Stock photo: Gugerell, Wikimedia Commons, CC0 Editor's pick · ★★★★ · Boutique & Design
Hotel Motto Vienna
Parisian brasserie meets Viennese charm - rooftop bar with city views.
Our verdict
The Motto is the house in this selection that the Viennese themselves frequent - Bernd Schlacher's restaurateur signature makes the brasserie and rooftop bar destinations, not hotel afterthoughts. If you see a hotel as part of the city trip rather than just a bed, this is the most consistent boutique concept in Vienna outside the first district. The price is correspondingly confident.
About the hotel
Opened by Bernd Schlacher (Motto restaurant group), the hotel breathes the style of his restaurants: velvet, dark wood, brass, plenty of statement. Brasserie Chez Bernard and rooftop bar Chez Nico draw Viennese, not just hotel guests. Central location at the start of Mariahilfer Straße. Guests: style-conscious, photogenic.
Location: 6th district (Mariahilf). Mariahilfer Straße - Vienna's longest shopping mile. Mix of hotels, restaurants, theaters.
Who is it for?
Motto is a hotel for the design-conscious: couples on a city break, food-minded travelers who see the brasserie and rooftop bar as part of the experience, and anyone who likes a hotel that locals actually frequent. On price it sits firmly in Vienna's upper segment - but you get five-star boutique character rather than chain uniformity. Families with small children and pure budget travelers are less well served here; if you mainly want a cheap, practical bed, Mariahilf offers plenty of solid three-star alternatives.
What works
- + Brasserie Chez Bernard and rooftop bar Chez Nico with views over the city - dining at its own level
- + Elaborate interiors with velvet, dark wood and brass instead of chain aesthetics
- + U2 Museumsquartier five minutes on foot, old town and MuseumsQuartier quickly reachable
- + A house with a local crowd - you stay amid Viennese life, not in a tourist bubble
What to weigh up
- − Clearly upmarket - for merely sleeping, Mariahilf has far cheaper beds
- − The brasserie and rooftop bar draw outside guests - this is not a quiet retreat
- − Tailored to couples and the style-conscious, not well suited to families with small children
- − The start of Mariahilfer Straße is busy by day and in the evening
Location & getting there
Hotel Motto stands at the start of Mariahilfer Straße in the 6th district - the point where Vienna's longest shopping street meets the museum quarter. The U2 station Museumsquartier is a five-minute walk away, putting the MuseumsQuartier, Hofburg and old town within a few stops or an easy stroll. The surrounding blocks form one of the densest dining neighborhoods in the city, and the hotel's own rooftop bar adds a view across the rooftops. From the airport, take the CAT or S7 to Wien Mitte and continue by metro - it's hard to reach this corner of Vienna more easily.
Getting around from here
| U2 Museumsquartier | approx. 5 min on foot |
| Naschmarkt | approx. 10 min on foot |
| MuseumsQuartier | approx. 10 min on foot |
| State Opera | approx. 15 min on foot |
| Stephansplatz | approx. 15 min by transit |
| Vienna Airport | approx. 45 min by transit |
Rounded estimates from our location analysis - actual times vary by route and time of day.
How the price compares
The Motto charges a boutique premium, and you can see where it goes: elaborate interiors, a brasserie and a rooftop bar with a following of their own. Use both and you get value; sleep only and you are paying for the set. Against the grand hotels of the old town it stays five-star boutique without their tariff.
Currently from €300 per night, which places it in the priciest third of our Vienna selection (rank 21 of 25 by lowest rate). In the 6th district, the median entry rate across our picks is €144.
Calculated across the current rates of all 25 properties with live data, as of Aug 24, 2026.
Know before you book
- Reserve the brasserie table and rooftop spot in advance - both are in demand with locals too
- Check rates including the brasserie breakfast, one of the house showpieces
- Request a quiet room away from the Mariahilfer Straße side if you turn in early
- Compare room categories - in a boutique layout, sizes and views differ considerably
Highlights
- Brasserie Chez Bernard and the rooftop bar Chez Nico in the building
- From Viennese restaurateur Bernd Schlacher
- At the start of Mariahilfer Straße shopping street
- Elaborate interior design with a point of view
- A meeting spot Viennese locals use too
Editorially checked: location, transport links, price level and amenity details last verified in August 2026 - against hotel information, current guest reviews, location analysis and price comparison. We have not slept in every listed property; where you read a verdict, it is analysis, not claimed experience. How we select and review hotels
Frequently asked
Breakfast included?
Depends on rate - the brasserie breakfast is worth experiencing.
Is the rooftop bar public?
Yes, Chez Nico is open to non-hotel guests.
Family rooms?
More couples than families - ask directly.
Nearest subway?
U2 Museumsquartier five minutes on foot.
Alternatives from our selection
Hotel Das Tyrol
Art-boutique at the start of Mariahilfer Straße - contemporary art in every room.
from €274 per night
If you want boutique character on Mariahilfer Straße for less, Das Tyrol delivers it - no rooftop, but with an art collection.
Altstadt Vienna
Designer rooms in Spittelberg - each by a different architect.
from €300 per night
If individual charm matters more than dining glamour, the quieter Altstadt Vienna in Neubau is the more personal boutique address.
DO & CO Hotel Vienna
In the Haas-Haus on Stephansplatz - onyx lobby, rooftop restaurant, cathedral views.
If dining is the main criterion and the budget allows, the DO & CO right on Stephansplatz plays one league higher still.