Stock photo: Gugerell, Wikimedia Commons, CC0 Boutique & Design
Magdas Hotel
Caritas social hotel - staff with refugee backgrounds, warm, honest, different.
Our verdict
Magdas is the only hotel on this list whose most important feature is its business model: the Caritas social enterprise largely employs people with refugee backgrounds and funds itself through hotel operations. That this produced not a pity product but a charming boutique house with upcycled design and a multilingual team is what makes it remarkable. It is here because conviction and value for money line up.
About the hotel
Social-enterprise project run by Caritas: the team is largely made up of people with refugee backgrounds, multiple languages, an international feel. Since 2022 the hotel has been located on Ungargasse in the third district. Inside: lots of upcycled design, creative furniture, honest breakfast. Rochusmarkt and U3 Rochusgasse are about five minutes on foot, Wien Mitte around ten, Belvedere a quarter of an hour. If you care about what stands behind a hotel, this fits.
Location: 3rd district (Landstraße). Belvedere, Hundertwasserhaus, embassies. Quiet, elegant, perfect for art lovers.
Who is it for?
Magdas is for travelers who care about what stands behind a hotel: the Caritas project largely employs people with refugee backgrounds, and you feel it in the multilingual, warm-hearted atmosphere. If you appreciate upcycled design, an honest breakfast and a story with conviction, this is your place - as a couple or a family too. It is also fairly priced, clearly below comparable boutique houses. If instead you expect polished four-star comfort, concierge service or a location in the middle of the first district, a classic city hotel will make you happier.
What works
- + A social enterprise with real impact - your stay funds jobs and training
- + Upcycled design with character instead of catalog furniture - the house has its own aesthetic
- + A multilingual, warm-hearted team - the atmosphere comes up again and again in reviews
- + Very fairly priced for a concept hotel, breakfast usually included
What to weigh up
- − Three-star comfort: if you expect polished four-star amenities or concierge service, you will not find them here
- − Ungargasse is a quiet residential street, not a sightseeing hotspot - to the center you take the U3 or walk a good 20 minutes
- − The upcycling concept polarizes - if you read second-hand furniture as a flaw rather than a style, book classic instead
Location & getting there
Magdas Hotel is on Ungargasse in the third district, Landstraße - in 2022 the house moved here from its former location near the Prater. The Rochusmarkt with the U3 station Rochusgasse is about five minutes on foot, and Wien Mitte station is roughly a ten-minute walk - the CAT and S7 from the airport stop there, so arrival could hardly be easier. The Belvedere with its Klimt collection is around fifteen minutes on foot, the Hundertwasserhaus about twelve. The neighborhood itself is a relaxed residential area with restaurants and shops around the Rochusmarkt, not classic tourist terrain.
Getting around from here
| Rochusmarkt / U3 Rochusgasse | approx. 5 min on foot |
| Wien Mitte (CAT/S7) | approx. 10 min on foot |
| Hundertwasserhaus | approx. 12 min on foot |
| Upper Belvedere | approx. 15 min on foot |
| Stephansplatz | approx. 10 min by transit |
| Vienna Airport (CAT from Wien Mitte) | approx. 30 min by transit |
Rounded estimates from our location analysis - actual times vary by route and time of day.
How the price compares
What you pay for here is a concept, not a comfort package: upcycled furniture with character, a multilingual team, and an operation that funds jobs and training. In return there are no four-star fittings, no concierge, no spa, and you ride into the center every day. If you can live with that, Landstraße gives you one of the most honest deals in the city; if you expect polished hotel standards, a classic house in the same district serves you better.
Currently from €148 per night, which places it in the mid-field of our Vienna selection (rank 13 of 25 by lowest rate). In the 3rd district, the median entry rate across our picks is €117.
Calculated across the current rates of all 25 properties with live data, as of Aug 24, 2026.
Know before you book
- Set expectations: Magdas is a three-star house with a concept, not a full-service design hotel
- Check whether breakfast is in your rate - the buffet is one of the house's praised features
- Look at your transit route in advance: the ride to the center is short, but you will take it daily
- If the concept interests you, ask about events and the in-house café - the project thrives on exchange
Highlights
- A social enterprise hotel run by the Catholic charity Caritas
- Staff who came to Vienna as refugees
- Interiors built from recycled and reused pieces
- Close to the Augarten park
- A different feel from a standard hotel
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?
Usually yes, an honest buffet.
Family rooms?
Available - ask directly.
Wi-Fi?
Free.
How to the center?
A few minutes on the U3 from Rochusgasse, Wien Mitte also walkable.
Alternatives from our selection
Gartenhotel Gabriel City
Family-run with a small garden - quiet location, subway at the door.
from €100 per night
If you prefer a classic, family-run stay in the same district: the Gartenhotel Gabriel on Landstraßer Hauptstraße with its quiet garden.
Hotel Wilhelmshof
Family-run near Prater - playful pop-art lobby, art-loving clientele.
from €201 per night
If more comfort matters to you than the social concept: the Wilhelmshof offers four stars in Leopoldstadt.
Hotel Stefanie
Vienna's oldest hotel - documented since 1600, on Taborstraße near the Danube Canal and the center.
from €209 per night
If you want classic hotel service with history: Hotel Stefanie on Taborstraße, Vienna's oldest hotel.
