Spend the night at Vienna’s Imperial Riding School, a revitalised hotel with a horsey heritage
Imperial Riding School, a former military equestrian camp, canters back into Vienna’s hotel scene after a contemporary refresh led by Goddard Littlefair
![imperial riding school hotel vienna](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eGSTRqC8e8j6heQTsT4BD7-415-80.jpg)
Landstrasse, Vienna’s alluringly out-of-the-way third district, has a regal past, most notably defined by the presence of the Belvedere, the sprawling, must-see Baroque complex of museums and gardens. Not far from it is the Imperial Riding School, another cultural marvel.
Imperial Riding School, Vienna
Born as a palace in 1727, the building served as a military equestrian school during Emperor Franz Joseph I’s reign. Later, it became one of the city’s largest movie theatres and also functioned as a garage for postal buses before its life as a hotel. Now, the 342-room property, part of Marriott International’s Autograph Collection, has been revitalised by London and Porto-based interior design studio Goddard Littlefair, in collaboration with local firms BWM Designers & Architects and Lindle+Bukor.
‘Much was discovered during the research phase of Imperial Riding School. Everyone thinks of horses, but that’s not necessarily the whole story,’ explains Goddard Littlefair’s director and co-founder Martin Goddard. ‘We found those things that were a bit hidden and tapped into them, particularly the cinematic element.’
In its previous iteration, the hotel had been attracting a steady stream of conferencegoers and tour groups, but the team were keen to push it in a bolder direction. The formerly compartmentalised ground level, for instance, needed a fresh approach. ‘We wanted to open the whole space up,’ says Goddard. ‘We moved the reception from the front to the back so that everything beyond it could be about the guestrooms.’
Before giving way to those private lairs, the lobby, with its wood flooring that evokes the site’s past as a stable, invites both contemplation and community. Ample seating areas, including one backdropped by an antique Franz Joseph sign salvaged from a staircase, allow guests to savour the monumental original arches and columns juxtaposed with bespoke lighting fixtures, crafted from metal, glass, and horsehair, and the ring-shaped sculpture of Goddard Littlefair’s own design that acts as ‘a visual clue pointing you toward reception’, as Goddard puts it.
Off the lobby are The Farrier bar and Elstar, the restaurant named after an apple variety widely grown in Europe, an homage to the hotel’s orchard roots that's reinforced with soft red and green hues.
While The Farrier is distinguished by swoops of metal, Elstar is graced with decorative Secessionist-style mirrored panels and flows into a gorgeous private garden. The latter's sense of serenity is matched only in the wellness area, complete with pool and tiled seating alcoves.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Guestrooms – reached by corridors covered in carpets that depict hoof marks based on the gallop size and gait of the horse owned by Empress Elisabeth ‘Sisi’ of Austria – abound with subtle equestrian references.
Elegant cocktail cabinets and sofas are balanced with lighting bolstered by bridle-like leather straps and bedside tables reminiscent of stirrups, swathed in a sprayed resin finish for a cracked-leather effect.
Even the bathrooms’ scalloped vanity detail recalls a saddle. ‘We wanted to make sure the rooms felt Viennese,’ says Goddard, ‘layered with shadowing and colour.’
Imperial Riding School is located at Ungargasse 60, 1030 Vienna, Austria, imperialridingschool.com
Alia Akkam is a native New Yorker living in Budapest. She writes about interiors, hotels, travel, food, culture and drinks. She is also an Academy Chair for World’s 50 Best Bars.
-
Ora-ïto transforms the Renault 17 into a futuristic yet retro-tinged vision
The R17 electric restomod x Ora-ïto is the fourth in Renault's series of designer-led reimaginings of iconic models from its past. We think it's the best of the lot
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
First Look: a domestic idyll by Lucy Stark and Fabien Cappello at the Blunk Space
Inspired by the life and times at JB Blunk's haven of a house in Inverness, a new exhibition of paintings and objects has us dreaming of California
By Hugo Macdonald Published
-
Food writer, Tamar Adler on her perfect restaurant experience
Guest editor Laila Gohar has asked friends and creatives to share their perfect restaurant experience. Here, chef and food writer, Tamar Adler recounts a momentous meal for a happy occasion
By Charlotte Gunn Published
-
The Hoxton, Vienna is a hotel rooted in history and quirkiness
The Hoxton, Vienna offers everything from a dynamic auditorium to a Cuban-inspired rooftop bar and pool
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Take a dip at Badeschloss Hotel, a storied bathing sanctuary in Austria
Badeschloss Hotel in the Austrian spa town of Bad Gastein is newly renovated by BWM Designers & Architects and bubbling with vitality
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Turmhaus Tirol — Zell am Ziller, Austria
By Daven Wu Last updated
-
Max Brown 7th District
By Lauren Ho Last updated
-
Lanserhof Lans — Innsbruck, Austria
By Ella Marshall Last updated
-
Lingenhel — Vienna, Austria
By Renee Perenchio Last updated
-
Zaborin — Kutchan, Japan
By Debbie Pappyn Last updated
-
Grand Ferdinand — Vienna, Austria
By Emilee Tombs Last updated