Palais Hansen Kempinski in Vienna

Ekaterina Istomina

It is quite difficult to build a hotel in the capital of Austria that would not be at least somewhat similar to a beautiful palace, like a piece of Sacher cake. Palais Hansen Kempinski, opened in March of this year on the Boulevard Ring, is a classic case of Viennese palace development. The building itself, with a lush red and white facade, was erected in 1873: construction was timed to coincide with the huge World Exhibition, then held in the capital of Austria-Hungary. The fashion for world exhibitions in the progressive 19th century was unusually strong, and the leading capitals of the world - London, Paris, Vienna - fought for the right to host shows of the latest achievements of science and technology. For the world exhibitions, European capitals themselves were seriously updated: huge exhibition palaces, large hotels and even theatrical institutions were built. And everything was with the latest technology.

Palais Hansen Kempinski is a long journey into Vienna's past; in fact, the past life of this wonderful city is the main attraction for tourists. It is a palace, as its name already suggests; the palace is carefully preserved, restored, trained. Here are all the habits, all the values of good old Vienna, including the view from the windows of the chestnut ring of boulevards, strudels, schnitzels, coffee, hot chocolate and cocoa in the central hotel restaurant, crystal chandeliers, marble busts, porcelain and silverware in public spaces. Meanwhile, the famous style of the Kempinski hotel chain itself, which has a long-standing German origin, logically and carefreely applied itself to the historical and architectural possibilities of the former “exhibition” palace. The style of the city hotels of the Kempinski chain is a slender, persistent, respectable modern classic. At the forefront are convenience, status, a special rhythm of life, active, business, but also festive at the same time.

So, the interiors of Palais Hansen Kempinski turned out to be very designer: there are bright “dots” everywhere, like red pillows, multi-colored posters, yellow and brown lamps with fabric lampshades. It is clear that the palace component has largely remained in the exterior and ceremonial, and the hotel itself is positioned as a modern, permanently inhabited, comfortable, flexible and logical city house. In a word, ancient porcelain, Bohemian crystal and old silverware found themselves in a dense environment of modern history. And both sides benefited from such a step - both the antique and the designer.

So, Palais Hansen Kempinski in Vienna is the precise work of real hotel professionals who understand the value of historicism, the value of a palace and a museum, but also realize that you need to live in a good business environment.

www.kempinski.com

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