The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna

If coffered ceilings with gold-gilt details, twinkling chandeliers and gleaming parquet floors set your pulse racing, The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna, is your (literal) palace. Architecture junkies flock to this collection of four palais buildings, including one inspired by Rome’s Palazzo Farnese and another originally designed to recreate the sumptuous look of a 19th century British social club. We love that guest rooms are enormous, reportedly the largest in town (and starting at 409 square feet, in a starter “deluxe” room). Book a Deluxe Balcony Room for your own private balcony peeping out on the cityscape, or splurge on the royal-worthy 2,045-square-foot Presidential Suite, which exudes 19th century grandeur (note the frescoed, carved-wood ceilings).

Tucked within four ornate palaces built between 1865 and 1871: 201 guest rooms, an indoor pool with underwater music, a Susanne Kaufmann spa, and an 8th-floor rooftop bar.

Minimalist. Rooms feel fresh, but the hotel’s recent revamp wisely stayed within Art Nouveau parameters, and the resulting spaces are nothing short of cinematic.

You’re a locavore, through and through, and the spa here culls its herbal ingredients from deep in Austria’s Bregenz Forest.

There’s something extra toothsome about Austrian steak—especially when it’s cooked on a charcoal grill oven at Dstrikt, the hotel’s fire-powered steakhouse, and served with truffle and parmesan-dusted fries. It’s edible heaven.

- Dstrikt Steakhouse - farm-to-table steakhouse - Melounge Lobby Lounge - lunch, dinner, and afternoon tea - Atmosphere Rooftop Bar - summer cocktails and snacks - D-Bar - creative cocktails with a modern twist