditions that make it a truly wonderful place to stay.
Sure, the Carlton Opera might not rise up and above if you’re the kind to appreciate a more streamlined, up-to-date approach to fashion, but it is in character when this hotel truly excels. If that is what you are looking for, then the interior of the Carlton Opera looks as fancy and luxurious as its name sounds, coming complete with a dripping decadence of style and service to boot.
That isn’t to say that the Carlton Opera is where you cannot let your hair down. Although the halls of this hotel may seem steeped in refined culture, there is an allowance for casual conversation and hanging out with your special someone or new friends.
There’s also a spa and fitness facility if you’d like to keep up with your daily regime or invest in your ever-so-valuable self-help (and we mean that with valuable, make sure to take some time out for yourself while holidaying instead of just pushing through destinations!).
If you’re an outside person and would rather get out and about, however, then your options are equally so plentiful, thanks to the Wien Paulanergasse tram stop, which is no more than a few minutes walk away, and the city’s world-famous state opera building is just a few more blocks along. The opportunities in the center of Vienna’s old city are truly endless.
Hotel Motto
Flaunting both a colorful approach to advertising and guest service and a cutting-edge accommodation system, the trendily-named Hotel Motto contrasts with the Carlton Opera before it in the fact that it is a homing point for those with modern hearts that love the convenience and the appeal of today’s updated styles.
Much like many of the other hotels on this list, the Hotel Motto is also surprisingly affordable for what it offers, especially when one considers the expansiveness of its grounds, the fact that it has an included free-to-use fitness studio, its location, and its proximity to public transport – all of which are highly prized factors in Vienna that you’ll be sure to hear us talking about and weighing with future entries.
The Mariahilf district that the Hotel Motto sits in is known for its relaxed culture and cafés, meaning that you can easily take a stroll and do a more tame form of a pub crawl by bouncing from one attraction, garden, and eatery to another, all day long.
Although there’s a bit of a lack of nightclubs and queer establishments in the area, this does nothing to diminish how this location appeals to those looking for a calm, relaxing holiday rather than one filled with nights out on the town. It truly depends on your preferences, and the Hotel Motto’s connection to public transport means that nothing at all is truly out of reach.
The rooms of the Hotel Motto are nothing short of exquisite – including kitchenettes, room service, breakfast, minibar and coffee amenities, and bathrooms with rain-type showers. All private spaces are amazingly designed with a light, elegant, yet fundamentally modern taste, and this same goes for the common areas such as the lobby and in-house restaurant and bar combination eatery.
Le Méridien Vienna
The Le Méridien Vienna is the first five-star location on this list, and what an impression it leaves. Coupled with the fact that it’s explicitly marketed as LGBTQ+ friendly, which means that it’s the perfect gay hotel for this list, this location has free parking, amazing amenities, dining to die for, and – most importantly of all – an unrivaled connection to public transport that is set to send you to whatever part of the city you most want to be at a moment’s notice.
The inner city district that Le Méridien finds itself in is the absolute center of both the hustle and bustle of Vienna and the tourism scene that the city has spent hundreds of years curating, meaning that if there’s something to do and if there’s a scene to immerse yourself in (such as the city’s thriving queer districts and the Naschmarkt), then it’s all within reach, including the city’s airports and hire car stations if you’re looking to move just a bit further than Vienna’s borders.
As for the Le Méridien, those five stars are sure to rub off on both guests and visitors from the very moment one takes a step inside, and the reviewers of the past certainly agree.
Most highly rated about this hotel is the air of luxury that surrounds the entire building and extends to the design, maintenance, and appearance of all of the rooms, as well as the common spaces and the service that the staff affords guests.
The hotel’s in-house Champagne Garden is an attraction worthy of its listing altogether, and that with the location’s air as a whole makes for a tasteful, relaxing experience that will leave an impression – if you spend long enough there instead of in the city!
Hotel-Pension Wild
Backed up by an extremely established history of excellent service and luxury, the Hotel-Pension Wild is a location that surprises again and again with the quality of what it offers guests.
Although it might not be as flashy or over-the-top as some of the other hotels on this list, this fact is offset completely by the Hotel-Pension Wild’s relatively room prices, especially when one considers exactly what is included with them.
The Hotel-Pension Wild’s building is surprisingly regal with how affordable it is, meaning that you’ll in no way be taking a step down to stay here and also that you’ll in no way be missing out on the cultured and exquisite vibe that Vienna is so famous for.
The Hotel-Pension Wild is incredibly highly rated for its service and dining, all thanks to the included in-house eatery and the room-service catered breakfasts. If you’re not a foodie, however, and if you’re more interested in the practical aspects of things, then there’s still some benefit for you.
The Hotel-Pension Wild is one of the only hotels in the entire city that is both pet- and child-friendly, and this is a definite advantage for those whose travel plans involve a miniature-sized companion, regardless of whether that companion takes the form of a kid or pet.
There’s that, and the Hotel-Pension Wild is just as close to public transport and ergonomic methods of getting around the city as possible without quite literally being in the middle of it already, like the next entry on this list, the DO&CO Hotel. When one compares the prices between the two, however, it is clear just how much that short distance saves and how many other benefits replace it and make it all the more worthwhile to overlook.
DO&CO Hotel Vienna
If you’re looking for a hotel that is stunning both from the inside and the outside, as well as incredibly accommodating, with an all-needs-catered service policy, then this is the place for you.
Although the room rates that the DO&CO aren’t as high as they could be, considering the truly central location of the hotel and the amazing structure of its common spaces, outside, and individual rooms, guests can be assured that staying at this particular place of accommodation is just as special as its appearance.
Decked out with the full five starts of a luxury location and rated almost perfectly across a wide range of major platforms, the DO&CO Hotel may not be a member of some world-famous luxury hotel franchise – rather, a mid-size hospitality and catering business – but it is fully able to pull off an exclusive, exquisite feel all on its own.
We spoke about the DO&CO’s location earlier, but this positive point must be stressed, given how very, very optimal it is. If Vienna had a center, it would most absolutely be the Stephansplatz, and it is upon this wonderful plaza that the hotel finds itself.
The classical living space of Mozart is merely a few streets away, and the Hofburg historical palace is within eyeshot of some of the hotel’s top levels, also just a few blocks to the southwest. The sheer amount of historical spots nearby means that if you’re a culture freak or simply looking to enjoy a new culture while traveling and making your way through Vienna, this is the perfect place for you.
It can quite nearly be said that there is no better location for a hotel in the entire city than this one, and the benefits of this are up to guests to discover.
House of Time
The House of Time is a bit of a strange title for a hotel, and this impression carries on to the hotel’s actual appearance. The building’s outside is colorful and unique, meaning that it stands out from its peers in an amazing way, and that’s before you even get inside.
Part of the House of Time’s extended name and label is its dedication to serving as a top-shelf luxury hotel, and it is this motto that is one of the best ways to describe the location as a whole – dedication and luxury.
Once you become accustomed to the whacky exterior design and begin to make yourself through the inside of the House of Time, guests will find that the interior is lavish and well suited to casual socialization and me-time spent relaxing with the in-house dining experience at your fingertips.
The individual rooms in the House of Time are just as striking as the outside and feel much more like suites than simple rooms thanks to their large spaces and sometimes even their inclusion of kitchens and living rooms separated from the bed spaces.
It might not be as surprising as it could be, thanks to the amount of color and glitz associated with the House of Time, but this great service reputation translates very well regarding the location as a gay hotel on this list.
As the cherry on top of the cake, the House of Time is advertised as LGBTQ+ friendly, and queer guests to the hotel have reported absolutely no discrimination or even discomfort based on their sexuality whatsoever – which is truly a refreshing experience after the varied hardships that one can encounter while staying abroad as a gay couple or even alone as a queer person.
Gay Hotel Map Of Viena
Feeling a bit lost while planning your journey to Viena? No worries, darling! Our detailed LGBTQ+ tailored map is here to guide you. We’ve pinpointed all the vibrant gay-friendly bars, exhilarating clubs, extravagant parties, cozy hotels, relaxing saunas, and soothing massage parlors to ensure you find the perfect spot.
And these aren’t just any spots; we’re talking about the creme de la creme of locations in the heart of the city’s vibrant gay scene. Think panoramic views, easy access to nightlife, and all the amenities to make your stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.
But hold on to your feather boas! These hot spots are fabulous; they vanish quicker than a drag queen’s five o’clock shadow. Don’t delay; book now to secure the best deals and locations. Remember, the early bird catches the best deals in Viena! So, pack your rainbow flag, and get ready to experience the ultimate gay-friendly holiday in Viena.
