Vienna has no shortage of aspirational hotels for points travelers.
The Park Hyatt Vienna is probably the best-known loyalty reward option, while Marriott Bonvoy members can choose from properties such as Hotel Imperial, Hotel Bristol and The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna. Those hotels offer grand buildings, central locations and the kind of experience that can become part of the reason for visiting the city.
That wasn’t what we were looking for on this trip.
This was our first visit to Vienna, but it was also one stop during a longer trip through Germany and Austria. We were trying to keep our hotel costs reasonable instead of splurging at every destination. Since we had four nights in Vienna, we also didn’t need to pay a large premium just to stay within walking distance of every major sight.
That led us to Hotel Indigo Vienna – Naschmarkt. It isn’t a luxury hotel, and it isn’t in the middle of the tourist district. What it offered was a very nice room, easy metro access and a more local neighborhood—all for considerably fewer points than Vienna’s higher-end options.
Why The Points Price Made Sense
We booked four nights for 102,000 IHG One Rewards points. Because we have an eligible IHG credit card, the fourth night was free, bringing the average cost down to 25,500 points per night.
We purchased those points for 0.5 cents each, so our effective cost was just over $500 per room for the entire stay. That worked out to roughly $127 per night. Not bad for a stay in a major European city.
Compared with the points required at Vienna’s more central or more luxurious hotels, that was a price we were happy to pay. We weren’t looking for the cheapest place in town, but we also didn’t need to spend heavily just to say we had stayed at one of Vienna’s marquee properties.
The Location Had Pluses And Minuses
Hotel Indigo Vienna – Naschmarkt is in Margareten, Vienna’s 5th district, rather than in the main tourist center. On a map, that can make it look less convenient than the hotels clustered around the Ringstrasse and historic center. In practice, the location worked well for a four-night stay.
The hotel was close to the Pilgramgasse U4 metro station, which made the location much more convenient than it initially appeared, just make sure that you use the correct exit or you’ll have a much longer walk.
The same metro line took us toward both central Vienna and Schönbrunn Palace, and most of the places we wanted to visit were only a short ride away. When we didn’t feel like using public transportation, an inexpensive taxi or Uber got us where we needed to go.
The surrounding neighborhood felt more local, but it was also a little grittier. Some nearby blocks looked rough around the edges, with graffiti and less-polished streets than those in the main tourist areas. We noticed the same thing in several parts of Vienna once we moved away from the postcard-ready sections of town, so it wasn’t unique to the hotel’s neighborhood.
Upon our arrival, I was a bit underwhelmed. This wasn’t the Vienna I had imagined and I thought I might have made a huge mistake staying here. But over time, I also realized there were some real advantages as well. A supermarket was around the corner, and there were plenty of restaurants nearby. We even stopped at the McDonalds across the street to see how different the menu wnd food was from what we have at home.
Don’t Expect The Naschmarkt Outside The Door
The hotel’s full name is Hotel Indigo Vienna – Naschmarkt, but the market isn’t directly outside the hotel.
We went to the Naschmarkt for dinner one evening, but when we were finished, we took an Uber back to the hotel rather than walking. The name gave us the impression that we might be able to walk across the street to the market, but that isn’t the case.
That isn’t necessarily a reason not to stay here, but it is worth understanding before booking. The hotel is in the broader Naschmarkt area, not immediately beside the market stalls.
The Lobby Made A Strong First Impression
The hotel’s public spaces immediately felt more upscale than the price we paid suggested. The lobby had a modern, colorful design with plenty of plants, bold furniture, exposed concrete and a large central bar.
Hotel Indigo properties often lean heavily into design, and this one definitely had a look. Still, it didn’t feel like a hotel created only for Instagram photos. There were several seating areas where guests could actually sit, have a drink or spend some time outside their rooms.
More than anything, however, the property had a recognizable Hotel Indigo vibe rather than a particularly strong sense of Vienna. The plants and courtyard were inspired by the neighborhood’s hidden gardens, but without knowing that backstory, much of the design could have belonged to a Hotel Indigo in almost any city.
Our Room Was Suitable For Four Nights
The room was one of the strongest parts of the stay. It was modern and colorful, with enough space and furniture to make a four night stay comfortable.
There was a large bed, a desk, a chaise-style seat and a combination of drawers, shelves and hanging space. The storage was more open than what you’d find in a traditional hotel wardrobe, but there was enough room for us to unpack and avoid living entirely out of our suitcases.
To be honest, the room had a bit of a Moxy feel, with bright colors, open storage and playful design. The difference was that it had considerably more space.
The room also received plenty of natural light from the floor-to-ceiling doors leading to the terrace.
A Terrace Facing The Courtyard
Our room faced the hotel’s interior courtyard and came with a terrace that ran along the outside of the room.
It wasn’t a terrace with a sweeping view of Vienna. Instead, it looked across the hotel’s planted courtyard, other balconies and a surprising amount of greenery.
That turned out to be a feature rather than a disappointment. The courtyard made the room feel quieter and more residential than a typical city hotel room. The terrace also had a small table and seating, so it was large enough to use rather than being there only for appearance.
Between the terrace, the plants and the natural light, the room felt open and comfortable. For a four-night stay, that mattered more to us than having a view of one of Vienna’s landmarks.
The Bathroom
The bathroom used it’s small footprint efficiently. The vanity wasn’t especially large, but it had enough counter space for our basic toiletries, along with a large mirror, a magnifying mirror and nearby outlets.
The rest of the space was dedicated to a walk-in shower with both rainfall and handheld showerheads. The hotel provided Zenology toiletries in refillable bottles.
Travelers who prefer the shower to be fully enclosed may not like the open layout as much.
Final Thoughts
Hotel Indigo Vienna – Naschmarkt wasn’t the obvious choice for a first visit to Vienna. It isn’t in the historic center, the surrounding neighborhood was a little rough around the edges, and the Naschmarkt wasn’t nearly as close as the hotel’s name had led us to expect.
But those drawbacks mattered less over a four-night stay than they might have during a quick visit.
The hotel was close to the metro, there were plenty of places to eat nearby, and the room was comfortable enough that we didn’t feel like we had chosen a budget hotel just to save points. The terrace and courtyard view were especially nice touches.
For travelers who only have one or two nights in Vienna and want to walk directly to the major sights, paying more for a hotel in the historic center may be worthwhile. For our trip, we preferred to save the points and stay somewhere that still felt stylish, comfortable and easy to reach.
At 102,000 IHG points for four nights, Hotel Indigo Vienna gave us the balance we were looking for. It wasn’t an aspirational stay, but it was a very good one.
Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.
Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.
Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.
Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!
This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
