Hotel Imperial
The Vienna Hotel Imperial is a hotel in Vienna and one of the most iconic buildings on the Ringstrasse. It is located at Kärntner Ring 16 in 1.Wiener district. It is part of the Luxury Collection of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
History
As a palace on the Ringstrasse, it was designed by the architect Arnold Zenetti, built in the years 1862-1865 under the direction of the architect Heinrich Adam in the style of the Italian Neo - Renaissance for Duke Philipp of Württemberg. In the interiors of individual architectural elements are clad in stone: for the pillars of the great hall, it is Carrara marble, the pilasters in the ballroom have met the yellow marble Giallo di Siena, walls and pillars of marble art. In the grand staircase there are walls, balustrades, the great pillars of artificial marble, the staircase steps are from Kaiser stone, the hard light yellow marine algae from Kaiser quarry. On the platform of the stairs stands the sculpture " Donauweibchen " by Hanns Gasser.
The duke lived in the palace with his wife, born Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria, since 1866, but sold it in 1871 to the banker Horace Landau. Perhaps it was no longer interesting for the Duke as a residence after the new Wiener Musikverein had taken the clear view of the river Wien and a road built to access the park. But the Duchess felt at the Palais never comfortable.
Presumably, the palace was acquired by an investor group, because the builder Wilhelm Gross transformed it to the hotel. On April 28, 1873, the new hotel was inaugurated in the presence of Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Elisabeth to Vienna World Exhibition of 1873.
1875 was hired by the owner Johann Frohner as a tenant. Frohner already had experience can earn as a hotelier in Budapest, where he successfully ran his eponymous hotel. In 1878 he competed for the title of imperial purveyor of wine and spirits trade. Although the hotel enjoyed an excellent reputation, his request was rejected for various reasons. The request was then approved by the High Steward office many years later.
1912, the Imperial was converted into a public limited company. The Grand Hotel Kärntner Ring belonged to the same corporation. The hotel has been modernized and furnished with central heating. Furthermore, it operated a parking wagon business (1874-1922), a hotel bus (1882-1992) and a wage wagon industry ( 1908-1911 ).
During the monarchy guests came 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 was almost like on normal, the staff worked more and more women, male guests wore uniforms more often, and we dined on still - sometimes gestopftem - Damask, probably a little smaller portions.
In 1928, the two upper floors were placed. In the interwar period came as guests of Thomas Mann, Luigi Pirandello, John Galsworthy and Claude Anet. After the annexation of Austria lodged here Adolf Hitler whenever he was in town. After the war and during the occupation, the Soviets made the hotel their lodging. The hotel was a few damage which from this time, although most of the furniture afterwards were missing and had to be replaced.
The hotel has since its opening to the most luxurious houses in the city of Vienna. Guests include many heads of state and other personalities. The famous John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev were at their summit meeting in Vienna in 1961. The guestbook with prominent signatures is presented today in a bell jar.
In 1994, it was voted by the readers of Condé Nast at the best hotel in the world. In 1961 received the operating company and the State Award for the right to use the federal coat of arms in the business.
Traditionally, state guests staying at the Imperial Hotel; so lived here about 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.
Numerous prominent artists were guests at 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 piece of Earth Song.
On the ground floor of the hotel is Café Imperial, a traditional luxury establishment, that always attracted prominent guests and is decorated with paintings Moritz von Schwind.
Imperial Torte
A house specialty is the Imperial Torte, which is made according to a secret recipe of natural ingredients ( almond paste, milk chocolate). The cake has cooled for at least eight weeks durable and is shipped in wooden boxes anywhere in the world. There is also a version for diabetics.
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.