Austria's capital is a city of classics, from its architecture to its coffee houses and composers. But behind the historic façades, a shake-up is afoot.
Last year, Hotel Lamée, a Design Hotels member, took over a 1930s building in the heart of the city. Now, a 19th-century building in the artsy Spittelberg district is getting a contemporary make-over.
The white-fronted building, which dates back to 1872, has been transformed by John Hitchcox and Philippe Starck's design company Yoo Studio and opens as Hotel Sans Souci Wien this month.
Interiors are lavish, and no expense is spared, with marble flooring in jade-green and amethyst, silver-and-gold furnishings and accents of royal-purple. Crystal chandeliers hang regally above the swimming pool. And art, unsurprisingly, features throughout, with original paintings by Lichtenstein and Kaufman adorning the walls.
The menu at La Véranda restaurant is as fancy as the chocolate-and-gold setting: the incredibly indulgent breakfasts include cheese and sparkling wine.
If all that isn't glamorous enough, there's the option to 'pimp your stay' (their words, not ours); have rose petals scattered on the bed or have Champagne and tropical fruits delivered to your room.
Hotel Sans Souci, Museumstraße 1, Vienna, Austria (00 43 1 522 25 20; www.sanssouci.at). Doubles from €219 (about £184)
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