alfredlexx60 (Soldat Chvéïk de retour)
Wien, 1. Bezirk (the art of palais/hotels respectively listed buildings of Vienna), Canovagasse/Kärntner Ring/Dumbastraße (Hotel Imperial/former Palais Württemberg), Café Imperial/Restaurant Opus
The Vienna Imperial Hotel is a hotel in Vienna and one of the most striking buildings along the Ring road (Ringstraße). It is located on Kärntner Ring 16 in the 1st district of Vienna. It is part of the Luxury Collection of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
History
As a palace at the Ringstrasse, it built in the years 1862-1865 after plans of architect Arnold Zenetti under the direction of master builder Heinrich Adam in the style of the Italian Neo-Renaissance for duke Philipp of Württemberg. In the interior rooms single architectural elements are clad in stone: as for the pillars of the great hall it is Carrara marble, the pilasters in the ballroom have layers of yellow marble Giallo di Siena, wall surfaces and pillars of artificial marble. In the grand staircase consist wall surfaces, balustrades, great pillars of artificial marble, the stair steps are made of Emperor stone (Kaiserstein), the hard light yellow alga limestone from Kaisersteinbruch (quarry). On the platform of the stairs stands the sculpture "Donauweibchen" (Danube Maiden) by Hanns Gasser.
The duke lived in the palace with his wife, born archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria, since 1866, but sold it yet in 1871 to the banker Horace von Landau. Perhaps it was no longer of interest to the duke as a residence after the new Wiener Musikverein had obstructed the free sight to the Vienna River and a road blocked the access to the park. But the duchess, too, in the Palais never felt at ease.
Presumably, the palace was purchased by a group of investors because the architect William Gross transformed it to the hotel. On April 28, 1873, the new hotel was inaugurated in the presence of the emperor Franz Joseph and empress Elisabeth for the 1873 Vienna World Exhibition.
1875 by the owner Johann Frohner as a tenant was hired. Frohner already in Budapest as hotelier could gain experience, where he successfully ran his eponymous hotel. In 1878 he competed for the title of Imperial and Royal Court Supplier for wine and spirits trade. Although the hotel enjoyed an excellent reputation, his request was rejected for various reasons. The request many years later then was approved by the High Steward office.
1912, the Imperial was converted into a public limited company. The Grand Hotel at Kärntner Ring belonged to the same corporation. The hotel was modernized and furnished with central heating. Furthermore, it ran a horse-drawn omnibuses business (1874-1922), a hotel omnibus (1882-1992) and a wage-drawn carriages trade (1908-1911).
During the monarchy came guests as prince Otto von Bismarck, count Patrice de Mac-Mahon, king Milan of Serbia, tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria, Richard Wagner, Eleonora Duse and Sarah Bernhardt.
During the First World War, the operation continued almost normally, among staff increasingly more women were working, male guests more often wore uniforms, and it was further on dined on - sometimes stuffed - damask, probably somewhat smaller portions.
In 1928, the two upper floors were added. In the interwar period came as guests Thomas Mann, Luigi Pirandello, John Galsworthy and Claude Anet. After the Anschluss (Annexation) lodged here Adolf Hitler whenever he was in town. After the war and during the occupation, the Soviets made the hotel to their quarters. The hotel from this time only a few damages suffered, although most of the furniture then was missing and had to be replaced.
The hotel since its opening belongs to the most luxurious houses of the city of Vienna. Guests include many heads of state and other personalities. The most famous were John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev at their summit meeting in Vienna in 1961. The guestbook with prominent signatures today is presented under a bell jar.
In 1994 the hotel by the readers of Condé Nast was voted as the best hotel in the world. Already in 1961, the operating company received the National Award and thus the right to use the federal coat of arms in business transactions.
Traditionally, state guests are staying at the Hotel Imperial; for example, lived here Richard Nixon, king Olav of Norway, marshal Tito, king Leopold of Belgium, the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, queen Elizabeth of England, king Juan Carlos of Spain and emperor Akihito and empress Michiko of Japan.
Also numerous prominent artists were guests at the Imperial, including Otto Preminger, Walt Disney, Otto Klemperer, Alfred Hitchcock, Frank Sinatra, Woody Allen, Yul Brynner, Peter Ustinov, Michel Piccoli, Zubin Mehta, Vladimir Horowitz, Riccardo Muti, Mick Jagger, Mariah Carey and Sofia Coppola. Michael Jackson wrote here the song Earth Song.
On the ground floor of the hotel is located the Café Imperial, a traditional luxury restaurant that has always attracted prominent guests and is decorated with paintings by Moritz von Schwind.
Imperial Torte
A house specialty is the Imperial Torte, which is produced according to a secret recipe from natural ingredients (marzipan, milk chocolate). The cake, if cooled, is at least eight weeks durable and is shipped in wooden boxes everywhere in the world.
According to legend, a kitchen boy named Franz-Xaver Loibner created the Imperial Torte for Emperor Franz Joseph I on the occasion of the opening of the hotel.
Wien, 1. Bezirk (the art of palais/hotels respectively listed buildings of Vienna), Canovagasse/Kärntner Ring/Dumbastraße (Hotel Imperial/former Palais Württemberg), Café Imperial/Restaurant Opus
The Vienna Imperial Hotel is a hotel in Vienna and one of the most striking buildings along the Ring road (Ringstraße). It is located on Kärntner Ring 16 in the 1st district of Vienna. It is part of the Luxury Collection of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
History
As a palace at the Ringstrasse, it built in the years 1862-1865 after plans of architect Arnold Zenetti under the direction of master builder Heinrich Adam in the style of the Italian Neo-Renaissance for duke Philipp of Württemberg. In the interior rooms single architectural elements are clad in stone: as for the pillars of the great hall it is Carrara marble, the pilasters in the ballroom have layers of yellow marble Giallo di Siena, wall surfaces and pillars of artificial marble. In the grand staircase consist wall surfaces, balustrades, great pillars of artificial marble, the stair steps are made of Emperor stone (Kaiserstein), the hard light yellow alga limestone from Kaisersteinbruch (quarry). On the platform of the stairs stands the sculpture "Donauweibchen" (Danube Maiden) by Hanns Gasser.
The duke lived in the palace with his wife, born archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria, since 1866, but sold it yet in 1871 to the banker Horace von Landau. Perhaps it was no longer of interest to the duke as a residence after the new Wiener Musikverein had obstructed the free sight to the Vienna River and a road blocked the access to the park. But the duchess, too, in the Palais never felt at ease.
Presumably, the palace was purchased by a group of investors because the architect William Gross transformed it to the hotel. On April 28, 1873, the new hotel was inaugurated in the presence of the emperor Franz Joseph and empress Elisabeth for the 1873 Vienna World Exhibition.
1875 by the owner Johann Frohner as a tenant was hired. Frohner already in Budapest as hotelier could gain experience, where he successfully ran his eponymous hotel. In 1878 he competed for the title of Imperial and Royal Court Supplier for wine and spirits trade. Although the hotel enjoyed an excellent reputation, his request was rejected for various reasons. The request many years later then was approved by the High Steward office.
1912, the Imperial was converted into a public limited company. The Grand Hotel at Kärntner Ring belonged to the same corporation. The hotel was modernized and furnished with central heating. Furthermore, it ran a horse-drawn omnibuses business (1874-1922), a hotel omnibus (1882-1992) and a wage-drawn carriages trade (1908-1911).
During the monarchy came guests as prince Otto von Bismarck, count Patrice de Mac-Mahon, king Milan of Serbia, tsar Ferdinand of Bulgaria, Richard Wagner, Eleonora Duse and Sarah Bernhardt.
During the First World War, the operation continued almost normally, among staff increasingly more women were working, male guests more often wore uniforms, and it was further on dined on - sometimes stuffed - damask, probably somewhat smaller portions.
In 1928, the two upper floors were added. In the interwar period came as guests Thomas Mann, Luigi Pirandello, John Galsworthy and Claude Anet. After the Anschluss (Annexation) lodged here Adolf Hitler whenever he was in town. After the war and during the occupation, the Soviets made the hotel to their quarters. The hotel from this time only a few damages suffered, although most of the furniture then was missing and had to be replaced.
The hotel since its opening belongs to the most luxurious houses of the city of Vienna. Guests include many heads of state and other personalities. The most famous were John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev at their summit meeting in Vienna in 1961. The guestbook with prominent signatures today is presented under a bell jar.
In 1994 the hotel by the readers of Condé Nast was voted as the best hotel in the world. Already in 1961, the operating company received the National Award and thus the right to use the federal coat of arms in business transactions.
Traditionally, state guests are staying at the Hotel Imperial; for example, lived here Richard Nixon, king Olav of Norway, marshal Tito, king Leopold of Belgium, the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, queen Elizabeth of England, king Juan Carlos of Spain and emperor Akihito and empress Michiko of Japan.
Also numerous prominent artists were guests at the Imperial, including Otto Preminger, Walt Disney, Otto Klemperer, Alfred Hitchcock, Frank Sinatra, Woody Allen, Yul Brynner, Peter Ustinov, Michel Piccoli, Zubin Mehta, Vladimir Horowitz, Riccardo Muti, Mick Jagger, Mariah Carey and Sofia Coppola. Michael Jackson wrote here the song Earth Song.
On the ground floor of the hotel is located the Café Imperial, a traditional luxury restaurant that has always attracted prominent guests and is decorated with paintings by Moritz von Schwind.
Imperial Torte
A house specialty is the Imperial Torte, which is produced according to a secret recipe from natural ingredients (marzipan, milk chocolate). The cake, if cooled, is at least eight weeks durable and is shipped in wooden boxes everywhere in the world.
According to legend, a kitchen boy named Franz-Xaver Loibner created the Imperial Torte for Emperor Franz Joseph I on the occasion of the opening of the hotel.