Whenever I arrive at a hotel and prepare to check in, I
always feel slightly apprehensive about the place. I would even go as far as to
say that I judge the establishment immediately by what I see in the lobby and
the attitude of the people on the front desk. This, of course, is not right in
the same way that one should never judge a book by its cover.
From the word go, however, the Austria Trend Europa in
Vienna, was perfect and I had no cause to complain about anything. I had flown
British Airways from London Gatwick, taken the CAT express train into the
centre of town and then jumped in a taxi for a 12-Euro ride to the hotel. I was
hungry and, if the truth be known, a little tired and emotional too, but I
won’t bore you with the details.
The fact is this: the Austria Trend Europa is a wonderful place.
I know, I know, I say that about a lot of places I visit, but it’s true. Once
I’d signed in and taken possession of my room ‘key’ – it was a key card – I
made my way to what the hotel calls the ‘executive floors’. These floors have
their own elevator (up a short flight of steps on the left once you leave the
lobby area) and I needed my key card to gain access to the lift. This was not a
problem. In fact, as avid readers of my reviews will know, with the terrorist
attack threat always high, it’s perhaps nice to know that the terrorists in
question would need a key card to gain access to the executive floors.
I love it when my room is ‘mentioned in despatches,’ so to
speak, and by that I mean there’s a sign on the wall when I reach my floor
saying, as it did, ‘Rooms 1410 and 1411’. My room was ‘on the map’ so to speak
and also down its own kind of side alley (or corridor).
The room was great: A short corridor leading to the sleeping
area with a bathroom on the right and wardrobes on the left. There was a
minibar – always a good sign, not that I go mad and work my way through all the
beers like I might have in olden days. I like minibars. There are hotels that
offer the fridge, but it’s either empty or locked and to me that means just one
thing: the hotel doesn’t trust its guests. There’s also a safe, always handy, and
a wall-mounted LG flatscreen television that worked fine, but most of the
channels, bar CNN, were foreign language so I didn’t bother, but then again I’m
not a great TV watcher when I’m staying in a hotel. It seems a sin to sit in a
hotel room watching ‘the box’ when I could be out and about exploring the city.
The lighting was good in the room and there was plenty of
switches to come to terms with; I particularly liked the desk lighting, which
was more than adequate and, while we’re on the subject of the desk, it was a
good size, allowing me to spread out a bit, as I’m prone to do.
Another plus point is free WiFi, which worked perfectly, and
a comfortable bed. I got a decent night’s sleep most nights, apart from the
first one, but that was because I was pre-occupied with ‘stuff’ and not the
hotel’s fault.
Vienna is a cultured city, and on a couple of nights I was
serenaded by a classically-trained busker who played Vivaldi’s Four Seasons on
his violin somewhere in the streets below my hotel room. It was so good it
could have been Nigel Kennedy for all I knew.
In the bathroom, everything worked; my only complaint being
the shower doors, which were a little cumbersome. The shower cubicle had curved
doors and they weren’t the easiest things open and close, but it was a minor
problem and nothing to complain about. They had Dove soap in a dispenser inside
the shower and one by the sink, which was even better as I travelled without
shaving foam and I know for a fact that Dove soap lathers up well and can be
used as shaving foam too.
Because of security issues at airports I often have my
toothpaste confiscated before entering ‘security’. On this particular trip, however,
I’d simply forgotten to pack it and found myself wondering why hotels NEVER
have any toothpaste in the bathroom for those who leave it behind, like me. Lo
and behold, however, the Austria Trend Europa DOES have toothpaste and what a
relief that turned out to be! What it didn’t have, however, was an iron. Most
of the hotels I stay in have irons hidden somewhere in the wardrobe, but I
searched high and low and never found one – more’s the pity as all of my shirts
had been chucked in a holdall and the plan was to iron them day-by-day. But it
was not to be and I wore creased shirts all week.
So, all is good at the Austria Trend Europa and now it’s
time to discuss the location. You really can’t be more centrally located in my
opinion. The hotel is a short five-minute walk from Stephansplatz underground
station and is bang in the middle of Vienna’s shopping area where all the big
brands and more can be found. In fact, it’s pretty central to everything.
And what about breakfast? Wow! Cake, croissants, fresh fruit,
yoghurt, cooked meats, cooked breakfasts, cereals, bread, tea and coffee, fruit
juices, you name it, and all beautifully arranged for self-service in a bright
and breezy environment.
There’s no restaurant, which is a shame as I’d imagine it
would be good if there was one, but in all honesty there’s so much choice just
outside of the hotel it would be foolish to stay in and eat. There is a bar
where I think snacks are offered.
For me, if I return to Vienna, I would immediately re-book
the Austria Trend Europa. I booked it online and stayed from Tuesday to Friday
– three nights – for £493 – or Euros, I can’t remember, not that there’s much
difference these days. My flight was roughly £200 (British Airways to and from
London Gatwick, roughly two hours).
The Austria Trend Europa is a friendly hotel, centrally
located, offering pleasant rooms, an excellent breakfast service and there’s
little much else you could wish for in my opinion.
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