Era Apartments am Prater

I can’t recommend these apartments. The WiFi wouldn’t work in our room, and the building’s foyer was dusty and dirty, with prams in it. The corridors had patches of plaster removed, with the rubble left in piles. The bunk beds wobbled and felt unsafe, and one pillow was lumpy and falling apart. It may have been cheap, but that should still mean clean. Instead, a horrible smell hit us when we opened the door. There were stains on the mattresses and bedding, bloodstains on the wall, and mould stains on the kitchen and bathroom ceilings. Maybe the WiFi would have worked if we’d sat among the builders’ rubble in the corridors.

The location, access, and staff are all excellent, but the place was unclean and uncomfortable. They need to pay more attention to cleanliness and bed quality.

There are supermarkets close by, and the building is right beside Prater park. It sits between a U2 station and a U1 station, each about a 7-10 minute walk away. I was visiting Vienna as a tourist and stayed four nights. I had nothing to complain about, and I recommend it. I was honestly puzzled by the two bad reviews, especially since one was for the same room. Everyone has their own expectations and needs. I stayed in apartment 13 at Prater Messe Apartments - Wolfgang-Schmälzlgasse. Yes, there was construction in the building, but it never bothered me. With the windows shut, you can barely hear it, and on the days I was there, work started after 09:00. The kettle does need better cleaning, though its condition comes from limescale in the water. I just heated water in the microwave instead. The TV really had no signal, but that didn’t matter to me. The bed was extremely noisy, and I woke up whenever I moved at night. For the following nights, I put the mattress on the floor and slept very well. The room was clean, and the bedding and towels were clean and smelled fresh. The washing machine, heaters, fridge, and microwave all worked perfectly. The shower was very good, and the host provided liquid body soap, shampoo, and conditioner. A little water leaks from the shower enclosure and wets the floor. They could leave a floor cloth in the bathroom or fix the leak with silicone. That’s my only suggestion.

We ended up having to stay at another hotel. Vienna Prater Apartments doesn’t deserve even one star. I’ve stayed in dozens of places abroad and never seen such a mess: the toilet couldn’t be used because the seat and bowl didn’t match, the apartment was half-finished, and there were dead rats and broken furniture. The door was insecure and could be pushed open, water could blow into the room from underneath it, and the address on Booking.com was wrong.