Hotel Viki

The pictures on the hotel's website don't show what you actually get. Our room didn't match the booking at all: it was tiny with nowhere to store clothes, and the bathroom floor was very cold. The shower head couldn't be mounted on the wall because its holder was broken. There was just one bedside reading lamp, and it was so wobbly I thought I could break it. Complaining about the room standard didn't help, as they said they were fully booked. Stay away!

I chose this hotel because of the price. The rooms were decent and clean, with a very good mattress and a brand-new private washroom. But the room lacked amenities, with no lamp and only one outlet. The hotel feels like it may be partway through renovations; the dark corridors and lack of people around made it eerie. The location was okay, though street noise came through even with the windows shut.

The room was clean and comfortable, and the receptionist was polite and gentle. A few things were frustrating: the toilet smelled, there was no air freshener or coffee in the room, and we had to carry our own luggage the whole way because the staff weren't very cooperative. There's a coffee machine downstairs, but it doesn't take cards. The tea bags smelled unpleasant and seemed old, and the towels weren't properly clean.

The staff made me feel very welcome. Nicolas checked me in and was incredibly helpful, showing me where to park my bike and explaining what I needed to know. The Bulgarian receptionist was lovely too, and seemed surprised when I spoke Bulgarian to him. I was a little nervous after reading the reviews, but I needn't have been. For less than €40 a night in Vienna, I found my room spotless and comfortable, and the bed gave me two good nights of sleep. The interior is dated and old-fashioned, but that doesn't mean it's unclean. The hotel is a few minutes' walk from the city centre, with a metro station about two minutes away. The diverse neighborhood looks a bit run down, but as a woman traveling alone I never felt unsafe, even going out on both nights. If you want somewhere cheap and cheerful as a base for exploring Vienna, Viki is perfect. If you want the Hilton, pay for the Hilton!