The history of the Austria Classic Hotel Wien

Construction of the main building "Zum schwarzen Tor" meaning "to the black door", back then there were only 2 floors at 72 Praterstraße, until the year 1862 the street was called "Jägerzeile" which means "Hunters Lane" and was the residence of Mr. Peter Danhauser.

Opening of the "Emperor Ferdinand Northern Railroad" which was the 1st steam railway in Austria (in the imperial and royal monarchy until 1918 the "Northern Railway Station" was one of the most important railway stations in Europe).

Construction of the 3rd floor and the opening of "Hotel Nordbahn" by Mr. Josef Johann Scheiflinger, the son-in-law of Mr. Peter Danhauser, since then the Hotel has been the property of the Scheiflinger family and their descendants.

Annex of the two side wings in the court yard was constructed.

On 3rd July the "Battle at Königgrätz" in the German War led to defeat of the Austrians against the Prussians, the high command of the army establishes until it's disbanding at the "Hotel Nordbahn".

Takeover of the Hotel by Mr. Josef Peter Scheiflinger, son of Mr. Josef Johann Scheiflinger.

Birth of Max Steiner on the 10th May at the Hotel; a world-famous composer of film music, he wrote more than 300 pieces for Hollywood productions including "Casablanca" and "Gone with the Wind", more information can be found on a plaque in our breakfast room.

Stanisław Wyspiański lived in the Hotel in August; he was a Polish dramatist, poet, and visual artist from Krakow and a member of the artist association of the Vienna Sezession, please see the plaque at the front of the Hotel.

Takeover of the Hotel by Mr. Felix Scheiflinger, a long-term head of the council of the Vienna Hotel industry, he was the son of Mr. Josef Peter Scheiflinger.

Severe damage and partial destruction of the building in the 2nd World War.

The Hotel was under Russian administration, partial renovation of the Hotel.

The Hotel administration was taken over again by Mr. Felix Scheiflinger, there was further investment in the reconstruction of the house.

Takeover of the Hotel by Mrs. Erika Blumauer, daughter of Mr. Felix Scheiflinger.

 Takeover of the Hotel administration by Mr. Reinhard Blumauer, son of Mrs. Erika Blumauer.

Many annual big investments in the infrastructure of the house.

Installation of the memorial plaque for the film music composer Max Steiner by the mayor of Vienna, Dr. Helmut Zilk.

Hotel extension with additional rooms and enlargement of the breakfast room with terrace.

Hotel expansion with new Premium rooms by construction of an annex and reconstruction of the wing that was destroyed during the 2nd World War.

Takeover of the Hotel administration by Mrs. Ines Pietsch, daughter of Mr. Reinhard Blumauer.

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The hotel is fully air-conditioned.

Expansion of the attic in the inner courtyard.

12 further rooms are adapted and renovated.

Redesign of the breakfast buffet and expansion of the breakfast room. In addition, the hotel lobby and reception are redesigned and further rooms on the 1st floor are renovated.

Opening of the new "Max Steiner" bar, dedicated to the famous film music composer Max Steiner, who was born at the Austria Classic Hotel Wien in 1888. Redesign and technical equipment of the seminar room for exclusive seminars and meetings in block form.

Various room adaptations and renovations in the right wing of the 2nd floor.

Various room adaptations and renovations in the left wing of the 1st and 2nd floors.

The coronavirus pandemic presented the hotel with immense challenges. During this time, the hotel was completely closed for many months and all employees were able to continue working short-time. Thanks to the support of the Austrian government and the prudent management of the owner family, the business was able to remain open and survive this difficult phase.

In this year, the almost 200-year-old main building was renovated. The majority of the rooms in the main house were completely renovated, the attic was given new thermal insulation and the windows in the main house and most of the inner courtyard were replaced with special soundproof windows. In addition, the historic façade was completely renovated and various pipes in the main building were renewed. These extensive measures also helped to increase energy efficiency.

The vision for the future is to work even more sustainably. In 2025, the installation of a photovoltaic system on the roofs of the inner courtyard is planned in order to supply the air conditioning systems in particular with clean energy in summer. The hotel is also aiming for the Austrian Ecolabel in order to further develop its commitment to environmental protection and sustainability. These steps continue the tradition of constantly improving the hotel and meeting the growing demands of guests.

Ines Pietsch and the entire team at the Austria Classic Hotel Wien are looking forward to pampering their guests in the future and continuing to offer exceptional comfort in the 6th generation of the family! This tradition will certainly be carried on into the 7th generation!