Hotel Römischer Kaiser

The location of the Römischer Kaiser could not be more perfect—only a few minutes’ walk to the Opera House and just off the splendid shopping street, the Kärntner Strasse. Its delightfully baroque façade is exceptionally glamorous, hinting back to its origin as a 17th-century palace. Even though in the heart of old Vienna, the hotel faces a quiet street where no cars are allowed, thus avoiding some of the noise and confusion of the city. (If you arrive by car, you can drive to a back entrance.) In front of the hotel is a small terrace set with tables and chairs where guests can relax after a day of shopping or sightseeing. Entering the hotel, you find a pleasant reception lobby decorated with a crystal chandelier, Oriental carpets, and fancy chairs. There is a tiny lounge to your right and an intimate breakfast room to your left. There is also a coffee shop, but no formal restaurant. Although the ambiance is somewhat formal, the Jungreuthmayer family owns the hotel and personally oversees every element of its operation. Their dedication to the highest standards ensures your stay will be a most pleasant one. The Römischer Kaiser, now a Best Western Prime Minister property, is a nice hotel with 46 bedrooms with all the modern conveniences: some are quite elaborate with ornate gilt furniture; others are more modern in their decor, but all offer modern comfort and are well kept and attractive.

This fine hotel is located in a small Viennese “palais”. The extravagant architecture of this baroque jewel, located in the Annagasse, does not owe its creation to some monarch in residence, but rather to a finance minister who earlier bore the title of “Kaiserlicher Hofkämmerer”, in essence, the imperial chamberlain.

In the heart of Vienna, barely a stone’s throw from the elegant shopping milieu of the Kärntner Strasse and likewise just a few steps from the State Opera and St. Stephen’s Cathedral, we represent one of the most beautiful buildings to be found anywhere in Vienna’s Old City. It was back in 1684, during the reign of Emperor Leopold I and at the very onset of a period which saw this imperial city burst into the full bloom of the baroque, that this architectural treasure was constructed by the then imperial chamberlain, Johann Huemer.

Much of its glorious past has been preserved to this very day, not least due to the exemplary revitalisation efforts which the building has undergone, most recently in the year 2000. Above all, the fact that the building was acquired during the era of Emperor Franz Joseph by Albert von Camesina, curator of the “Royal & Imperial Central Commission for the Research and Conservation of Architectural Monuments”, contributed substantially to the preservation of its nostalgic and historical charm. The baroque furnishings, the crystal chandeliers, the red silk wall coverings, the cosy breakfast room and the typical Vienna coffee house atmosphere in the salon all contribute to an unmistakable aura of imperial elegance and taste.

Its owner is very conscious of his responsibilities towards such a historic structure. On the one hand, he has managed to preserve the intimacy of an exclusive inner-city dwelling, while simultaneously enriching the four-star hotel it now houses with state-of-the-art hotel and business amenities, sound-proofed windows and magical designer baths (Versace). With the underground nearby and the possibility of reaching all the inner city sites, such as the Imperial Riding School, the Imperial Palace (Hofburg) and the major museums by foot, the "Römischer Kaiser" presents itself as an ideal base for a successful and ’majestic’ sojourn in the old imperial city. Where savoir-vivre is our need, stylish living our priority.