Must-see hotels in Central Europe

  • Hotel Wiesler

    Graz

    The riverside Wiesler, a Jugendstil (art nouveau) gem from 1901, has been transformed into Graz' most glamorous hotel, complete with oriental-style spa…

  • Aria Hotel Budapest

    Budapest

    Our favourite new hotel in Budapest, the Aria is a music-themed affair built around an old townhouse, with Jazz, Opera, Classical and Pop Wings. Each of…

  • Seegasthof-Hotel Lackner

    Mondsee

    Set on the shore of the Mondsee, the Lackner offers elegant, contemporary rooms with balconies and lovely lake views. A private beach is set among the…

  • Gjaid Alm

    The Salzkammergut

    This delightfully remote place is set in a rocky hollow replete with grazing cattle, sheep and horses, an easy 10-minute walk from the cable-car station…

  • Four Seasons Gresham Palace Hotel

    Budapest

    This one-of-a-kind luxury hotel was created out of the long-derelict art nouveau Gresham Palace (1907) and no expense was spared to piece back together…

  • Shantee House

    Budapest

    Budapest’s first hostel (then known as the Back-Pack Guesthouse), the Shantee has added two floors to its colourful suburban 'villa' in south Buda. It's…

  • Schlossberg Hotel

    Graz

    Central but just removed from the action, four-star Schlossberg is blessed with a prime location tucked below its namesake. Rooms are well sized,…

  • The Hayloft

    Bernese Oberland

    Picture a dark-wood, 500-year-old chalet snuggled against the hillside, flower-strewn meadows where cows graze placidly, views of waterfalls and glaciers …

  • Les Trois Rois

    Basel

    Indisputably Basel's most prestigious address, this beautiful riverfront hotel blends the dignified elegance of bygone times (waltz in the ballroom,…

  • Mandarin Oriental

    Geneva

    Occupying a prime waterfront position, the striking Mandarin Oriental Geneva does not fail to live up to the exceptionally high bar set by the sister…

  • Hôtel Beau-Rivage

    Geneva

    If only the walls of this lavish, historic hotel, run by the esteemed Mayer family for five generations, could talk! Boasting an evocative setting where…

  • Hotel Gotthard

    Tyrol

    It’s the little touches that make all the difference at this chalet hotel, such as the oven-warm bread at breakfast (owner Clemens is a baker) and yoga…

  • Fairmont Le Montreux Palace

    Montreux

    Built in a record 18 months in 1906, this stunning example of belle époque architecture maintains a traditional and elegant atmosphere: today it's managed…

  • Haus Ballwein

    Salzburg

    With its bright, pine-filled rooms, mountain views and garden, this place is big on charm. The largest, quietest rooms face the back and have balconies…

  • Gletschergarten

    Grindelwald

    The sweet Breitenstein family makes you feel at home in their rustic timber chalet, brimming with heirlooms from landscape paintings to snapshots of…

  • Hotel Helga

    Tyrol

    The Kratzer-Pilotto family bend over backwards to please at this homely chalet, with sweet and simple rooms dressed in traditional Tyrolean style, with…

  • Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa

    Interlaken

    The reverent hush and impeccable service at this landmark grand hotel evoke an era when only royalty and the seriously wealthy travelled. A perfect…

  • Hotel Weisses Kreuz

    Innsbruck

    Beneath the arcades, this atmospheric Altstadt hotel has played host to guests for 500 years, including a 13-year-old Mozart. With its wood-panelled…

  • Himmlhof

    Tyrol

    This himmlisch (heavenly) Tyrolean chalet has wood-clad rooms brimming with original features (tiled ovens, four-poster beds and the like). An open fire…

  • Chez Cliché

    Vienna

    In tune with the 'live like a local' zeitgeist, you can now stay in the home of a fictional Viennese friend in one of five super-stylish apartments,…

  • Le Palais Hotel

    Prague

    Le Palais is housed in a gorgeous belle-époque building dating from the end of the 19th century that was once home to Czech artist Luděk Marold (1865–98) …

  • Hotel Elizabeth

    Slovakia

    Behind an attractive art-nouveau facade, Hotel Elizabeth (built in 1902) has high-ceilinged, business-chic rooms, in a neutral palette with swish modern…

  • Blow Up Hall 5050

    Poznań

    Housed within the solid ex-brewery walls of the Stary Browar shopping mall, this unusual hotel offers an experience that feels a bit like sleeping in an…

  • Grand Ferdinand Hotel

    Vienna

    An enormous taxidermied horse stands in the reception area of this ultra-hip hotel. The Grand Ferdinand is shaking up Vienna's accommodation scene by…

  • Hotel Martina

    Wielkopolska

    Located 2km north of the centre on the main highway between Poznań and Bydgoszcz, Hotel Martina would be a very classy act in its own right, even if it…

  • Null Stern Hotel

    Northeastern Switzerland

    As the name suggests, this hotel has zero stars – apart from the ones twinkling above you, that is… In one of Switzerland's most romantic ventures, you'll…

  • Seehotel Das Traunsee

    The Salzkammergut

    Seehotel Das Traunsee is the prime address in Traunkirchen. It's contemporary, bright and with a stunning location on the lake, where you can relax on…

  • Hotel Monopol

    Katowice

    This tasteful reincarnation of Katowice’s most celebrated prewar hotel offers high levels of comfort and friendly, helpful staff. Rooms are full of…

  • Na Kupčku Estate

    The Julian Alps

    Now here's something really special. Saša and Jure have built the most marvellous little escape in the forested hills, 9km from Idrija. The apartment,…

  • Kiermusy Dworek Nad Łąkami

    Mazovia & Podlasie

    This relatively isolated resort, about 4km west of Tykocin in Kiermusy village, defies easy description. It's part traditional inn and part bungalow…

  • Sophie's Hostel

    Prague

    A pleasant change from the usual characterless, beer-stained backpacker dives, this hostel is for a gentler sort of budget traveller. There’s a touch of…

  • Vander Urbani Resort

    Ljubljana

    This stunning boutique hotel in the heart of Ljubljana’s Old Town is formed from four 17th-century buildings. But history stops there, for this hostelry –…

  • Marrol’s Boutique Hotel

    Bratislava

    Even travellers with aristocratic tastes will raise an approving eyebrow at the neobaroque furnishings, sophisticated restaurant and exemplary service at…

  • Hotel Deutscher Kaiser

    Nuremberg

    Aristocratic in its design and service, this centrally located treat of a historic hotel has been in the same family since the turn of the 20th century…

  • Kempinski Palace Portorož

    Portorož

    This 19th-century grande dame is a 181-room, five-star masterpiece in the Kempinski stable, with a new and an old wing masterfully combining traditional…

  • Orania.Berlin

    Kreuzberg

    This gorgeous hotel in a sensitively restored 1913 building wraps everything that makes Berlin special – culture, class and culinary acumen, infused with…

  • Czech Inn

    Prague

    The Czech Inn calls itself a hostel, but a boutique label wouldn’t be out of place. Everything seems sculpted by an industrial designer, from the iron…

  • Villa Trapp

    Salzburg

    Marianne and Christopher have transformed the original von Trapp family home into a beautiful guesthouse (for guests only, we might add). The 19th-century…

  • Golden Well Hotel

    Malá Strana

    Voted one of the country's top three small hotels, this hidden gem is tucked away at the end of a cobbled cul-de-sac on the southern slope of the castle…

  • Die Reichsstadt

    The Black Forest

    This boutique stunner on Engelgasse wings you to story-book heaven. Its 16th-century exterior conceals a pure, contemporary aesthetic, where clean lines,…