MEININGER Hotel Vienna Downtown Franz Review Contents:

Overall Rating | The Atmosphere | The Staff | The Room | The Location | The Price

When it comes to travelling, you guys know that I revisit cities in Europe I know and love far more than I visit new cities. So when MEININGER Hotels suggested I check out one of their properties in Vienna, I jumped at the chance!

I’ve only been to Austria once. It was a school ski trip, my first time skiing, which ended in a Harry Potter-esque scar that I wear on my forehead to this day. However, I have stayed in a few MEININGER Hotels (in Berlin, Brussels, Amsterdam, and my favourite, Hamburg). As it turns out, I couldn’t have picked accommodation more comfortable, clean and modern than MEININGER Hotel Vienna Downtown Franz for my first trip to Vienna.

MEININGER Hotel Vienna Downtown Franz Overall Rating

MEININGER Hotel Vienna Downtown Franz

The Atmosphere

The first thing I noticed when I arrived at MEININGER Hotel Vienna Downtown Franz was just how bright and spacious the hotel is. There are large floor to ceiling windows that let the sun shine in over reception from the street, and the reception desk itself is located directly in front of the sliding glass entrance doors.

This large open space is decked out with cosy sofas, vending machines, the bar, and even a photo booth!

Which makes it a great spot to hang out in the evenings and then take embarrassing photos with your new roommates after a few too many local beers.

The bar itself is decked out with bar stools – which are my favourite! Especially as the staff are based in an office with a door leading to the bar, and therefore always around if you want to ask for directions or advice on the city.

If you’d rather chill out, then just crash back on one of the sofas in the alcove across from the bar, or grab a seat in the wireless terminal where you can catch up with friends back home.

The beauty of this large open space, with its large windows facing out onto the street, is that it acts as the perfect base to meet people just a few steps away from the centre of Vienna.

The Guest Kitchen at MEININGER Hotel Vienna Downtown Franz

When it came to my own experiences meeting people in MEININGER Hotel Vienna Downtown Franz, especially as I was staying in a private room, I found that the best places were the bar and the kitchen.

During the evening, the reception area seemed to be the meeting place for large groups who were heading out to the city to explore together.

But the solo travellers (like me!) would be found on a bar stool, or prepping pasta in the guest kitchen. Which was small but beautifully decorated…

Breakfast at MEININGER Hotel Vienna Downtown Franz

And of course, the best atmosphere in the hotel was found in the mornings. MEININGER Hotels always serve a fantastic breakfast spread, which was no different at MEININGER Hotel Vienna Downtown Franz.

This was the time when all the guests get together and plan the day, and in the bright, open breakfast area there’s more than enough space for everyone. And enough food to go around!

The Staff

The one thing that I noticed about all the reception staff at MEININGER Hotel Vienna Downton Franz was their huge smiles!

As I mentioned, their office opens out onto the main bar and reception area, and as soon as I arrived one of the girls came straight out to check me in while another guy waved from inside the office.

And over the four days that I was there, this was how they greeted everyone.

On my final morning, I shared the common area with a guy who seemed to have had his wallet stolen. The staff were doing all they could to make sure he could call his banks back home in America and cancel his cards, while checking in new arrivals and overall just making sure everyone had all they needed.

And it was also the staff who gave me a huge stack of maps to plan my perfect visit in the city! One of the first things I checked was the availability of local free walking tours.

Which is how I found out about Good Vienna Tours, which you can see more of in my travel vlog!

The Room

I have to be honest here: I love sharing dormitories in hostels as it’s a great way to meet other travellers.

But I’m not going to lie and tell you that I wasn’t pleased with this exquisite double private room that I stayed in at MEININGER Hotel Vienna Downtown Franz.

Just like the rest of the hotel, the room was bright and spacious. Huge windows illuminated the clean white sheets of my double bed, and the soft blue walls and curtains made the whole experience super cosy!

I even had my own couch and desk, which meant that I actually managed to get quite a bit of work done in the mornings before exploring the city of Vienna! And what with the light from the windows, the couch was the perfect place to catch up on my reading.

In all honesty, and after all my experiences with MEININGER Hotels, a comfortable bed in a spacious room with a clean en-suite bathroom is something that they always provide and something that I always appreciate.

Travelling for weeks or months at a time is exhausting, and MEININGER understands this. Which is why they consistently manage to provide clean and comfortable bedrooms, whether they are shared dormitories or privates. Whatever the room, they always make the perfect base for exploring a new city!

Room Facilities

So enough of the praise, and on to the nitty gritty.

When it comes to providing for the modern traveller, MEININGER Hotel Vienna Downtown Franz pretty much has it sorted in their private rooms. There were plugs all around the room, plus plenty of lighting for bedtime reading.

The shower was, as always, super hot and powerful, which is a welcome break from the soppy hostel showers I’ve encountered elsewhere!

And there was even a hair dryer and soap in the immaculate en-suite bathroom.

Finally, for those who like to unpack and get organised, there was a shelving unite complete with clothes-hangers at the entrance to the room. But in case that wasn’t enough, the entrance also offered coat pegs on the wall. Essentially, along with a long wooden bench, there was more than enough storage space!

The Location

To truly get a sense of just how close MEININGER Hotel Vienna Downtown Franz is to the centre of the city, make sure to watch the travel vlog I made of my week there.

It easily takes less than fifteen minutes to walk into the centre of Vienna from the hotel, and what’s even better is that the nearest U-Bahn station is even closer. Which means getting to and from the airport is just as simple as hopping on a train!

Note: as I discovered, Google maps isn’t really your friend on this trip. So it’s best to follow one of the two directions below rather than rely on Google.

Directions to MEININGER Hotel Vienna Downtown Franz by City Airport Train (CAT)

For those who want the easiest route, you can find vendors selling City Airport Train (CAT) tickets all over Vienna Airport who are more than willing to help you figure out how to get to the hotel. A ticket costs €12 and the trip to Wien Mitte station takes 16 minutes. And then from Wien Mitte, you want to change for U-Bahn 4 (U4 on the green line) in the direction of Heiligenstadt and get off at Roßauer Lände. From there, the walk to the hotel is just 10 minutes.

Click here for the 10-minute walking route from Roßauer Lände station to the hotel.

Directions to MEININGER Hotel Vienna Downtown Franz by S-Bahn

The journey from the airport to the hotel by S-Bahn takes just 10 minutes longer than by CAT, but only costs €3.40 and so is definitely the better option for those on a budget! The train you need is the S7 from the airport, towards Wien Mitte station. From there, you need to change for U-Bahn 4 (U4 on the green line) in the direction of Heiligenstadt and get off at Roßauer Lände. The walk to the hotel is just 10 minutes from there.

Click here for the map for the S7 route from the airport to Wien Mitte station.

To download a map of the U-Bahn, click here.

The Price

Prices for a private double room with an en-suite toilet and shower (like the one above that I stayed in) begin at around 79.00 EUR* for fixed price bookings, or 89.00 EUR* for flex bookings. The fixed price bookings have to be paid in full when you book, and are subject to cancellation fees, but the flex bookings are able to be cancelled up to 7-days in advance and payment isn’t due until 6-days before check-in.

However, if you love the look of MEININGER Hotel Vienna Downton Franz (and why wouldn’t you?), but you’re more interested in sharing a dorm room to save money then you can! The hotel offers dormitory beds with prices beginning at 25.00 EUR* and beds in female-only dorms begin at 27.oo EUR*.

As always, to get the best possible price I highly suggest booking directly on their website. This way you’ll also be able to choose between the fixed or flex bookings (and save some money!), which is more difficult when you book elsewhere.

Extra costs include breakfast (€6.90), bike hire (from €12.00), parking, and late checkout (€10). I highly recommend the late checkout… an extra four hours in your cosy bed for just €2.50 an hour!

*Prices for May 2017

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When it comes to getting a great night’s sleep in a friendly and modern hostel, I can’t recommend MEININGER Hotel Vienna Downtown Franz highly enough! The more I travel, the more a good bed and clean en-suite bathroom become little havens of comfort in an otherwise fast-paced lifestyle. And best of all is that the staff are always great at helping you get the most out of your experience!

I would like to thank the MEININGER Hotel Vienna Downtown Franz for sponsoring my stay with them, but as always opinions are honest and entirely my own.