Luxury stays: the Hotel Sacher Vienna

In this video, we tour the elegant environment of Vienna’s famous Hotel Sacher.

The Sacher has been a part of Viennese history since 1832, when Prince Metternich, then an Austrian diplomat, commissioned 16-year-old Franz Sacher to create a special dessert for his guests. A few years later, his son, Eduard, would open Hotel Sacher, making the cake the hallmark of the house and capturing the essence of belle époque Vienna.

Unsurprisingly, the Sacher’s jewel-tone interiors have made it the backdrop of many a ball and cultural gathering of Austria’s nobility, while international political elites and artists made it their hotel of choice while in town.

Notable guests have included Queen Elizabeth II and Indira Gandhi, who both stayed in the hotel’s aptly named Presidential Suite, where sweeping views of the city and a collection of antique furniture add to the Sacher’s Old World charm. Today, 21st-century allure comes courtesy of flat screen TVs and iPod docking stations.

Situated in a prime location, opposite Vienna’s majestic State Opera, and only minutes from the chic Kärntnerstrasse shopping area, the Sacher Hotel is the ideal base from which to explore Viennese high culture. And for that ultimate guilty pleasure, guests can head to the tables of Café Sacher Wien, for a slice of the cake that started it all… the original Sacher Torte.

View the original video here.